Does your parish, school or Catholic organisation fly the Aboriginal flag? If not, perhaps you can consider doing so on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Sunday and other special dates such as Sorry Day, NAIDOC Week and Reconciliation Week? Find out more about the Aboriginal flag here.
Did you know that the Australian national flag is not the only official flag of Australia? The Australian Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander Flag were proclaimed as official flags of Australia on 14 July 1995. Find out more here. This would be a great day to invite people from your local Aboriginal Catholic Ministry… Read More »1995: Proclamation of Aboriginal Flag and Torres Strait Islander Flag as official flags of Australia
Schools Tree Day is a great way to inspire your students to learn about the local environment while playing an active role in their community. Find out how to get involved here. It is also a good time for students to find out about the Laudato Tree project here. It was conceived by the Society… Read More »Schools Tree Day
On this day, we celebrate the contribution of Indochinese refugees to Australian society and reflect on the varying quality of welcome extended by our community to asylum seekers over the past fifty-five years. Our first Vietnamese-born Australian Bishop is Bishop Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM Conv. He is the Bishops' Delegate for Migrants and Refugees… Read More »1965: First Indochinese refugees allowed to settle in Australia
More information here.
National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day is a time to for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families to celebrate the strengths and culture of their children. The day is an opportunity for all Australians to show their support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, as well as learn about the crucial impact… Read More »National Aboriginal and Islander Children’s Day
St Mary of the Cross Mackillop is the first Australian to be recognised as a saint. You can learn more about her life here. For Catholics in Australia, the life and work of St Mary of the Cross MacKillop has become an inspiration and a part of their identity. In Catholic Social Justice Series paper… Read More »St Mary MacKillop
The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies explains that "the Yirrkala Bark petitions of August 1963 were sent to the Parliament by members of the clan groups living in the area of Yirrkala. Written in both Yolngu Matha and English, and presented on painted bark boards depicting country, the petitions protest the… Read More »1963: Bark petition from Yirrkala presented to Parliament
The Victorian Government website explains that William Barak "is closely associated with Coranderrk, the Aboriginal settlement established near Healesville in 1863. He campaigned for its creation, contributed to its early success as a thriving, self-sufficient community, and was its indefatigable defender until the end of his life. He saw Coranderrk as a way for the… Read More »1903: Death of William Barak, Aboriginal leader and co-founder of the Coranderrk Settlement, Victoria
Perhaps you are familiar with the iconic photograph of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pouring soil through Vincent Lingiari's hand when leasehold title for Daguragu (known as Wattie Creek) was transferred to the Gurindji people on 16 August 1975? Paul Kelly's song From Little Things Big Things Grow tells the story of the Wave Hill walk… Read More »1975: Return of Wave Hill Station, NT to the Gurindji People