Queensland funds local events for National Reconciliation Week

The Queensland Government has confirmed funding for community organisations across the State to deliver National Reconciliation Week events, with grants of up to $2,500 per recipient to support activities that promote unity and reconciliation.

The government said Celebrating Reconciliation Grants will back dozens of local organisations to strengthen relationships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Queenslanders during National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June). The funding supports events and activities such as cultural performances, art exhibitions, community sport, and storytelling.

Key Points

Recipients are located from Cairns, Townsville, and Cook Shire through Mount Isa, Central Highlands, North Burnett, Cassowary Coast, Southern Downs, Scenic Rim, Toowoomba, and across the South East corner, including the Sunshine Coast, Ipswich, Logan, and the Gold Coast. The government characterised the program as delivering practical reconciliation in partnership with local communities.

“These grants support local organisations to unite communities and promote respect between cultures,”Minister for Aboriginal Partnerships Fona Simpson said.

“Reconciliation is about acknowledging the significant heritage of our First Peoples and the importance of deepening our shared understanding.”

The announcement said National Reconciliation Week commemorates two milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey — the successful 1967 referendum and the 1992 High Court Mabo decision. This year’s theme, All In, is described as a call for all Australians to walk together with greater understanding and reconciliation.

Activities and recipients

The government has  listed a range of community-led initiatives to be supported by the grants. The projects span arts, culture, sport, and education, and are designed to foster participation and shared learning.

• Under One Sky Workshops in Cardwell in the Far North will deliver a cultural art series co-designed and facilitated by the Girramay Traditional Owners
• The Deadly Coffee event run by Queensland Youth Connections Indigenous Corporation in Townsville will feature live performances from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists
• Reconciliation Through Sport and Art in Mount Isa will include a centrepiece rugby league exhibition match — a QPS Invitational team versus Indigenous All Stars
• Life Without Barriers will deliver an immersive art and cultural experience with a local Aboriginal artist for children in out-of-home care in Toowoomba
• Gathaa First Nations Markets on the Sunshine Coast will offer traditional art, handmade products, cultural workshops, and bushfood demonstrations
• Netball Queensland will support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Ipswich and Logan to design cultural bibs to be worn by the Queensland Firebirds
• First Nations Lifeguards on the Gold Coast will share the story of Indigenous saltwater people and their involvement in the early lifesaving movement
• Goondiwindi’s Run For Reconciliation will bring together locals and cross-border participants with a bush tucker tea and cultural storytelling led by Elders

The announcement also named St Andrew’s War Memorial Hospital in Brisbane, operated by UnitingCare Queensland, among the recipients. The hospital will create an Honouring First Nations Veterans display to promote an appreciation for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander military history and service.

“The Honouring First Nations Veterans project will be a cultural display that respectfully recognises Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander servicemen and women, addressing a gap in visibility and acknowledgement,”

— Nikki Burns, Reconciliation Action Plan Partner, UnitingCare Queensland