Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2025: Voices from across Downer

10/07/2025

NAIDOC Week, running from 6–13 July, is a time for all Australians to come together and celebrate the stories, languages, achievements, and cultures of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

The 2025 theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy,” calls on us to look ahead to the emerging generation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples who will shape the future.

To mark NAIDOC Week 2025, we invited Indigenous team members from across our business to share what this significant week means to them. Their reflections offer a powerful reminder of the importance of culture, community, and connection.

Kyle Taylor, working at the Kapooka Army Barracks near Wagga Wagga, shared:   

“NAIDOC is about coming together. The kids. The Elders. The non-Indigenous. Then we can all reflect on the culture, the songs and the dances. You also see lots of people you haven’t seen for a while. It’s great. 

Of course, NAIDOC is about celebrating, but it’s also about remembering the rough times. That’s really important. I dance myself and my mate Corey’s family also dances and does the Wagga Welcome to Country. You see the kids connecting during the celebrations and it’s all worth it.” 

Corey Hughes, working at the Kapooka Army Barracks near Wagga Wagga, shared: 

“For me, NAIDOC is a family and community event. My mob are from near Ivanhoe and Cobar South. But there’s a lot more to it. It’s a chance for kids in dance crews to perform. Stepping up and showing their communities their strength is great to see. For me, this is how the ‘next generations’ theme comes to life. 

But there’s also the history behind NAIDOC. It’s something to be proud of because we fought so hard to get here. Everyone should get in there, help out and do something to continue the hard work.” 

William “Bubba” Kennedy, working at Kelso Public School near Bathurst, shared: 

“For me, NAIDOC Week is about family, footy and the future. It’s about family get-togethers, Aunties and Uncles. And Johnny Cakes. But mostly I think it’s about the young ones. 

Whether it’s the culture, the footy or looking after the land, the young ones are the future. I look after some wetlands here and I try and show the kids what I’m doing and why. It’s easy for the youth to be disconnected if they don’t get their toes in the dirt. But you engage with these kids and they come good. We talk and play touch footy. We’ve done this at Kelso School in Bathurst where I work.” 

David Williams-Wilson, working at the Kapooka Army Barracks near Wagga Wagga, shared:  

“For me, NAIDOC Week is about celebrating but also remembering the tough times. When you go out bush and talk to the elders and hear the stories about the missions, it really makes you think about how hard it used to be. 

This is the way the next generation needs to learn. It’s easy for them to get disconnected and start thinking negative all the time. It weighs them down. It would weigh anyone down. But it doesn’t take that much to reconnect them. My work mate Kyle and I recently found an old tree out here with scar rings on it. We made a heritage report on it. That was pretty inspiring.” 

Edward Groch, our Indigenous Engagement Manager, shared:

“NAIDOC Week is a testament to the enduring strength and resilience of our Mob - our people have not only survived, but we’ve thrived. It’s a powerful statement: we are still here.

It’s a time to celebrate the rich diversity of Aboriginal cultures, languages, traditions, and arts. It reinforces identity and belonging, honours our legacy, and pays deep respect to Elders past and present.

NAIDOC is also a moment to reflect on the privilege of being Aboriginal - to recognise the Elders who paved the way, fought for our rights, and passed on vital wisdom. Their sacrifices and achievements deserve to be honoured.”

Downer proudly recognises the history, cultures, and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Guided by our Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP), we’re committed to respect, equality, and celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities.

Learn more about our commitments to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and communities here.