Keep The Fire Burning!
Blak, Loud and Proud
Keep The Fire Burning!
Blak, Loud and Proud
Blak, Loud and Proud
What is NAIDOC Week?
NAIDOC Week encourages all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of the oldest, most continuous living cultures on earth.
It has grown to become both a commemoration of the first Day of Mourning as well as a celebration of the history, culture and excellence of First Nations people.
This year, NAIDOC Week will be celebrated from 7-14 July 2024 to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The theme for 2024 is ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud’.
The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
What does NAIDOC stand for?
On 26 January 1938, while many Australians celebrated the 150th anniversary of the landing of the First Fleet, a group of over 1000 Aboriginal people gathered at Australia Hall in Sydney to call for full citizenship status and laws to improve the lives of First Nations people.
As one of the first major civil rights gatherings in the world, this day became known as the Day of Mourning.
Since then, National NAIDOC Week has grown to become both an annual commemoration of the first Day of Mourning as well as a celebration of the history, culture and excellence of First Nations people.
Photo caption: The first Day of Mourning. From the left is William Ferguson, Jack Kinchela, Isaac Ingram, Doris Williams, Esther Ingram, Arthur Williams, Phillip Ingram, Louisa Agnes Ingram OAM holding daughter Olive Ingram, and Jack Patton. The name of the person in the background to the right is not known.
What is this year's theme?
The theme for 2024 is ‘Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud & Proud’.
The theme honours the enduring strength and vitality of First Nations culture – with fire a symbol of connection to Country, to each other, and to the rich tapestry of traditions that define Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Visit the NAIDOC website.
Let’s Celebrate NAIDOC Week. Get involved!
The National Aborigines' and Islanders' Day Observance Committee leads NAIDOC celebrations and events and provides a range of downloadable resources and information on how to get involved on their website.
Celebrate NAIDOC Week in your workplace, community, school, sporting group, local councils and state governments.
Everyone belongs at Carers Queensland
Carers Queensland believes in equal rights and opportunities for everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion and occupation. Our organisation reflects the diversity of the community we support.
Carers Queensland recognises NAIDOC Week as an opportunity for all Australians to celebrate the history, culture and excellence of First Nations people.
We are committed to improving the quality of life of First Nations carers, people with disability, their families, and our communities as we continue the journey to reconciliation across Australia.
The Story of Carers Queensland
Walking with our community. Connecting with our communities.
It is a great honour to share our artwork from Uncle Paul Calcott of the Wiradjuri people, a community Elder living with a disability, and member of the LGBTIQ+ community. Uncle Paul is an NDIS participant and has a long relationship with Carers Queensland.
Carers Queensland’s history, and our organisation will mean different things to different people based on their own perspective, experience, and culture. In mid-2020, we invited a range of stakeholders to come together and look for a better way to tell our story, a way that was more meaningful and celebrated our values from the perspectives of those who live and breathe our work every day.
And we had a yarn. We all shared our history, our learnings, our experiences and our perspectives of Carers Queensland not just as an organisation, but also as a part of the community.
Uncle Paul listened, reflected, and took that learning away to give it new life from his perspective, telling our story in a way that held meaning for his culture and his experience.
