NAIDOC Week was officially opened on Monday morning with a flag raising ceremony outside of Coffs Harbour City Council.

Mayor Denise Knight undertook the official opening of NAIDOC Week at the ceremony, which was shortened this year due to COVID-19 restrictions currently in place.

“Today’s flag raising once again gives honour to our own Aboriginal community who 17 years ago approached Council with the proposal to not only raise the flag at the Council Chambers, but to hold a week of celebration, and Council was most certainly open to that and welcomed it with open arms,” Mayor Knight said.

“COVID has slowed us down, but it certainly hasn’t stopped our enthusiasm and our passion for our local Aboriginal community and our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders throughout the whole of Australia.”

Mayor Denise Knight and Toni-Anne Hart and Aunty Narelle Wilson from the Yandaarra Aborignal Advisory Committee raised the Aboriginal flag, Australian flag and the Council flag at the ceremony.

Local Aboriginal Elder Uncle Richard Widders from the Garlambirla Guuyu Girrwaa Coffs Harbour Aboriginal Elders group undertook the Welcome to Country at the flag raising ceremony.

The event was live streamed to the community on Monday morning due to COVID-19 restrictions to allow local residents to watch the ceremony from home.

Council’s general manager Steve McGrath said the ceremony marked the “commencement of NAIDOC Week”.

“Here’s to a further week of positive activities within the community,” Mr McGrath said.

 

By Emma DARBIN