NAIDOC Week 2025 Celebrations!

nadiarose8
Jul 31
2 min read

We had an incredible lineup of events throughout NAIDOC Week at Winda-Mara!

We kicked things off in the deadliest way with our Flag Raising in Heywood which is always a highlight for our mob and our wider community of supporters. This year brought one of our biggest turnouts yet, with community members even joining in for a dance with the amazing Koondoom Yarkeen Karweeyn Dance Group!

Our Hamilton Flag Raising capped off an already powerful first day of celebrations and set the tone for a week full of connection and culture.

One of the standout events every year is our Elders Lunch which is always a truly special moment on the NAIDOC calendar. We’re proud to honour and celebrate our Elders, whose legacy continues to shape and guide our community.

Despite the wild and windy weather, we had a solid turnout for our annual Mission Walk! Walking in the footsteps of our Elders and ancestors from Lovett’s Lane to Lake Condah Mission is always a powerful experience. We wrapped it up with a community lunch at the mish, where everyone came together for a well-earned feed.

This year also saw the return of the Youth NAIDOC Ball, run in collaboration with local organisations across the region. Young people from Warrnambool, Portland, Hamilton and Heywood came together for a deadly night of celebration. They arrived in style on the party bus, then danced, played games, made speeches and even created a collaborative art piece at the art station. Big shoutout to Tyrell for taking home Best Dressed Male!

We wrapped up the week in style with our Trivia Night and Cabaret at Heywood Hall. Stray Blacks brought the energy with a killer performance, and the mob showed up in their best 'twist of Blak pride' outfits. It was a night full of laughs, dancing, and celebration. The perfect way to end a deadly NAIDOC Week at Winda-Mara!