Nationwide vigils to honour Kumanjayi Little Baby
Communities across Australia will hold candlelight vigils tomorrow to mourn and remember five-year-old Kumanjayi Little Baby, one week after her body was found near Alice Springs.
Mourners have been asked to wear pink and bring candles in a show of collective grief and support for her family and community.
Key Points
- Vigils nationwide Thursday mark one week since the girl’s body was found
- Family urges respectful mourning, cultural protocols, and a pause in debate
- Mourners asked to wear pink, Kumanjayi Little Baby’s favourite colour
- Minister Malarndirri McCarthy calls Australians to join candlelight vigils
- Alice Springs gathering set for Anzac Oval at 5.30pm ACST
- Events scheduled across NT, NSW, ACT, SA, WA, Queensland, Tasmania, Victoria
- A 47-year-old man, Jefferson Lewis, charged with murder and two other offences
Nationwide vigils
Hundreds are expected to gather nationwide on the one-week anniversary of the discovery of the Warlpiri girl’s body. She was found on April 30, five kilometres from Old Timers/Ilyperenye town camp in Alice Springs, where she was allegedly abducted. A 47-year-old man, Jefferson Lewis, has been charged with murder and two other offences.
The central Australian town has been in deep mourning since her death. Her family and community have called for silence and for the growing political debate around her death to pause, asking for space to grieve their loss. Vigils across cities and towns are timed to coincide with a candlelight gathering in Alice Springs on Thursday.
Her family is encouraging those attending nationwide to wear pink – Kumanjayi Little Baby’s favourite colour – and to gather in respectful grief. Organisers are asking attendees to observe cultural protocols as communities come together.
“Join them at the vigil on Thursday to light a candle wherever you are in the country, to wear pink and join with the families, as we still do the appropriate thing here for Sorry Business and say goodbye.”
— Malarndirri McCarthy, minister for Indigenous Australians
Senator McCarthy said there would be time for broader conversations, but urged Australians to “stay with the family” in their grief this week.
Vigil locations and details
Organisers across all jurisdictions have outlined local arrangements and encouraged people to bring candles. Some gatherings have asked attendees to refrain from bringing flags and to focus on quiet remembrance.
- Northern Territory
- Alice Springs: Anzac Oval, Thursday at 5.30pm (ACST). The gathering will mark Kumanjayi Little Baby’s death and acknowledge the search efforts by NT police, volunteers, Tangentyere council and the Central Land council. Community members are invited to come together in a spirit of love, peace and support.
- New South Wales
- Sydney: Town Hall, Thursday at 5.30pm (AEST). Organisers describe the event as a time for grief, solidarity and reflection. Attendees have been asked to leave flags at home, as the vigil is not a protest, and to bring a candle to remember a life cut short.
- Gosford: Leagues Club Park, Thursday at 5.30pm. Community members are invited to mourn, reflect and support the family. Attendees are asked to bring a battery-operated candle.
- Australian Capital Territory
- Canberra: Aboriginal Tent Embassy, King George Terrace within the Parliamentary Triangle, Thursday from 5.30pm (sunset vigil). Community members are asked to bring a candle.
- South Australia
- Adelaide: Victoria Square/Tarntanyangga, Thursday at 6pm (ACST). Organisers ask people to stand in solidarity, love and support.
- Port Augusta: Foreshore, Thursday at 6pm. A candlelight vigil will be held to celebrate and remember Kumanjayi Little Baby and to reflect on a system that failed to protect a young life.
- Port Pirie: Rotunda at Memorial Park, Thursday at 6pm. Attendees are asked to bring a candle or leave a light on in remembrance.
- Mount Gambier: Cave Gardens, Thursday from 6pm. Community members are invited to gather in solidarity and to bring a piece of foliage to contribute to a community mandala as a symbol of remembrance, connection and healing.
- Western Australia
- Perth: Forrest Place, Thursday from 4–6pm (AWST). Organisers say the vigil is timed to coincide with Alice Springs, as requested by family.
- Kalgoorlie: St Barbara Square, Thursday at 4.30pm. The vigil focuses on remembering, reflecting and supporting one another; mourners are asked to bring a candle or flowers.
- Broome: Male Oval, Thursday from 5.30pm. Community members are invited to join the nationwide vigil.
- Derby: Visitors’ centre (grass area), Thursday from 5pm to 8pm. A community gathering with a barbecue, tea and coffee will support the family and commemorate a girl lost too soon.
- Geraldton: Stow Gardens, Geraldton Foreshore, Thursday at 5.30pm. A candlelight vigil will support Kumanjayi Little Baby’s family and community.
- Queensland
- Sunshine Coast (Cotton Tree): Thursday, arrivals from 4pm (AEST) for an expected 5pm start. Organisers say the event is about unity, respect and mourning.
- Tasmania
- Hobart: Parliament lawns, Thursday at 5.30pm. The Tasmania Aboriginal Centre will hold a sunset memorial. The community is invited to bring a candle and show love and support for the grieving family for the loss of a precious child.
- Victoria
- Melbourne (Thornbury): Aborigines Advancement League, Thursday from 5.30pm. Community members are asked to bring a candle in Kumanjayi Little Baby’s honour and to stand united against violence towards children.
- Mildura: Apex Beach on the Murray River, Thursday at 6pm. Attendees are invited to stand in solidarity against child abuse and to show love and support for her family and community.
Organisers nationwide are echoing the family’s call to come together with respect, to prioritise quiet remembrance over politics, and to support the community through Sorry Business. Those unable to attend in person are encouraged to mark the moment privately by lighting a candle and wearing pink in her memory.
