NAIDOC Week at Greater Shepparton Secondary college brought culture, connection, and pride to life as students, staff, and community members came together to celebrate and learn from local First Nations voices.
Jaz Mathers, First Nations leader of Dharnya, said her favourite part of NAIDOC Week is seeing the broader community deeply engage with Aboriginal culture.
“Everyone focuses on us, and people are really engaged in learning more,” she said. “We all come together this week to show everyone because we are proud.”
Jaz has been leading cultural activities including traditional dancing and sharing its deeper significance with students and staff.
The campus has been buzzing with lunchtime activities including art with Elders, painting, weaving, clay turtle creations, language lessons, and a didgeridoo showcase.
“We have 325 Indigenous students on this campus, and NAIDOC Week gives each of them a chance to connect with culture,” said Leanne Sangster, Ngarri Ngarri (Teaching Knowledge) Team Leader.
A crowd favourite was the annual Buroinjin teachers vs students match.
The teachers have claimed victory the past two years, but with 20 students training hard, this year’s clash promised fierce competition.
Community organisations such as La Trobe University’s RISE program, Gambina, and Rumbalara joined the celebrations.
Students recently visited the La Trobe Bundoora campus through RISE, designed to inspire young First Nations students to explore tertiary education.
To wrap up the week, students enjoyed a cultural feast of kangaroo sliders with beetroot relish, “wombat stew” (a hearty potato broth), and Johnny Cakes — celebrating culture through taste and storytelling.
Year 10 student Prezley Bourke said, “During NAIDOC Week, I enjoy getting together with my family and spending time with each other doing cultural stuff.”
Fellow student Tahlia Lammon added, “It’s great to celebrate our culture.”
NAIDOC history
NAIDOC Week 2025 runs from July 6 to July 13, celebrating the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
This year’s theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy,” marks 50 years of NAIDOC Week.
It honours leaders like William Cooper, a Yorta Yorta man who led the 1938 Day of Mourning protest, laying the groundwork for the movement.
Events will be held across the region, bringing communities together to reflect, celebrate and look to the future.