Hunter Primary Care proudly celebrated NAIDOC Week 2025 with a special morning tea hosted by our Reconciliation Action Plan Working Group. This year marks the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC Week and invited us to reflect on the theme: The Next Generation – Strength, Vision & Legacy.
This powerful theme recognises the enduring strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, the vision of communities that continue to lead with resilience and hope and the legacy passed down through generations.
Cultural wisdom and truth-telling
We were honoured to welcome Aunty Theresa Dargin, a respected spiritual healer and next generations Elder of the Newcastle Worimi community, who delivered a heartfelt Welcome to Country. Aunty Theresa generously shared her cultural knowledge and connection to Country, setting a respectful and grounding tone for the event.
Staff were invited to view We Were Just Little Boys - a short film that shares the lived experiences of survivors from Kinchela Boys Home, one of Australia’s most notorious institutions of the Stolen Generations. The film screening was an act of truth-telling, offered with care and acknowledgment of its confronting content.
The morning tea was catered by Yaama Café Gamilaroi Connection.
Connecting with community across the Hunter
In addition to our internal event, Hunter Primary Care staff were proud to attend several community-led NAIDOC Week celebrations across the region.
We joined the Newcastle Awabakal NAIDOC event, which featured a community march, powerful performances by Barkaa and Street Warriors, traditional dance and live music hosted by MC Luke Carroll. We celebrated at the Barkuma NAIDOC Family Fun Day in Raymond Terrace - a warm and welcoming event full of crafts, games, raffles, and activities for all ages. We visited Singleton’s NAIDOC Community Family Fun Day, where cultural ceremonies, bush tucker, Koorioke and family-friendly fun brought people together in celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture.
As we honoured NAIDOC Week’s 50-year milestone, these events were a powerful reminder of the importance of listening, learning and standing alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples - not only during NAIDOC Week, but every day.