Fifty years ago, NAIDOC as we now know it was formally established, following decades of activism stretching back to the 1938 Day of Mourning. What began as a solemn protest evolved into a national celebration of culture, survival, and self-determination.
At UNE, we’re reminded that our own milestone isn’t far behind. Oorala will turn 40 in 2026. That shared timeline isn’t just symbolic, it reflects the same determination that brought NAIDOC into being and shaped the creation of spaces like Oorala. Places grounded in truth-telling, community, and belonging where Aboriginal identity must be visible and valued within public and institutional life.
It found powerful expression in 1986, when the first Frank Archibald Memorial Lecture was delivered at UNE. That lecture, titled “Future Pathways: Equity or Isolation,” imagined education as the foundation for a future where Aboriginal people could move with strength across both worlds. Nearly 40 years on, that vision continues to unfold through Oorala’s work and the students it supports.
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Open in new tab UNE has marked NAIDOC in many forms over the decades; through ceremony, storytelling, cultural celebration, and academic reflection in order to honour our legacy and empower the future.
Join Us – NAIDOC 2025 at UNE
Let’s come together this NAIDOC to listen, reflect, and celebrate. Not just where we are, but how we got here—and where we go next.
UNE NAIDOC Acknowledgment Ceremony
- Lawns of Booloominbah UNE Campus (Oorala if damp)
- Monday 7 July, 11am
- Featuring a Welcome to Country by Uncle Colin Ahoy, flag-raising at Booloominbah, and speakers including UNE’s Pro Vice Chancellor Indigenous Strategy, Professor Peter Anderson and medical student Riley Phillips. Lunch to follow.
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NAIDOC Cultural Day
- Oorala Aboriginal Centre, UNE Campus
- Wednesday 9 July, 10am – 2pm
- Join us throughout the day for weaving, painting, dance, language and storytelling. Featuring mural creation, smoking ceremony, yarning circle and a BBQ lunch.
Facebook link
Generations Rising
This year, we’ll hear from Riley Phillips, a UNE medical student and proud Gomeroi man, who speaks to the importance of community and culture in education.
“Oorala made me feel that being both a student and an Aboriginal person was something to be proud of, not something to choose between.”
Now further into his clinical training, Riley continues to represent this year’s NAIDOC theme “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy” through his passion for culturally responsive healthcare and community leadership.