Now more than ever
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) occurs annually in Australia from 27 May to 3 June.
The 2024 theme, 'Now More Than Ever', is a reminder to all Australians to continue the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
There have been many moments in Australia’s reconciliation journey that make us want to turn away. But when things are divisive, the worst thing we can do is disengage or disconnect.
Allies and supporters must stand up to defend and uphold the rights of First Nations peoples. To call out racism wherever we encounter it, and to actively reinforce the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across this continent.
Now more than ever, the work continues – in treaty making, in truth-telling, in understanding our history, in education and in tackling racism.
We encourage our University community to participate in the NRW 2024 event program, which aims to promote understanding and learning across five critical aspects of meaningful reconciliation: historical acceptance, race relations, equality and equity, institutional integrity, and unity.
View NRW events
Watch Vice-Chancellor Duncan Maskell's Acknowledgement of Country
The University of Melbourne acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the unceded land on which we work, learn and live: the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong peoples (Burnley, Fishermans Bend, Parkville, Southbank and Werribee campuses), the Yorta Yorta Nation (Dookie and Shepparton campuses), and the Dja Dja Wurrung people (Creswick campus).
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What is National Reconciliation Week?
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.
The dates 27 May and 3 June commemorate two significant milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey.
On 27 May 1967 a referendum altered the Australian Constitution with more than 90 per cent of Australian voters saying ‘Yes’ to count Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the census and give the Australian Government the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The Mabo decision made by the High Court on 3 June 1992 was a turning point for the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples' rights because it acknowledged their unique connection with the land. It also led to the Australian Parliament passing the Native Title Act in 1993.
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
Established in 2000, Reconciliation Australia (RA), is our nation’s peak body providing leadership on reconciliation.
RA encourages all Australians to carry the spirit of reconciliation in their hearts, minds and actions as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, whose uninterrupted connection to this country has endured for at least 60 000 years, distinguishing them as the oldest continuous living culture on planet Earth.
Make reconciliation part of your story, and your future.
We acknowledge that the University of Melbourne is located on unceded Aboriginal lands, and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are Australia’s First Peoples.
We commit to working in partnership with them to achieve the University’s core purpose: to benefit society through the transformative impact of education and research.
Murmuk Djerring, our five-year Indigenous Strategy, sets out ambitions for profound change, positioning the University as a national and global leader in Indigenous research and higher education, and advocating for Indigenous excellence.
It pledges to adopt bold, innovative and proactive approaches in collaborating with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, through 21 transformative projects aimed at embedding Indigenous perspectives across all University activities.
The 2024 National Reconciliation Week theme is ‘Now More Than Ever’, a reminder for all Australians to continue the fight for justice and the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Check out the events taking place on campus and online.