Netball NSW acknowledges and pays respect to the Traditional Owners of the land, the Wangal people, where Netball Central is based and also to the various Custodians of the lands across the wide netball landscapes in NSW.
We pay respect to their culture, history and Elders, past, present and emerging. The Aboriginal lands and waters on which we build our courts, clubhouses and facilities that are essential to our game are acknowledged as ancient and respected ground, and we acknowledge the significant contribution of local Aboriginal communities throughout the Netball NSW Community.
The History of National Reconciliation Week
National Reconciliation Week (NRW) started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993 (the International Year of the World’s Indigenous Peoples) and was supported by Australia’s major faith communities. In 1996, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation launched Australia’s first NRW. In 2000, Reconciliation Australia was established to continue to provide national leadership on reconciliation.
National Reconciliation Week 2020: 27 May – 3 June
#NRW2020 #InThisTogether2020
In this together, the theme for National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2020, encourages all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements while also reflecting on the part each of us plays – whether big or small – on our journey towards reconciliation.
In this together is now resonating in ways we could not have foreseen, but it reminds us whether in a crisis or in reconciliation we are all in this together #NRW2020 #InThisTogether2020
The dates for NRW remain the same each year; 27 May to 3 June. These dates commemorate two significant milestones in the reconciliation journey—
- The successful 1967 referendum, and
- The High Court Mabo decision, respectively.
NRW is also preceded by National Sorry Day on 26 May each year to commemorate the anniversary of the ‘Bringing Them Home’ report which was a National Inquiry into separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families; who are referred to as the “Stolen Generations”.
Netball NSW recognises its unique position in the NSW sporting landscape, having been the primary team sport of choice for both Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women and girls for decades. Netball NSW is committed to being an integral part of Australia’s reconciliation journey and has received conditional endorsement from Reconciliation Australia to produce our inaugural Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP).
Netball NSW has been working alongside our RAP Working Group, which consists of various Aboriginal members of the Netball NSW community as well as Aboriginal leaders, educators, and government officials. Our elected Chairwoman of the RAP Working Group is Casey Ralph, CEO of KARI.
Head to the National Reconciliation Week website to learn more and find out how you can do your part: https://www.reconciliation.org.au/national-reconciliation-week/
