First Peoples banners hang in the Main Foyer area of Melbourne Museum.

NAIDOC Week Family Day

What: SPECIAL EVENT
When: Sunday 6 July
10am to 3pm
Tickets: Included with museum entry
Adult $15
Child Free
Member Free

This year celebrates 50 years of NAIDOC Week with the theme The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. Celebrate NAIDOC Week at the Melbourne Museum Family Day with a Welcome to Country on the Museum Plaza, market stalls, performance, artist talk and family activities.

Join us for more NAIDOC Week events including the Indigenous Space Futures First Peoples Astronomy Panel and Nocturnal: Next Gen.

Celebrate the legacy of those who have come before us and empower the future young leaders.

Program

Welcome to Country

10 to 10:30AM | PLAZA | CEREMONY

Smoking Ceremony during the NAIDOC Week Family Day event held at Melbourne Museum, on the plaza by the entrance.

Celebrate NAIDOC Week Family Day with a Welcome to Country by Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Aboriginal Corporation on the Museum Plaza. Bring along your jacket to keep warm.

Badge Making

10AM to 3PM | MAIN FOYER | ACTIVITY

Celebrate NAIDOC Week with creativity! Colour, design, and make your own badge inspired by previous NAIDOC Week themes. A fun, hands-on activity for all ages to honour culture, community and connection.

Bunjil’s Feathers

10AM to 3PM | Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre | ACTIVITY

Family making their own Bunjil Feather Bookmark at Melbourne Museum.

The health of our land and waterways affects the health of everyone, so it’s important we look after Country in whatever way we can for the next generation. Country is much more than soil, rocks, waterways, or trees - it’s a living environment that sustains, and is sustained by, people. 

Think about ways that you can care for Country, and share your thoughts by writing, colouring and decorating your a Bunjil feather.

About Bunjil 

Bunjil is the Ancestral Wedge-tailed Eagle, the creator. Bunjil created much of south-eastern Australia and the features and animals within it. He also created people, by breathing life into figures moulded from clay. 

The name of Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre was chosen because ‘Bunjilaka’ means 'the place of Bunjil', evoking a sense of ongoing creation. 

NAIDOC Blak Market

10AM to 3PM | PLAZA, FOYER & Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre | MARKET

'Haus of Dizzy' jewellery stall at the NAIDOC Week Family Day held at Melbourne Museum, with creator Kristy Dickinson.

Shop at our Blak Market in the Main Foyer with stalls from Haus of Dizzy, Gammin Threads, Baljil Art, Kevin Williams Designs, The Torch, Creed Custom Designs, Katie Bugden Art, First Peoples Assembly and many more.

First Peoples Spot Talks

11AM, 1PM AND 2PM | Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre | TOUR

Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre at Melbourne Museum.

Experience a glimpse of Bunjilaka Aboriginal Cultural Centre and the First Peoples exhibition with 10-minute spot talks by our Cultural Interpreter team. 

Performance

11:30 to 11:45AM | MAIN FOYER | DANCE PERFORMANCE

Amos Roach and the Murrundaya Yepenga Dance Troupe performing to a large audience during the Family Day event for NAIDOC Week held at Melbourne Museum.

Gather the family to the Main Foyer and join us for a spectacular dance performance and mini dance workshop with Culture Evolves.

Led by Director Brent Watkins, Culture Evolves is a privately owned company that utilises traditional Aboriginal dance, songs, lore and modern dance to highlight the importance of social justice and social ecology in today’s society from a First Nations perspective.

Brent Watkins is a Gunai Kurni man from southeastern Victoria, with Noongar Yamatji ancestry from WA. He is a dancer (traditional/ hip hop), didgeridoo player and visual artist, that has established himself in the Melbourne cultural arts scene over the past decade.

Stronger Families, Stronger Communities Artist Talk

12:30 to 1PM | FOYER | PANEL TALK

Painting of First Peoples scenes on the wall of Bunjilaka exhibition.

This year's theme celebrates not only the achievements of the past but the bright future ahead, empowered by the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the legacy of our Ancestors. 

Join the artists Jade Kennedy, David Row, and Jerremy Jose of Birrarung Gallery’s newest exhibition Stronger Families, Stronger Communities: Healing the Past for the Future to talk about their individual works within the show and experiences in participating in Dardi Munwurro’s healing programs.

Face Painting

10:30AM to 2:30PM | Next to Learning Labs, Ground Level | ACTIVITY

A woman painting a child's face during NAIDOC Week at Melbourne Museum.

Join the celebration by having your face painted with animals across the continent by our First Peoples Visitor Experience Officer’s, Aunty Veronica and Evie.

River Connections

9AM to 5PM | Learning Lab, Ground Level | Digital Experience
We are all part of a dynamic web of life. Journey through the unique environment of the Murray River in this immersive infinity projection that explores how all life is connected and dependent on a healthy environment to thrive, made in collaboration with First Peoples community members exploring their close connections to the land, animals, plants and rivers of Victoria.

50 Years of NAIDOC

9AM to 5PM | Learning Lab, Ground Level | Poster Showcase
This year NAIDOC Week marks a powerful milestone: 50 years of honouring and elevating First Peoples voices, culture, and resilience. View a digital showcase of NAIDOC Week themes and posters from each year since 1976.

Accessibility

Please view our accessibility page for general information. Contact our team on 13 11 02 or email us at mvbookings@museum.vic.gov.au to discuss how we can support your visit.