Honouring the past helps shape the future
Reconciliation Week encourages all Australians to reflect and commit to healing and respect.
The next fortnight will see three significant commemorations: National Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week, and Mabo Day.
Each of them marks an important milestone in the journey towards healing between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. These days invite reflection, education, and action, helping to shape a more inclusive national identity.
National Sorry Day, held on 26 May, acknowledges the grief, suffering, and injustice experienced by the Stolen Generations – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were forcibly removed from their families under government policies throughout the 20th century.
It began in 1998, one year after the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Parliament. The day is marked by ceremonies, community events, and storytelling across the country. Symbols such as the Sea of Hands are displayed to represent support for reconciliation and the rights of First Nations peoples. It’s a day that encourages all Australians to reflect on the past and commit to healing and respect.
Following Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week runs from 27 May to 3 June, starting with Reconciliation Day on 27 May. It is a public holiday in the Australian Capital Territory and a symbolic date marking the successful 1967 referendum when Australians voted to include Aboriginal people in the census and allow the Federal Government to make laws for them.
Reconciliation Day celebrates progress made toward equality while also acknowledging the work still to be done. Schools, workplaces, and communities host events such as cultural workshops, guest speakers, and flag-raising ceremonies, all aimed at promoting understanding and respect.
The National Reconciliation Week 2025 theme, Bridging Now to Next, reflects the ongoing connection between past, present, and future.
Bridging Now to Next calls on all Australians to step forward together, to look ahead and continue the push forward as past lessons guide us.
Mabo Day, on 3 June, marks the historic 1992 High Court decision that overturned the doctrine of terra nullius – the false idea that Australia was uninhabited before British colonisation.
Led by Torres Strait Islander Eddie Koiki Mabo, the legal case recognised the traditional land rights of the Meriam people and paved the way for Native Title legislation.
Mabo Day is especially significant in Queensland and the Torres Strait Islands, where it is celebrated with traditional dance, community gatherings, and educational activities.
Together, these three events offer all Australians the opportunity to acknowledge the past, celebrate the strength and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and commit to a reconciled future.
Related reading: Reconciliation Australia
