Royal Botanic Garden Sydney celebrates NAIDOC Week 2020 with live and virtual events

NAIDOC Week 2020 - held this year from 8th to 15th November - sees the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney celebrating the theme of ‘Always Was, Always Will Be’ through a range of in-person and virtual activities.

Visitors, members of the local community, and city workers alike are invited to join the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney’s team of Aboriginal Educators for insightful and interactive workshops held across the harbourside site.

Traditional art, dance performances, and community workshops that explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures will be held throughout the week.

Denise Ora, Chief Executive of the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Chief Executive, Denise Ora advises “NAIDOC Week is always a special time of year with celebrations held across Australia to celebrate the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and culture.

“This year, we need to connect as a community more than ever before so we are excited to welcome visitors to the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney and Domain where the can come together to learn, explore and have fun during NAIDOC Week.”

In reflecting on the NAIDOC Week theme, Josh Brown, Project Manager Aboriginal Strategy at the Royal Botanic Garden Sydney adds “we aim to preserve, protect and sustain our First Nations cultures every day through our Educational and strategic projects at the Garden.

“NAIDOC Week is a perfect opportunity to come together to learn and share at the Garden, an area that has been of deep significance to Aboriginal people for millennia and continues to be a site for reflection and connection to country.”

In addition to the free workshops throughout the week, there will be free performances by Koomurri dance group on 11th November from 7.00 am to 11.00 am at the Yurong Precinct near Mrs Macquarie’s Point.

Royal Botanic Garden Sydney Manager of First Nations Education and Engagement,  Renee Cawthorne says of the program, “there are a number of NAIDOC Week events happening all over Sydney and the Garden has an exciting line-up of free and paid activities to reflect and share our culture with others. 

As well as our popular Aboriginal Heritage Tour, the Bushtucker experiences are an immersive way to highlight the resistance, strength and resilience of First Nations People.”

To find out more visit rbgsyd.nsw.gov.au/naidoc-week