Community
10 July, 2026
Community marks NAIDOC Week
A STRONG crowd gathered at Mount Leura to mark NAIDOC Week last Sunday through the Mount Leura Committee of Management’s annual NAIDOC Week event.
NAIDOC Week began on Sunday, July 5 and will continue until Sunday, July 12, recognising the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Friends of Mount Leura committee member Graham Arkinstall said he was pleased with the attendance, which he counted as 40 people.
“There’s always a range of regular attendees as well as lots of unfamiliar faces, which is very pleasing to the committee,” he said.
“It was a really great day. It involved a Welcome to Country, a smoking ceremony and general conversation from our presenter and local First Nations person Brett Clarke.
“The smoking ceremony included a dance as well with his sons.
“Brett spoke very glowingly of the repairing of Country which the committee has done on-site over the decades and how important it is for himself and other First Nations people to see the country healing.
“Our emcee for the day also spoke passionately about the connection to Country which she and lots of other people in the area have to the reserves.
“From that point of view, that connection to Country fits very well with that connection to Country of our First Nations people as well.”
The Aboriginal flag at the mount was raised as part of festivities, which saw strong engagement from attendees.
Mr Atkinson said it proved to be an enjoyable and important day for the committee.
“We very much respect all that Brett has brought and continues to bring to the Mount Leura project with our First Nations connections for the committee,” he said.
“It’s a very important part of what we do and who we are to support and to grow that connection whenever and wherever we can.
“It’s a day to get people to connect and to learn on-site from Brett, which was done through actively listening to what he had to say.
“People certainly engaged with the smoking ceremony in a physical way by bathing in the smoke.
“Lots of people spoke to Brett on a one-off situation and other committee people particularly those who were not so familiar.”
Read More: Camperdown