NAIDOC Posters 1972 -Present Exhibition

About

NAIDOC Week celebrations are held across Australia in the first week of July each year to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures and histories and participate in celebrations of one of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth.

The NAIDOC Poster competition has become an iconic feature of NAIDOC Week and has a rich and significant history beginning in 1967 when the National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) first began producing posters. Each year the NAIDOC Poster Competition encourages Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists aged 16 years and over to submit their artwork reflecting that year’s NAIDOC Week Theme.

NAIDOC posters reflect not only the many significant social changes that have occurred since 1967, but also the evolution of art over the years.

Note: The word ‘Aborigine’ was in common usage at the time of the poster’s publication in 1972. A growing recognition of the diversity of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples has since seen move toward the use of more respectful language such as ‘First Nations People.’