Free fun day for NAIDOC Week in Geraldton

The City’s service providers and community organisations will host a free NAIDOC Week celebration on Friday, with family fun, a free lunch and reflection all on the agenda.

Communicare’s manager of Mid West services Sandra Nairn said the celebration was about “recognising Aboriginal culture and breaking down barriers.”

She estimated about 300 people would come down for the event, which will start at 11am with a flag raising, didgeridoo performance and welcome to country at the Geraldton courthouse.

At noon, the group will move to Edith Cowan Square.

A smoking ceremony and STARS Foundation dance will kick off a day of snacks, stalls and fun.

Punters will feast on kangaroo, seafood and traditional Indigenous dishes. Ms Nairn said there would be plenty of activities to keep children busy, including a colouring-in contest judged by Yamatji elders and a bouncy castle.

The event will celebrate big Indigenous names in the Mid West and share local history.

“It will be a display of strong men and women,” she said.

“It’s really important to recognise the special place in the community.”

Several organisations are involved, including Centacare, Broadspectrum, Legal Aid, Desert Blue Connect, the Aboriginal Family Legal Service, Communicare, the Department of Communities, WA Police, Consumer Protection, the Department of Mines, Industry, Regulation and Safety and the Department of Justice.