NAIDOC Week at UOW

This week marks 50 years of NAIDOC week, and the UOW Library is celebrating this half-century anniversary across its Wollongong and Shoalhaven campuses with a focus on establishing an attitude of reconciliation and recognition.

NAIDOC week is held annually in the first week of July, running this year from July 6-13. Although originating in the 1930s as a day of protest, mourning, and awareness, NAIDOC now co-exists as a celebration of Australian endurance.

This NAIDOC week focuses on the theme of “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”. In line with the theme, UOW libraries are celebrating with book displays and posters that draw attention to the vitality of Australia’s oldest people—and work to call out uninformed attitudes.

At Wollongong Campus library, a physical collection of Indigenous books has been collated with Aboriginal sticker labels on the spines for easy identification. Further, cultural warnings have also been applied on the library’s digital collection to ensure safety for readers. These appear under the title of works, providing a necessary caveat that the media piece in question may contain harmful, outdated, or distressing material.

UOW’s ‘You Can’t Say That’ guide is available to read this week at the Wollongong Campus Library. Conceived in reaction to the racism and lack of understanding that the 2023 Voice to Parliament Referendum highlighted, the guide helps educate readers on cultural safety and allyship. It’s also available to download on the library’s website.

The library’s output of these resources this week aligns with UOW’s overall Healing and Recognition Track (HART) plan, which also emerged as a result of the Referendum.

The HART plan aims to make meaningful change at UOW, equipping its students with knowledge with the intention of—“opening minds, closing wounds, and [encouraging] action for a better tomorrow.”

Although small, the library’s NAIDOC week celebrations and resources will have a profound impact. The library is a refuge, receiving 700-odd visitors daily in peak season—including the university’s students and staff, but also from neighbouring schools and community members.

By participating in this national celebration and advocating for real change, UOW takes a step forward in ensuring it supports the strength and legacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This week, the library commemorates a half-century of struggle, loss, and advocacy, while uplifting the Indigenous voices that will shape Australia’s future—reinforcing the 2025 NAIDOC vision of “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”.

Head down to the Wollongong Campus Library to view their displays, or hop online to download your guide of ‘You Can’t Say That.’