Celebrating National NAIDOC Week

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year to celebrate and recognise the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This year, NAIDOC Week will be celebrated from 7-14 July, with the theme "Blak, Loud and Proud." This theme celebrates the unyielding spirit of our communities and invites all to stand in solidarity, amplifying voices that have long been silenced.

As part of our NAIDOC Week tradition, Wilson Parking has purchased artwork from The Torch, an organisation providing cultural and arts industry support to First Nations people currently in, or recently released from, Victorian prisons. The Torch aims to reduce the rate of reoffending by encouraging the exploration of identity and culture through art. This year, Dylan B, from the Gunditjmara/Gunaikurnai people, is featured with his work "Goanna Dreamtime, 2023." Dylan explains, “This painting represents my grandmother as the goanna, which is my connection to Country. The background is the earthy tones, deserts, and dry country. The colourful dot work symbolises brighter, better days for me moving forward in my journey. I like to use colours representing the rains, forest, and the flowers.” This artwork will be displayed in selected car parks across Victoria, specifically on the lands of the Wurundjeri people.

The National NAIDOC Week Poster for 2024, created by Deb Belyea, a talented artist from the SAMUAWGADHALGAL, Torres Strait, is titled "Urapun Muy," meaning ‘One Fire’ in the Kalaw Kawaw Ya dialect of the Top Western Islands of the Torres Strait. This work pays homage to Torres Strait Islanders and Aboriginal people everywhere, as we all have that one fire: our passion for our culture. You can view and download the artwork here.

For more details on NAIDOC Week and how you can get involved, please visit: naidoc.org.au.