Western Sydney Community Forum (WSCF) pays its respect to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. WSCF would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of this land on which we work, meet and live by. We pay respects to the elders past, present and future.

NAIDOC week is an annual event where we celebrate the rich history, culture and achievements of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

The 2019 NAIDOC theme is Voice. Treaty. Truth. Let’s work together for a shared future. WSCF walks with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities for a better future and we commit to working together for a shared future, based on Voice Treaty Truth. We commend the Uluru Statement from the Heart as a set of reforms that represent the unified position of First Nations Australians.

We strongly support progressing Australia’s First Nations peoples’ right to a say in the decisions that affect their lives and call on the Australian Parliament to make this a national priority.

Brief history of NAIDOC

Aboriginal rights groups boycotted Australia Day before the 1920’s with the aim of spreading awareness and to protest against the treatment of the Indigenous people of Australia. However, Aboriginal rights groups believed that in order to be more effective, the greater Australian communities would need to know about the boycotts. After this, several organisations emerged to fulfil this role and to advocate for the fair treatment of Indigenous people and their status in the community.

A few years following this event, protestors took to the streets of Sydney on Australia Day 1938. This became known as the day of mourning which later became recognised as Aborigines day and was held annually the Sunday before Australia Day until 1955. This day is now a national celebration each July and celebrates the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Learn more about the history of NAIDOC