National Reconciliation Week: What it is and why it matters

What is National Reconciliation Week?

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is held from 27 May to 3 June every year. These dates carry historical significance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as each commemorates an important milestone in the reconciliation journey:

1. 27 May marks the anniversary of the 1967 referendum, when Australians voted to remove clauses in the Constitution that discriminated against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
2. 3 June marks the landmark 1992 Mabo decision in which the High Court of Australia recognised the existence of native title, establishing formal recognition that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights over their lands did survive British colonisation.

Originally started as the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) expanded this event into the first National Reconciliation Week in 1996. Under the CAR, the event continued to promote reconciliation and strengthen relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples until the new millennium. 

A major NRW highlight under the CAR took place on 28 May 2000, when an estimated 250,000 people walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge in support of reconciliation. An additional 70,000 people in Brisbane joined in on the support through its own People's Walk for Reconciliation. This remains one of Australia's largest public events ever.

Following the official closing of the CAR on 1 January 2001, the not-for-profit organisation, Reconciliation Australia, was established to continue the formal reconciliation process. This organisation continues to run NRW today and creates a theme for the event every year.