Community & Business
24 September, 2024
Blak, Loud and Proud
The switch to September has continued to pay off for Oakey’s NAIDOC Ceremony as Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities came together to celebrate our district’s First Nations peoples.
Oakey’s Indigenous community started the morning with a march down Campbell St, led by community youth leaders William Thira-Mayinj Haupt and Damon Miri Anderson.
The youth of the town carried a banner, made by Uncle John Troutman, showing off hand prints and names.
Two members of Swartz Barracks Oakey Army Aviation Training Centre joined the march, which was facilitated by Oakey Police who closed off the intersection with McDonald and Campbell Sts.
Event organiser Goondir’s Jennifer Wharton thanked PCYC Toowoomba, New Acland’s Linda Sexton for volunteering their time and support.
“Our yarn up group has no funding,” she said.
“So I’d like to thank New Acland, and PCYC for volunteering today.
“You want these programs? Make sure to get out and support them.”
Toowoomba Region Mayor Geoff McDonald attended, along with Deputy Mayor Rebecca Vonhoff and five other Councillors, briefly addressing the crowd.
“We are here to acknowledge all our First Nations peoples who are here and who have gone before us,” he said.
“We are still on a journey to acknowledge the trauma of the past and to make the present better for everyone.”
“This is a great place and you’ve shown it again.”
Mr Thira-Mayinj Haupt led the community in a smoking ceremony, which was followed by the raising of Australia’s national flags.
Jodie Collins received an NAIDOC award for Community Senior Person of the Year as she could not be present at today’s Awards Ceremony at Trevor Mickelborough Oval.
