Organised by the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee, NAIDOC has its roots in activism that took place in the 1920s and 30s. On Australia Day in 1938, protesters marched through Sydney in what was called a Day of Mourning.
Its success led to the Day of Mourning being marked each year on the Sunday before Australia Day, in what became known as National Aborigines Day. That day of remembrance was eventually shifted to the month of July so the day of protest could also be one of celebrating Aboriginal culture. In 1975, it was decided to turn the annual commemoration into a week-long event marked from the first to the second Sunday in July.
Co-Chair of the National NAIDOC Committee, John Paul Janke says the enduring quest for a treaty and for a process known as truth-telling is reflected in this year's theme: Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let's work together for a shared future.
