Community & Business
5 July, 2023
NAIDOC Day celebrations are back
Efforts to pull together a NAIDOC Day in Oakey at short notice were a big success with over 400 people attending the festivities last Wednesday at the Federal Sporting Fields.
The first NAIDOC Day celebrations in Oakey in 15 years drew crowds to celebrate Oakey’s Indigenous culture and heritage.
Local elders and PCYC came together to coordinate the event, which was instigated by conversations about how efforts by locals to support Indigenous people elsewhere could be replicated here.
A ceremony was held to celebrate Indigenous people making an impact in the Oakey district.
Oakey PCYC Coordinator Katarina Medland paid tribute to community businesses who came together to support the event.
“A big thanks to our largest sponsor New Hope Group, Toowoomba Regional Council, Oakey Beef Exports, Dreamtime Games, Mura Biri Gururu & Nguluwa Dhiyaan Aboriginal Dancers (Hugest Advocator for the Day, BP Ushers, Oakey Pharmacy, Oakey Betta Electrical, Shawrys Meats, Goondir Health Services, Wellways, Goolburri Aboriginal Health, Carbal Medical Services, CACH - Cunnamulla Services. CWAATSICH – Charleville Services, Catholic Care, Oakey RSL, Bernborough Tavern and the Queensland Department of Education,” Ms Medland said.
The award winners on the day were as follows:
Female Elder Award
Aunty Zona
Male Elder Award
Vivian Cooper
Academic Award – OSS
Annabelle Washington
Academic Award – OSHS
Gypsy Woodward
Academic Award – SMPS
Talon Cooper
Male Youth Award (6-17 years)
Shakeenya Werribone
Female Youth Award (6-17)
Taliyah McBride
Male Creative Cultural Award
Peter Wharton
Female Creative Cultural Award
Shandel Washington
Male Athlete Award (6-12)
Jahmalaki Issacs
Female Athlete Award (6-12 years)
Arabella Long
Male Athlete Award (13-17 years)
Jaylen Cooper
Female Athlete Award (13-17 years)
Makaiya Stanton
Male Athlete Award
Massey Collins-Wharton
Female Athlete Award
Poppie Collins
COMMUNITY PERSON AWARD YOUTH (6-17 YEARS)
Jorja Charles
COMMUNITY PERSON AWARD
Florence Draper
OAKEY NAIDOC DEADLY AWARD
William & Amanda Haupt
PCYC OAKEY CONNECT INVICTUS AWARD
Mullenjarly Vietheer Pitt
