CALENDAR EVENTS IN V ICTORI A i n Abo rig i na l & T orres St ra i t Is lande r Co mmuni t y

Date Month Cultural & Health Events *tbc = to be confirmed 14-21 January Wominjeka festival 2016 Melbourne, Vic see footscrayarts.com

26 public holiday Survival Day / Invasion day / Australia Day annually. Public Holiday EVENT: Share the Spirit

Festival midday 1-7pm, Treasury Gardens, Spring & Flinders St, Melbourne 4 February Yalukit Wilum Ngargee free Indigenous arts & music event held in O’Donnell Gardens St Kilda the

week before St Kilda Festival's, Festival Sunday; BYO Blanket 13 National Apology Commemoration Day since 2008 usually event in Federation Square

11-13 March public holiday

VACSAL Basketball Classic, Shepparton contact VACSAL Labour Day; 13/3

12-21 National Black Harmony Day/Cultural Diversity Week/International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination; HARMONY DAY 21/3

16 National Close the Gap Day - Since 2006, CTG campaign achieves results with community

support; to talk about, to spread the word, and to take action to improve, Indigenous health

7 April World Health Day; 2017 Theme: Depression

25 public holiday Anzac Day;

5-14 May Yirramboi First Nations Festival/Melbourne Indigenous Arts Festival see yirramboi.net.au 10 Sir Doug Nicholls AFL Indigenous Round / Dreamtime at the G; since 2005 annual clash

EVENT Richmond vs. Essendon, MCG; night match starts 7.25pm, children U14 free… 26 National Sorry Day annually since 1998 EVENTS celebrate Stolen Generations survival

27-03 May/June National Reconciliation Week EVENTS, Local government, Aboriginal Community Organisations

Bunjilaka, Universities & Brambuk…Also celebrating the Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum 27/5/1967; & the Mabo decision 3/6/1992 recognising Indigenous relationship to the land

31 May World No Tobacco Day

01 June International Children’s Day

03 Mabo Day annually

12 June Queen’s Birthday public holiday 02 July Coming of the Light annually Torres Strait Islander

03 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday Mass annually celebrated nationally

08 NAIDOC Mass annually St Francis Church Lonsdale St Melbourne Event Contact ACMV

2-09 NAIDOC Week national and state celebrations/events see www.naidoc.org.au

24-30 National Pain Week; see Chronic Pain Australia

04 August National Aboriginal & Islander Children’s Day annually Contact SNAICC

Also; Jeans for Genes Day; nationwide 6-12 Dental Health Week; see Australian Dental Association

09 International Day of the Worlds Indigenous People annually since 1995

07 September Indigenous Literacy Day see www.indigenousliteracyfoundation.org.au 29 public holiday Friday before the AFT Grand Final

10 October World Mental Health Day; see world health organisation

02 November All Souls Day - annually in recognition of Aboriginal massacres Contact ACMV

20 Universal Children’s Day

tbc December Koorie Christmas Barbeque City of Whittlesea annually 2 Watt St Thornbury Contact below

10 Human Rights Day

For details and confirmation of events contact PVCH Aboriginal Access Worker 94098787 or the responsible organisation below, or check out their web addresses. For the significance of each event and web links … see the next page.

Contacts: Aborigines Advancement League / AAL 9480 6377 VACCA 8388 1855 VACSAL 9416 4266 ACMV 9480 3849 Reconciliation Victoria 9662 1645 SNAICC 9489 8099 Songlines Aboriginal Music 9471 2939 City of Whittlesea contact Donna 9217 2159 Koori Mail www.koorimail.com or 02 66 222666

Acknowledging and respecting Wurundjeri, Bunwurrong and Kulin Nations Aboriginal ancestors and Elders, past … present … and to come; and their lands...

2017

Survival Day/Invasion Day/Australia Day – 26 January This day marks the anniversary of when Australia was first colonised. Some call it Invasion Day - dispossession of Aboriginal peoples; call it Survival Day - struggle and survival of Aboriginal culture and assimilation, genocide and White Australia Policy. It is a day when the nation celebrates what’s great about Australia/being Australian. Australia Day recognises the unique status of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the first peoples of Australia.

National Apology Commemoration Day – 13 February This day marks the 2008 anniversary of the formal apology to Australia’s Indigenous Peoples by the Prime Minister; to Australia’s Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations and their families and communities, for laws, policies and mistreatment which had inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss: “For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry”. www.stolengenerationsalliance.org http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7IGfvg0u7XY&list=UU05nOchoVi_8ChTLul5V9NA&index=6&feature=plcp

National Close the Gap Day – 17 March Equal access to healthcare is a basic human right, and in Australia, we expect it. So what if we told you that you can expect to live almost 20 years less than your Next-door neighbor? You wouldn’t accept it. No-one should. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People can expect to live up to 10-17 years less than other Australians. The appalling state of Indigenous health has many causes. Working in partnership with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is one of the critical success factors. With continued support from the public, we can ensure the Australian Government continues to work with Indigenous communities, recommit additional funding and invest in real partnerships. https://www.oxfam.org.au/

Harmony Day - 21 March Harmony Day is a day of cultural respect for everyone who calls Australia home – from the traditional Custodians of this land to those who have come from many countries around the world. View information: www.harmony.gov.auKeep updated on all things Harmony Day via Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

National Sorry Day – 26 May National Sorry Day (NSD) was held one year after the tabling of the Bringing Them Home Report 1997 which was the result of the National Inquiry into the Forced Removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children. NSD gives Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people the chance to reflect on the past history, and to gain a shared understanding, and then come together and share the steps towards healing for the Stolen Generations, their families and communities who were removed from their families and communities. The NSD is a major advocacy and force that contributed towards the historic apology to Aboriginal people on February 13, 2008 which is also now celebrated. www.nsdc.org.au/ National Reconciliation Week – 27 May–3 June In 1967 on the 27

th of May, a referendum was held to ask Australians to vote yes/no on whether Aboriginal people should be

counted as Australian citizens and be given the right to vote. This is a time to celebrate and build on the respectful relationships shared between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians. It is a time for all Australians to reflect on the shared histories, contributions and achievements. www.reconciliation.org.au/nrw Mabo Day – 3 June Mabo Day marks the anniversary of the High Court of Australia Mabo Decision in 1992. Ten years after Eddie Koiki Mabo’s death, Bonita Mabo, Eddie’s widow, called for a national public holiday in recognition of Eddie Mabo’s fight for Native Title marking the anniversary of the High Court's decision. Eddie Mabo died six months before the High Court delivered their decision. Mabo Day is a gazetted bank holiday in Queensland. NAIDOC Week – first full week in July A week of celebrations across Australia acknowledges our history, culture and achievements. William Cooper and William Ferguson joined forces to plan a ‘Day of Mourning’ for 26 January 1938 – the 150

th anniversary of British settlement of Australia.

NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to celebrate the rich history, unique vibrant cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Annual theme. www.naidoc.org.au National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day – 4 August This day recognises the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in Aboriginal communities across Australia. Established in 1988 by the Secretariat of National Aboriginal and Islander Child Care (SNAICC) to increase awareness of the major issues/needs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children. Annual theme. www.snaicc.org.au International Day of the Worlds Indigenous People – 9 August The International Day of the World's Indigenous People falls on August 09, 2015 as this was the date of the first meeting in 1982 of the United Nations Working Group of Indigenous Populations. It is observed each year to promote and protect the rights of the world's indigenous population. This event also recognizes the achievements and contributions that Indigenous people make to improve world issues such as environmental protection. http://www.un.org/en/events/indigenousday/

Significance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander

Community Cultural Events