First Nations art projections on City Hall return to form just part of NAIDOC Week celebrations at the City of Greater Geelong, from Sunday 2 July to Sunday 9 July 2023.

Featuring the colourful and vivid artwork of First Nations passionate educator, historian and artist John Patten, the display is supported by local Geelong projectionist Matt Bonner and will appear daily between dusk and 11:00pm.

The founder of koorihistory.com, Mr Patten is the Manager of Diversity and Belonging at Melbourne Museum where he leads a team responsible for researching and developing community exhibitions and programs highlighting the diverse histories and cultures of Victoria’s First Peoples.

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme ‘For Our Elders’, acknowledges the important role Elders have, and continue to play, in First Nations communities as trailblazers, nurturers, advocates, teachers, survivors, leaders, and loved ones. 

Along with the City projections, the National Wool Museum will feature several displays and tributes, along with workshops celebrating First Nations people in the region.

The City of Greater Geelong will also have a stall at Wathaurong Aboriginal Co-operative’s Flag Raising and Community Day as part of NAIDOC Week.

The Monday 3 July event runs from 11:00am until 3:00pm and is an opportunity for all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and allies to celebrate First Nations culture.

Additionally, residents can visit our NAIDOC Week page to:

• watch a NAIDOC Week message from Greater Geelong Mayor Trent Sullivan
• learn about the history behind NAIDOC Week
• understand the story behind the NAIDOC Week digital projections and
• explore the NAIDOC Week online trail outlining 23 key Aboriginal sites and venues around the Greater Geelong region.

Mayor Trent Sullivan

I encourage residents throughout the region to take part in marking NAIDOC Week.

This is a really special time on our calendar as the events of NAIDOC Week allow residents to get to know our region’s First Nations communities in a more meaningful manner and celebrate their significance in our community.

Supporting the events is a great way to acknowledge the oldest, continuous living people group on earth, along with providing the opportunity to learn more about our First Nations culture and history.

Deputy Mayor Anthony Aitken

I join Mayor Sullivan in encouraging residents to embrace the opportunity to learn more about our First Nations people through participating in NAIDOC Week.

The Council is a proud partner of our First Nation communities, and we embrace the NAIDOC Week theme of ‘For our Elders’.

As a City we are committed to walking with our First Nations families and communities in Greater Geelong and a key way in which we can do that is by acknowledging First Nation Elders as vital cultural knowledge holders.

In addition, taking in the NAIDOC Week online trail featuring 23 key Aboriginal sites and venues around Greater Geelong is another wonderful way to celebrate the history of these communities.

Support of these events and opportunities will be informative and educational, along with telling our First Nations people just how much we value them.