Communities across Australia are marking National Reconciliation Week this week, with this year’s theme – “All In for Reconciliation” – encouraging Australians to commit to reconciliation every day, not just during one week of the year.
This year also marks 25 years of Reconciliation Australia, which continues to guide national efforts to strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.
Held annually from May 27 to June 3, National Reconciliation Week commemorates two significant milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey: the successful 1967 referendum and the landmark Mabo decision. According to Reconciliation Australia, the week is designed to celebrate and build on respectful relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians.
Across the New England and North West regions, organisations and community groups are hosting events aimed at bringing people together through conversation, culture, food and shared experiences.
In Armidale, locals will once again gather for the annual Bridge Walk on Sunday, May 31, hosted by ANTaR Armidale and the Armidale Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Keeping Place.
The walk will begin at 12 pm from Curtis Park, near the Visitor Information Centre on the corner of Dumaresq and Marsh Streets, continuing a tradition inspired by the historic 2000 Walk for Reconciliation across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, when hundreds of thousands of Australians marched together in support of reconciliation.
ANTaR Armidale convenor Diana Eades said the event had become an important community gathering over the years.
“Each year Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people walk together across Stephen’s Bridge, do a circuit of the park and then gather to listen to short speeches and enjoy Aboriginal entertainment,” she said.
“It is a great opportunity to meet and chat with friends, old and new, enjoy the entertainment and have lunch together.”
This year’s event will feature a performance from the Lyāmbay Aboriginal Dance Group from Armidale Secondary College, a troupe that has gained recognition through local performances and appearances at the NSW Schools Spectacular.
“We’re a bit excited because we’ve got the Lyāmbay Aboriginal dancers performing this year,” Eades said.
“They’ve become quite a good little dance group and some of them have trained with Bangarra, which is a national group.”
Eades said organisers were hoping the event would continue to foster connection and conversation within the community.
“We’ve got Homes North doing the sausage sizzle and headspace doing curries, so I think it’ll have a really good flavour,” she said.
The Bridge Walk is free to attend, with food including sausages, curry and fruit provided on the day. Organisers say everyone is welcome to attend, regardless of background.
Meanwhile, in Tamworth, Homes North Community Housing is partnering with Walhallow Aboriginal Corporation and Cornerstone Community Kitchen to host a community BBQ dinner celebrating National Reconciliation Week.
The free event will take place from 4 pm to 6 pm on Tuesday, June 2 at Granny Munro Park in West Tamworth.
Organisers say the evening will focus on connection, storytelling and community, with activities planned alongside meaningful conversations and a welcoming yarning circle.
In Moree, Moree Plains Shire Council will host the unveiling of the 2026 Elders Honour Roll from 12 pm on Thursday, May 28, at the Moree Memorial Hall Banquet Hall.
The Elders Honour Roll recognises respected members of the community who have made significant contributions towards reconciliation and helped shape the Moree Plains community.
This year, 14 nominations were received, with the selection panel tasked with choosing two Aboriginal and two non-Aboriginal recipients for the 2026 honour roll.
Council said the event would also acknowledge inductees from recent years whose honours had not yet been officially unveiled.
Nominees for the 2026 Elders Honour Roll are Fred McGrady, William Pitt, Gordan (Carl) McGrady, Doris Davis, Meryl Dillon, June Connors, Julie Johnson, Marlene Howard, Darryl Brady, Dawn Dennison, Garry Roberts, Lloyd Munro Senior, Henry French and Gloria French.
The 2026 National Reconciliation Week theme, “All In for Reconciliation”, highlights the idea that reconciliation requires ongoing commitment and action from all Australians.
As Reconciliation Australia notes, reconciliation is “not a spectator sport” – a message reflected in community events across the region, where people are being encouraged to come together, listen, learn and walk side-by-side in support of understanding, respect and shared connection.
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