Under the theme, Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s work together for a shared future, NAIDOC Week 2019 will be held nationally from Sunday 7 July through to Sunday 14 July. 
 
NAIDOC Week celebrations will occur across the CBD including the Supreme Court Gardens, City of Perth Library, Council House, Yagan Square and the Perth Cultural Centre.
 
The Trafalgar Bridge in Claisebrook Cove will be illuminated in red, yellow and black during the week, excluding 8, 12 and 13 July.
 
To mark the beginning of the week, the NAIDOC Perth Official Opening Ceremony will take place in the Supreme Court Gardens on Sunday 7 July from 12 to 4pm.
 
Featuring a traditional smoking ceremony, Whadjuk and Torres Strait Islander dancers, an Elders marquee, sand art and 22 community stalls, the event promises to be a multicultural delight.
 
“The NAIDOC Perth Official Opening Ceremony marks the start of an important week-long celebration of, and for, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and communities,” Deputy Chair Commissioner Gaye McMath said.
 
“This is a week that highlights the strength, resilience and rich culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, which I hope will grow our community’s appreciation of their contribution to our city 365 days a year.
 
“Cultural ceremonies such as this encourage visitors to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, further promoting understanding and strengthening the social fabric of the community.”
 
From 8 July through to September, an Aboriginal art exhibition Our Land: Our Place will take place on the ground floor of Council House. The exhibition will showcase pieces from Aboriginal art centres throughout WA alongside Aboriginal artworks from the City of Perth Cultural Collections.
 
The City of Perth has also been working on a fresh approach to the collection of oral histories and has recently commissioned a podcast, titled Untold Stories, that features stories on the Coolbaroo Club.
 
Founded in 1946 by returned Yamatji soldiers Jack and Bill Poland, the club was best known for the dances they held on Friday and Saturday nights outside of the ‘Prohibition Area’ of the city.

The podcasts will be available online and will be offered for broadcast on local radio stations.
 
“Supporting NAIDOC Week aligns with the City of Perth’s Reconciliation Action Plan, which focuses on building awareness of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures,” Deputy Chair Commissioner Gaye McMath said.
 
More than two years after starting its reconciliation journey, the City of Perth is beginning to progress towards an Innovate Reconciliation Action Plan.
 
An events listing for NAIDOC Week is located below, while more information on events can be found at visitperth.com.au
 
Issued by: Brooke Hunter, Strategic Communications Advisor, 0448 610 834, brooke.hunter@cityofperth.wa.gov.au 

Backgrounder

CELEBRATING OUR STORIES: FILM SCREENINGS
1 to 5 July | City of Perth Library | 12 to 2pm | Free | visitperth.com.au
Prior to NAIDOC Week, the City of Perth Library will be screening a series of films from the Indigenous Community Stories Collection. Featuring local Elders such as Alf Taylor, Biglai Hanlon, Laurel Nannup and Cedric Jacobs, each film depicts desert and town stories in different languages, exploring varied facets of Aboriginal history and culture.
 
NAIDOC WEEK PERTH OPENING CEREMONY
7 July | Supreme Court Gardens | 12 to 4pm | Free | naidocperth.org.au
Featuring a traditional smoking ceremony, Whadjuk and Torres Strait Islander dancers, an Elders marquee, sand art and 22 community stalls, the NAIDOC Week opening ceremony promises to be a multicultural delight.

COUNCIL HOUSE INSTALLATION
7 to 14 July | Council House Foyer | All day | Free 
Replicating falling gum leaves, view the beautiful red, yellow and black NAIDOC Week installation in the foyer of Council House.

NAIDOC WEEK – PERTH CULTURAL CENTRE
7 to 14 July | Perth Cultural Centre | Various times | Free | perthculturalcentre.com.au 
Explore various Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander events taking place across the Perth Cultural Centre, including activities and exhibitions at the WA Museum Discovery Zone, State Library of WA, State Theatre Centre of WA, the Art Gallery of WA, North Metropolitan TAFE and Perth Institute of Contemporary Arts.
 
VIRTUAL WHADJUK
7 to 13 July | Yagan Square | Daily 10am to 2pm | Free, bookings required | visitperth.com.au 
A free virtual reality adventure, Virtual Whadjuk will immerse audiences in Nyoongar culture and Perth landscapes as they were before European settlement. Visitors will learn to hunt kangaroo, gather bush foods and fish the traditional way as they witness Perth city disappear to a time before European Settlement.
 
OUR LAND: OUR PLACE
8 July to 27 September | Council House | 9am to 5pm weekdays | Free | visitperth.com.au 
Our Land: Our Place, a collaborative exhibition between Artitja Fine Art and the City of Perth, will take place on the ground floor of Council House. The exhibition will showcase pieces from Aboriginal art centres throughout WA alongside Aboriginal artworks from the City of Perth Cultural Collections. An interactive oral history display, featuring Aboriginal stories and interviews, will form part of the exhibition at a later stage.
 
NATIVE FLOWER GIVEAWAY
8 to 13 July | Hay Street, West Perth and Cathedral Square | 7am to 9am weekdays and 11am to 1pm Saturday | Free | visitperth.com.au
City workers and visitors to the city will be surprised by native flowers on their travels throughout the city during NAIDOC Week. Verbena Flowers will be providing flowers on Hay Street on 8, 10 and 12 July, while Fox and Rabbit will be providing flowers on 9, 11 and 13 July at Cathedral Square. 

CYCLONE AND SHADOWS
9 July | City of Perth Library | 11am to 12pm | Free | visitperth.com.au | Suitable for ages 6 to 12 | Bookings: childrens.library@cityofperth.wa.gov.au.
Hear author Laura Dudgeon read from her book Cyclones and Shadows, and listen as she shares her writing secrets.  
 
JANDAMARRA
13 July | Perth Concert Hall | 7.30pm | Ticketed event | visitperth.com.au 
Join the Western Australian Youth Orchestra in an all Australian program of exciting works. Featuring masterpieces by Sculthorpe, a world premiere by Australian composer Melody Eotvos, and the legendary epic tale of Jandamarra Sing for the Country: Ngalanybarra Muwayi.u. Set in the dramatic landscape of the central Kimberley, Jandamarra tells the story of an Aboriginal Western Australian warrior and leader of the Bunuba resistance of the 1800s.

SIX SEASONS WITH DJURANDI DREAMING 
16 July | City of Perth Library | 11am to 12pm | Free | visitperth.com.au | Suitable for ages 5 to 12 | Bookings: childrens.library@cityofperth.wa.gov.au.
Learn all about the six seasons in the Nyoongar calendar and discover how to recognise them.
 
WEAVE WITH LEA TAYLOR
18 July | City of Perth Library | 1 to 2pm and 2.30pm to 3.30pm | Free | visitperth.com.au | Suitable for ages 6 to 12 | Bookings: childrens.library@cityofperth.wa.gov.au.
Learn the ancient art of weaving with Aboriginal weaver and artist, Lea Taylor. Participants will make a dream catcher to take home.