# National Reconciliation Week

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{{Short description|Australian observance of Indigenous cultures}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}}
{{use Australian English|date=April 2020}}
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| date               = 27 May to 3 June
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'''National Reconciliation Week''' ('''NRW''') is intended to celebrate [Indigenous history and culture in Australia](/source/Indigenous_Australians) and foster [reconciliation](/source/reconciliation_in_Australia) 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](/source/1967_Australian_referendum_(Aboriginals)) (27 May) and the date in 1992 that the [Mabo decision](/source/Mabo_2) was made in the [High Court of Australia](/source/High_Court_of_Australia) (3 June, [Mabo Day](/source/Mabo_Day)).<ref>{{Cite web |date=2025-05-26 |title=What is Reconciliation Week and why are the dates significant? |url=https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/en/article/reconciliation-is-everyones-business-says-community-leader-ahead-of-national-reconciliation-week/p541crr8m |access-date=2025-05-27 |website=SBS Language |language=en-au}}</ref>

==History and background==
{{further|Reconciliation in Australia}}
In 1991, the Australian Parliament unanimously created the [Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation](/source/Council_for_Aboriginal_Reconciliation) (CAR) with funding until 2001.<ref>{{cite web | title=Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation | website=Australasian Legal Information Institute (AustLII) | url=http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/orgs/car/council/spl98_20/council.htm | access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Payne |first=Anne Maree |last2=Norman |first2=Heidi |date=2025-05-23 |title=Corroboree 2000, 25 years on: the march for Indigenous reconciliation has left a complicated legacy |url=http://theconversation.com/corroboree-2000-25-years-on-the-march-for-indigenous-reconciliation-has-left-a-complicated-legacy-252805 |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 1993, major religious groups in Australia established the Week of Prayer for Reconciliation.<ref name=prayer>{{cite web|url=https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Lets-talk...Reconciliation.pdf|title=Let's talk... reconciliation: National Reconciliation Week|publisher=Reconciliation Australia|date=2014|access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Rodrigues |first=Marilyn |date=2024-05-27 |title=Reconciliation week: a time for prayer and healing |url=https://catholicweekly.com.au/reconciliation-week/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=The Catholic Weekly |language=en-AU}}</ref> In 1996, the CAR expanded this into the first National Reconciliation Week.<ref name=timeline>{{cite web|url=https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/reconciliation-timeline_2017.pdf|title= National Reconciliation Week 2017: 27 May to 3 June: Reconciliation timeline|publisher=Reconciliation Australia|date=2017|access-date=5 June 2020}}</ref>

In 2000, an estimated 250,000 people walked across the [Sydney Harbour Bridge](/source/Sydney_Harbour_Bridge), and in Brisbane, the People’s Walk for Reconciliation attracted an estimated 70,000 people.<ref>{{cite web | last=Smith | first=Douglas | title=On this day National Reconciliation Week closed with 70,000 marching through Brisbane | website=NITV | date=4 June 2020 | url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2020/06/04/day-national-reconciliation-week-closed-70000-marching-through-brisbane | access-date=7 June 2020}}</ref>

In 2001, [Reconciliation Australia](/source/Reconciliation_Australia) was established to replace the CAR, including its organisation of National Reconciliation Week.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2023-05-31 |title='Cop-out from the prime minister': How did the reconciliation movement begin in Australia? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-06-01/national-reconciliation-week-voice-to-parliament-treaty/102397656 |access-date=2025-06-05 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU}}</ref>

==Description==
National Reconciliation Week is intended to celebrate the history and culture of [Aboriginal](/source/Aboriginal_Australians) and [Torres Strait Islander](/source/Torres_Strait_Islander) people in Australia, and foster [reconciliation](/source/ethnic_relations) discussion and activities.<ref name=nrw2025>{{cite web |title=NRW2025 Theme: Bridging Now to Next |website=Reconciliation Australia  |url=https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/ |access-date=9 January 2025|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20241218033439/https://www.reconciliation.org.au/our-work/national-reconciliation-week/|archive-date =18 Dec 2024 |url-status =live }}</ref>

The day before the start of the week, 26 May, is [National Sorry Day](/source/National_Sorry_Day), first held in Sydney in 1998 and now commemorated annually to honour the [Stolen Generations](/source/Stolen_Generations).<ref name=prayer/><ref name=timeline/>

The theme of NRW 2025 is "Bridging Now to Next" reflecting the continuing connection between past, present, and future.<ref name=nrw2025/>

==Reconciliation Day==
{{Distinguish|Day of Reconciliation|National Day for Truth and Reconciliation}}
{{Infobox holiday
| holiday_name  = Reconciliation Day
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| observedby    = [Australian Capital Territory](/source/Australian_Capital_Territory)
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| date          = First Monday after or on 27 May
| date2020      = 1 June
| date2021      = 31 May
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| duration      = 1 day
| frequency     = Annual
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'''Reconciliation Day''' is a [public holiday](/source/public_holiday) in the [Australian Capital Territory](/source/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](/source/Australian_referendum%2C_1967_(Aboriginals)). It was held for the first time on 28 May 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cmtedd.act.gov.au/open_government/inform/act_government_media_releases/rachel-stephen-smith-mla-media-releases/2017/reconciliation-day-public-holiday-an-australian-first|title=Reconciliation Day Public Holiday an Australian first|date=14 September 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last1=Burgess|first1=Katie|title=ACT first Australian jurisdiction to gazette Reconciliation Day public holiday|url=http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/act-first-australian-jurisdiction-to-gazette-reconciliation-day-public-holiday-20170912-gyfmdq.html|accessdate=14 September 2017|work=[Canberra Times](/source/Canberra_Times)|date=14 September 2017}}</ref>

==See also==
* [NAIDOC Week](/source/NAIDOC_Week), held annually in the same week as [International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples](/source/International_Day_of_the_World's_Indigenous_Peoples).
*[Reconciliation in Australia](/source/Reconciliation_in_Australia)

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book|title=The State of Reconciliation in Australia: Our History, Our Story, Our Future: Summary|isbn =978-0-9945103-1-0|quote=Twenty-five years after the establishment of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR), this report examines the state of reconciliation in Australia today.|date=February 2016|author=Reconciliation Australia}}
*{{cite web | last=Smith | first=Douglas | title=On this day National Reconciliation Week closed with 70,000 marching through Brisbane | website=NITV | date=4 June 2020 | url=https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/2020/06/04/day-national-reconciliation-week-closed-70000-marching-through-brisbane}}

==External links==
*{{official|https://www.reconciliation.org.au/national-reconciliation-week/|Reconciliation Australia: National Reconciliation Week}}

Category:Australian Aboriginal culture
Category:Indigenous Australian politics
Category:May observances
Category:June observances

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [National Reconciliation Week](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Reconciliation_Week) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Reconciliation_Week?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.