The Rocks is one of the most historically rich places in Sydney, but aside from its many relics of European settlement from the 19th and 20th centuries, it is also a place of deep historical and living cultural significance for the Eora Nation. This year for NAIDOC Week, the Rocks will be playing host to a variety of exhibitions, events and festivities all celebrating Australia’s First Nations people, with this harbourside precinct coming to life with Indigenous culture from July 3-10.
Visitors to the Rocks during this week can expect a whole host of incredible activities, with everything kicking off with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony at the Bligh and Barney Reserve on July 3. Traditional weaving and boomerang-making workshops will also be going down at the Bligh and Barney Reserve between 10.30 am and noon on July 3.
Attendees can also head over to the Rocks Discovery Museum to see the work of leading First Nations photojournalist, Aunty Barbra McGrady, check out local kid’s winning artworks at the NAIDOC Week School Art Competition Exhibition, and get involved in a free, Indigenous Badge Making Workshop from 2-8 July, and then again, from the 11-15 July, with it also teaching you a thing or two about the Rocks’ rich Indigenous history.
On top of these festivities, the Rocks will also be screening Indigenous films at the Laneway Cinema on June 29 and July 6, while the Overseas Passenger Terminal will be hosting the National Indigenous Art Fair where you can buy Indigenous art directly from the makers – many of whom have travelled to Sydney from remote communities across Australia.
