NAIDOC Week 2024 has been acknowledged across the Lithgow City Council local government area with a flag-raising ceremony and morning tea held at the Lithgow Council Chambers.
The flag-raising event was held to honour and pay respects to the Wiradjuri Nation, the original custodians of the land on which the Lithgow community resides, and to extend respect to their neighbouring nations. Â
“I enjoyed speaking with attendees about what NAIDOC Week means for them and hearing about the work they do in our community with First Nations community members and the wider community,” said Mayor, Maree Statham. Â
The Lithgow Library also hosted a NAIDOC story time on Wednesday morning, funded and organised by Lithgow and district Wiradjuri Corporation, Barrinang, which saw Aunty Ruth Davys, a Wiradjuri woman and storyteller from Albury, read story books by First Nations authors. There was also a performance from members of the Barrinang Dance Company who did three dances including, galinbalganbagang (dragon fly), ngalamarra (fishing), giralang bundinya (shooting star) dances. Â
The NAIDOC celebrations also included the reveal and display of ‘Loud and Proud’, a collaborative mural project featuring an acrylic artwork, painted by local students facilitated by Wiradjuri artists; Brett Groves from Bilingarra and Jessica Leffley from Bird Girl Creations. This project addresses the need for expressive spaces within the community for youth emphasising the importance of nature, mentorship, and respecting young people’s perspectives.Â
Aligned with the objectives of Family Fun Day, Youth Week, and NAIDOC Week, the artworks aim to showcase community, connection, and the importance of storytelling in preserving cultural traditions for future generations The creative process resembles a communal storytelling session around a campfire, depicted as integral to the project’s essence, paralleling the significance of the final artwork itself. Â
