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From 27 May to 3 June each year, National Reconciliation Week is an opportunity for reflection and action.
The theme for National Reconciliation Week 2023 is Be a Voice for Generations. The theme encourages all Australians to be a voice for reconciliation in our everyday lives – where we live, work and socialise.
The meaning of National Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week is bookended by two significant dates commemorating our shared history and journey towards reconciliation.
27 May marks the anniversary of our most successful referendum, with a 90% ‘Yes’ vote in 1967 to give the Australian Government power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and recognise them in the Census.
3 June marks the historic 1992 High Court Mabo decision. This was the culmination of Eddie Koiki Mabo’s challenge to the legal fiction of ‘terra nullius’ (land belonging to no one), leading to the legal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of lands. This decision paved the way for Native Title.
Be a Voice for Generations
The opening and closing dates of National Reconciliation Week reflect the significance of people coming together to speak up for justice. Being a Voice for Generations is something we can all do in our everyday lives, by listening, learning and acting.
In 2023, with the upcoming referendum on an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament, we’re presented with a generational moment for change.
Realising an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament through the 2023 referendum will be a meaningful step towards reconciliation for all peoples across this country.
“Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.” - Reconciliation Australia
Want to learn more?
- Discover more about National Reconciliation Week and the work of Reconciliation Australia
- Learn more about the campaign for an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to Parliament
