NATIONAL RECONCILIATION WEEK
27 May – 3 June

What is National Reconciliation Week?

National Reconciliation Week (NRW) takes place annually from 27 May – 3 June to commemorate two significant milestones:

• 27 May 1967 – the Referendum to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the census, and giving power to the Commonwealth Parliament to make laws about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
• 3 June 1992 – the historic Mabo judgment, where the High Court rejected the doctrine of terra nullius (the idea that Australia was unoccupied – literally, ‘land belonging to no one’ – when the British arrived in 1788) and recognised the ‘Native Title’ rights of Eddie Mabo and his people to Murray Island.

The day before National Reconciliation Week, 26 May, is National Sorry Day – commemorating the Stolen Generations.

The National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2025 theme, Bridging Now to Next, reflects the ongoing connection between past, present and future. At a time when Australia faces uncertainty in its reconciliation journey, this theme calls on all Australians to step forward together. Bridging Now to Next urges us to look ahead and continue the push forward as past lessons guide us.

In the #NRW2025 theme artwork created by Kalkadoon woman Bree Buttenshaw, native plants − which are known for regenerating after fire and thriving through adversity − symbolise our collective strength and the possibilities of renewal. This is a time for growth, reflection, and commitment to walking together.

Australia’s history of reconciliation is not a linear one, we have made great strides and experienced disappointing setbacks. Twenty-five years ago, Corroboree 2000 brought together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous leaders in a historic call for reconciliation. We continue that work in 2025, inviting all Australians to join us in Bridging Now to Next – building a more united and respectful nation.

For more information about National Reconciliation Week, please visit the Reconciliation Australia website.

To read about Reconciliation Tasmania’s previous National Reconciliation Week events, click here.

For information about this year’s National Reconciliation Week events, click here.