ON Monday 6 July, the Port Stephens community celebrated the start of NAIDOC Week 2026 with an official Flag Raising Ceremony held at Port Stephens Council’s Administration Building, Raymond Terrace.
“50 Years of Deadly” was the theme of this year’s NAIDOC Week, celebrating the long-running strength and resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
“This year’s theme marks a milestone,” Mayor Leah Anderson said.
“It’s a tribute to the people who built this movement, the elders who stood firm, the organisers who made space, the artists who turned resistance into expression, and the communities who keep showing up year after year.”
Worimi Elder Aunty Lorraine Lilley performed a Welcome to Country to start off the ceremony, commemorating the history of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples while reflecting on its future.
“The history is more than 50 years. We go back over 100 years [of fighting] for recognition, rights and equality. It didn’t come, it’s still not here, but we press on, we’ve got to keep on going.
“This is our Country, this is your Country, it’s not just mine, but we need to look after it.”
Andrew Smith, CEO of the Worimi Local Aboriginal Land Council, shared a similar sentiment, remarking how, despite all the progress that has been made in five decades, there was still a lot of work to be done.
“We’re living in a very, very hostile community mindset, and we’ve got to try and squash that out together,” he said.
“We can’t live in the future; all we’ve got is now. If we don’t start dealing more with exclusion instead of exclusion, respect rather than resentment, and start operating with hope rather than fear, then the legacy we leave is going to be a destructive one.”
While the ceremony was attended by many dozens of people, Worimi Elder Uncle Neville Lilley commented that he was “concerned” at the decreased amount of participation compared to the past year.
The smaller community presence has been attributed to the choice of many people to attend the NAIDOC Week Street March, which took place last week, over the Flag Raising Ceremony.
By Nico LOMBARDO
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