NAIDOC Week is a national celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and communities. NAIDOC Week runs annually in the first full week of July, and has been officially running since 1957. All Australians are encouraged to participate in NAIDOC Week activities.

NAIDOC Week 2013

In 2013, NAIDOC Week runs between 7 and 14 July. The National Focus City is PERTH! For this reason, the 2013 Perth NAIDOC Ball will be hosted by the National NAIDOC Committee and not NAIDOC Perth. The 2013 National NAIDOC Ball will occur on Friday 12 July at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre. Tickets will be just $85 each and sold in two instalments through Ticketek. The first release will be at midday (EST) on Monday 13 May, and the second release will be at midday (EST) on Monday 10 June 2013. Be quick, tickets sell fast. Please go to www.naidoc.org for more information.

2013 National NAIDOC Theme

The theme for NAIDOC Week 2013 is "We value the vision: Yirrkala Bark Petitions 1963". This year’s theme proudly celebrates the 50th anniversary of the presentation of the Yirrkala Bark Petitions to the Federal Parliament.

In August 1963, the Yolngu people of Yirrkala in northeast Arnhem Land sent two bark petitions – framed by traditional ochre paintings of clan designs – to the Australian House of Representatives. The petitions protested the Commonwealth’s granting of mining rights on land excised from Arnhem Land reserve and sought the recognition by the Australian Parliament of the Yolngu peoples’ traditional rights and ownership of their lands. Asserting title to Yolngu country under Yolngu law, the petitions were the first traditional documents recognised by the Commonwealth Parliament and helped to shape the nation’s acknowledgment of Aboriginal people and their land rights. If you would like to know more, read on for a comprehensive insight into the Petitions.

2013 NAIDOC Perth Events

Survival Perth (26 January 2013)

Miss NAIDOC Perth (25 May 2013)

NAIDOC Perth Opening Ceremony (7 July 2013)

NAIDOC Perth Awards (15 June 2013)

NAIDOC Perth Program of Events