Common Ground is a website for First Nations people and their allies. “Common Ground builds on existing community power to strengthen the stories we tell ourselves and others, so we can reimagine stronger futures. Futures that are grounded in reciprocity, justice and truth-telling.“
Many dates throughout the year are historically and culturally significant to First Nations people.
Call to Action to all Allies of First Nations people: Maintain an awareness of these key cultural dates to remember, reflect, and to support special events.
January 26: Invasion / Survival Day
What many Mob refer to as Invasion or Survival Day, January 26 is not a day to celebrate. It is a day for reflection on our shared history, and mourning for First Nations people. In modern times communities and allies in capital cities across the country start the day with a dawn service, before taking to the streets. In some cities, a community event is held afterwards, such as Yabun, which has a host of cultural activities, First Nations market stalls, food, and live music.
January 26 is also the day the Aboriginal Tent Embassy was established 52 years ago in 1972. The Embassy was set up by First Nations activists on the lawns opposite Old Parliament House in Canberra. The Embassy is a hub for land rights activism and advocating for First Nations sovereignty.
February 13: National Apology Day
On this day in 2008, Kevin Rudd (then Prime Minister) made a formal apology to First Nations people and the Stolen Generations.
The Stolen Generations refers to the First Nations children and young people who were removed from their families by Australian federal and state government agencies and church missions between 1910 and 1970. This was the policy of assimilation.
February 13-26: Anniversary of the 1967 Freedom Ride
The 1965 Freedom Ride was a 15-day bus journey through regional New South Wales. It was led by a group of students from the University of Sydney, including Arrernte and Kalkadoon man Charlie Perkins. They drew national and international attention to the racism experienced by First Nations people in country New South Wales.
March 20 (2025): National Close the Gap Day
National Close the Gap Day is held on the third Thursday of March every year. Close the Gap was started in 2006 by First Nations and mainstream peak health and advocacy organisations.
The campaign advocates for health equity between First Nations and non-Indigenous people.
The government’s Closing the Gap strategy is different, and launched in 2008. This is a series of policies and health targets in which there has been little progress.
April 5: Anniversary of the Bringing Them Home Report
This year is the 27th Anniversary of the Bringing them Home report. The Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission delivered the report on 5 April 1997, following the National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from Their Families.
The report includes 54 recommendations intended to support healing for the Stolen Generations and their families.
April 15: Anniversary of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody Report
On 15 April 1991, the final report was released following the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. The report outlined fundamental changes necessary to stop the alarmingly high rates of First Nations deaths in custody.
The recommendations were about self-determination, ending over-policing of First Nations communities and reducing the number of First Nations people being taken into custody.
Research by the Australian National University found that very few of the 339 recommendations of the Royal Commission have been implemented, and some current policy positions directly contradict the recommendations. In 2020, the national incarceration rate of First Nations people was almost 30%, despite First Nations people representing less than 3% of the national population. This is more than double the incarceration rate at the time of the Royal Commission. Over three decades later and still we do not have justice.
April 25: ANZAC Day
ANZAC Day is a national day of remembrance to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who served in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I. The day also broadly commemorates all Australians and New Zealanders who have served.
It’s difficult to determine the exact number of First Nations people who served in World War I, but it is believed to be more than 1,000. This is because the enlistment process didn’t record a person’s ethnicity, and the Defence Act 1909 banned people from enlisting if they were ‘not substantially of European origin or descent’.
Many First Nations people concealed their identity so they could join. Our people served, and our contribution has been significant. Some made the ultimate sacrifice, going to rest in the Dreaming. Others returned home to Country, only to face racism from white Australia.
Importantly, First Nations people have been warriors of our own resistance since 1788.
May 1: Anniversary of the Pilbara Strike
On 1 May 1946, around 800 First Nations pastoral workers from over 25 different stations in north-west Western Australia went on strike for better wages and working conditions.
It was the first industrial action by First Nations people since the beginning of colonisation. The strike lasted until 1949, making it the longest strike in Australian history.
May 26: National Sorry Day
National Sorry Day is a day to remember and acknowledge the mistreatment of First Nations people who were forcibly removed from their families and communities — the Stolen Generations.
It’s a day to pay tribute to their remarkable strength and resilience, and to reflect on how we can contribute to the healing process of our communities. Because sorry means you don’t do it again.
Our kids need culture, community and family so we can continue intergenerational storytelling and knowledge sharing.
May 27: The 1967 Referendum
On 27 May 1967, an overwhelming majority of Australian citizens voted “yes” in a national referendum to amend clauses of the Australian Constitution concerning First Nations people.
Campaigners for the “yes” vote successfully argued that those references were discriminatory and excluded First Nations people from citizenship.
The Uluru Statement from the Heart was delivered on the 50th anniversary of the 1976 referendum (May 27, 2017). The statement called for structural reform, including changing the constitution and the establishment of a Voice to Parliament.
On October 14, 2023, a national referendum was held as a result of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. The referendum allowed Australians to vote on whether or not Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be recognised in the Australian Constitution, and the establishment of an advisory Voice to Parliament made up of First Nations people. The vote was not successful.
May 27 – June 3: Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week commences on the anniversary of the 1967 referendum and ends on Mabo Day.
It’s a time for people to reflect on reconciliation in Australia, keeping in mind that the word “reconciliation” is considered problematic by some. One of the reasons is because reconciliation means “the restoration of friendly relations”.
For us, the week is about non-Indigenous people taking responsibility for building stronger, more respectful relationships with First Nations communities. It’s about being better allies, by recognising and centering First Nations people as the sovereign and original people of this place we call home.
May 29: Torres Strait Islander Flag Day
Set in the middle of National Reconciliation Week, on this day in 1992, the Torres Strait Islander flag was officially presented to the people of Zenadth Kes (the Torres Strait Islands) at the sixth Torres Strait Cultural Festival.
The flag illustrates the deep connections Torres Strait Islander People have with the sky, sea and islands of the Torres Strait.
June 3: Mabo Day
On 3 June 1992, the High Court ruled that terra nullius should never have been applied to Australia in the historic Mabo decision. This paved the way for the Native Title Act (1993).
The Mabo decision was named after Eddie Koiki Mabo. He led the challenge alongside Father Dave Passi, Sam Passi, Celuia Mapoo Salee and James Rice. They staunchly advocated for their rights as the Traditional Owners of the island of Mer.
June 12: Anniversary of the Barunga Statement
On 12 June 1988, the Barunga Statement was presented to Prime Minister Bob Hawke at the annual Barunga cultural and sporting festival.
The statement was written on bark and called for self-determination, a national system of land rights, compensation, an end to discrimination, respect for Aboriginal identity, and the granting of social, economic and cultural rights.
The Prime Minister responded by expressing that he would create a treaty between Aboriginal people and wider Australia by 1990. This commitment has never been fulfilled.
July 7-14: National NAIDOC Week
NAIDOC Week is about celebrating First Nations people, cultures and stories. It’s about acknowledging First Nations excellence and centering the deep knowledge First Nations people hold. It’s also about acknowledging our history of activism and protest, and centering truth-telling.
As Gamilaraay and Kooma man, Boe Spearim, writes, “The origins of NAIDOC Week can be traced back to the Aboriginal rights movement.”
The national NAIDOC theme in 2024 was:
July 9: Anniversary of the Aboriginal Flag being flown
The Aboriginal flag was designed by Luritja and Wambaya man Harold Thomas. It was first flown at Victoria Square in Adelaide on National Aborigines* Day in 1971.
The following year it became the official flag for the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra after it was first flown there in 1972.
*This term is now considered outdated and offensive.
August 4: National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day
Children’s Day is held annually on 4 August. It’s a national day dedicated to celebrating First Nations youngfullas.
The day is an initiative of SNAIIC – National Voice for our Children. The first Children’s Day was in 1988, established against the backdrop of protests led by First Nations people and allies to mark the 200-year anniversary of British invasion.
The date August 4 was historically used to celebrate the birthdays of First Nations children who were taken from their families at a young age without knowing their birthday.
August 9: International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples
On December 23, 1994, the United Nations General Assembly decided that the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples will be held annually on 9 August. The date marks the first day the UN Working Group on Indigenous Populations held a meeting in 1982.
According to the United Nations, there are over 476 million Indigenous peoples living in 90 countries across the world, accounting for 6.2% of the global population.