National Reconciliation Week

Australian observance of Indigenous cultures

National Reconciliation Week

Date(s)| 27 May to 3 June
Frequency| Annual
Country| Australia
Organised by| Reconciliation Australia

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is intended to celebrate Indigenous history and culture in Australia and foster reconciliation discussion and activities. It started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993, developing into National Reconciliation Week in 1996.

It is held from 27 May to 3 June each year. These dates mark the anniversary of the 1967 referendum (27 May) and the date in 1992 that the Mabo decision was made in the High Court of Australia (3 June, Mabo Day).[1]

## History and background

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Further information: Reconciliation in Australia

In 1991, the Australian Parliament unanimously created the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) with funding until 2001.[2][3]

In 1993, major religious groups in Australia established the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation.[4][5] In 1996, the CAR expanded this into the first National Reconciliation Week.[6]

In 2000, an estimated 250,000 people walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and in Brisbane, the People’s Walk for Reconciliation attracted an estimated 70,000 people.[7]

In 2001, Reconciliation Australia was established to replace the CAR, including its organisation of National Reconciliation Week.[8]

## Description

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National Reconciliation Week is intended to celebrate the history and culture of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia, and foster reconciliation discussion and activities.[9]

The day before the start of the week, 26 May, is National Sorry Day, first held in Sydney in 1998 and now commemorated annually to honour the Stolen Generations.[4][6]

The theme of NRW 2025 is "Bridging Now to Next" reflecting the continuing connection between past, present, and future.[9]

## Reconciliation Day

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Not to be confused with Day of Reconciliation or National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Reconciliation Day

Observed by| Australian Capital Territory
Date| First Monday after or on 27 May
Frequency| Annual

Reconciliation Day is a public holiday in the Australian Capital Territory marking the start of National Reconciliation Week. It is held on the first Monday after or on 27 May, the anniversary of the 1967 referendum. It was held for the first time on 28 May 2018.[10][11]

Reconciliation Week Activities for Elementary School Children in Indonesia[12]

## See also

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* NAIDOC Week, held annually in the same week as International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples.
* Reconciliation in Australia

## References

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1. ^ "What is Reconciliation Week and why are the dates significant?". SBS Language. 26 May 2025. Retrieved 27 May 2025.
2. ^ "Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation". Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII). Retrieved 5 June 2020.
3. ^ Payne, Anne Maree; Norman, Heidi (23 May 2025). "Corroboree 2000, 25 years on: the march for Indigenous reconciliation has left a complicated legacy". The Conversation. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
4. ^ a b "Let's talk... reconciliation: National Reconciliation Week" (PDF). Reconciliation Australia. 2014. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
5. ^ Rodrigues, Marilyn (27 May 2024). "Reconciliation week: a time for prayer and healing". The Catholic Weekly. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
6. ^ a b "National Reconciliation Week 2017: 27 May to 3 June: Reconciliation timeline" (PDF). Reconciliation Australia. 2017. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
7. ^ Smith, Douglas (4 June 2020). "On this day National Reconciliation Week closed with 70,000 marching through Brisbane". NITV. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
8. ^ "'Cop-out from the prime minister': How did the reconciliation movement begin in Australia?". ABC News. 31 May 2023. Retrieved 5 June 2025.
9. ^ a b "NRW2025 Theme: Bridging Now to Next". Reconciliation Australia. Archived from the original on 18 December 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2025.
10. ^ "Reconciliation Day Public Holiday an Australian first". 14 September 2017.
11. ^ Burgess, Katie (14 September 2017). "ACT first Australian jurisdiction to gazette Reconciliation Day public holiday". Canberra Times. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
12. ^ Saefuloh, Arif (8 June 2025). "10 Aktivitas Reconciliation Week untuk Anak Sekolah Dasar". Sorot Edukasi (in Indonesian). Retrieved 8 June 2025.

## Further reading

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* Reconciliation Australia (February 2016). The State of Reconciliation in Australia: Our History, Our Story, Our Future: Summary. ISBN 978-0-9945103-1-0. "Twenty-five years after the establishment of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR), this report examines the state of reconciliation in Australia today."
* Smith, Douglas (4 June 2020). "On this day National Reconciliation Week closed with 70,000 marching through Brisbane". NITV.

## External links

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* Reconciliation Australia: National Reconciliation Week