This year the theme is “We all Stand on Sacred Ground – Learn, Respect and Celebrate”. 

Among the week-long activities in Nowra, the 11th Family Fun Day will be held on Wednesday at the Nowra Showground from 10am until 2.30pm.

The family Fun Day brings family and friends together to enjoy a day of reunion celebrating the achievements of the Indigenous community.

Committee chairman John Bolt said prior to the Family Fun Day, this year the celebrations would also recognise the Centenary of Anzac.

“Firstly we are starting the day with a commemoration service at the Nowra Cenotaph starting at 8.30am, to honour the 100th anniversary of Anzac and all returned servicemen and women,” he said.

“We are supported by the Shoalhaven RSL, Nowra Town Band and of course HMAS Albatross, culminating in the official flag-raising.

“It is important that our young people remember the sacrifices of others and at the same time celebrate our culture and participation,” Mr Bolt said.

From 10am The Family Fun Day program offers plenty of entertainment for the whole family including traditional Indigenous dance, musicians and singers. There will be rides and games for children as well as the Koori Cook Off contest.

About 40 stallholders from various community organisations will also be at the showground offering giveaways, food and demonstrations.

The NSW Police dogs and Mounted Police will be putting on a display.

A helicopter from HMAS Albatross will be landing on the showground throughout the day.

By ADAM WRIGHT

THIS year’s Local Government Regional NAIDOC Week Awards will be hosted by Shoalhaven City Council.

This year will be the fifth annual awards. They are held across Australia each July to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

Catering for about 300 people, the awards dinner is keeping co-ordinator Margaret Simoes busy.

She gathered a group of women on Tuesday to help create table decorations for the night.

“We are basing our table decorations on the theme We All Stand On Sacred Ground; Learn Respect and Celebrate,” she said.

“We are using materials from local bush and sea. We have to make about 30 of them,” she said.

The group was using the Aboriginal Advisory Committee’s new meeting room at the Shoalhaven City Arts Centre. Committee member Silvia Timbery said the meeting room was the first time the group had a place of its own.

“This is somewhere for us to meet as a community group but it’s also a place for other services to have meetings too,” she said.