National Reconciliation Week (NRW) is recognised annually from 27 May to 3 June.
The week is an important opportunity for Australians to come together and learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements. It is a time to explore how each of us can contribute to achieving reconciliation in Australia.
For more information about reconciliation efforts, please visit Reconciliation Australia's website. During National Reconciliation Week in 2026, many teams across UQ will organise events for staff and students.
We invite you to explore reconciliation at UQ, view our events program below, and join us in supporting this important initiative and working towards a better Australia.
For any questions or queries, please contact the UQ Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) team at uqrap@uq.edu.au or Office of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) Events team at Indigenousengagementevents@uq.edu.au.
Theme – 'All In'
All In is a call for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day.
All In makes clear that reconciliation is not a spectator sport and that all of us must step away from the sidelines and take action to make change.
The theme also reminds us that reconciliation and advancing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ rights isn’t a passive activity, and it is not solely the responsibility of First Nations people, who have carried the weight of championing, explaining and acting for far too long.
Reconciliation will not happen by itself, and it will not happen without all of us.
The #NRW2026 campaign was created in collaboration with Carbon Creative, a First Nations-owned and operated marketing and creative agency.
The artwork for this campaign is by renowned Gumbaynggirr / Bundjalung artist Otis Hope Carey, who applied his distinctive style to create a colourful and optimistic visual representation of people from all walks of life being ‘all in’ to make change.
Days of Significance
On 27 May 1967, Australians voted to change the Constitution so that like all other Australians, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples would be counted as part of the population and the Commonwealth would be able to make laws for them. A resounding 90.77 per cent said ‘Yes’ and every single state and territory had a majority result for the ‘Yes’ vote. It was one of the most successful national campaigns in Australia’s history.
Mabo Day is marked annually on 3 June. It commemorates Mer Island man Eddie Koiki Mabo and his successful efforts to overturn the legal fiction of terra nullius, or ‘land belonging to no-one’. Following the Mabo decision, Australia’s Federal Parliament passed the Native Title Act 1993 which established a legal framework for native title claims throughout Australia by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Lighting of Forgan Smith
Throughout National Reconciliation Week, UQ's Forgan Smith building is bathed in either red and yellow or green and blue to represent the colours of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags.
NRW Program 2026
Wednesday 27 May, 12 — 1.30pm, St Lucia
For National Reconciliation Week, our RAP Network invites all UQ staff and students to come all in for a special Reading for Reconciliation event with internationally acclaimed Wiradyuri author Professor Anita Heiss. This NRW event invites our UQ community to listen, learn, reflect, and act — all in — by engaging with story as a pathway to understanding, respect, and reconciliation.
For National Reconciliation Week, our RAP Network invites all UQ staff and students to come all in for a special Reading for Reconciliation event with internationally acclaimed Wiradyuri author Professor Anita Heiss. This NRW event invites our UQ community to listen, learn, reflect, and act — all in — by engaging with story as a pathway to understanding, respect, and reconciliation.
BlackWords: ALL IN for National Reconciliation Week - Presentation and Morning Tea
Wednesday 27 May, 10 — 11.30am, St Lucia
BlackWords is a dedicated space within AustLit that records and makes accessible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writing and storytelling—from published literature to film, television, criticism, and scholarship. This National Reconciliation Week morning tea will introduce the resource and offer a practical orientation on how to use BlackWords in teaching, research, or independent exploration—demonstrating how it has been, and can be, an important tool and interactive platform for reconciliation.
BlackWords is a dedicated space within AustLit that records and makes accessible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writing and storytelling—from published literature to film, television, criticism, and scholarship. This National Reconciliation Week morning tea will introduce the resource and offer a practical orientation on how to use BlackWords in teaching, research, or independent exploration—demonstrating how it has been, and can be, an important tool and interactive platform for reconciliation.
UQ College Reconciliation Week Reflection Wall
Wednesday 27 May -- 19 June, St Lucia
Throughout NRW paper collection / ballot boxes will be placed in key locations around UQ College, including Building 14 and the UQ College Learning Centre (39a.231), inviting students and passers by to respond to the question “What does reconciliation mean to you?” on postcard-sized cards. From May 27 to June 2, paper collection / ballot boxes will be placed in key locations around UQ College, including Building 14 and the UQ College Learning Centre (39a.231), inviting students and passers by to respond to the question “What does reconciliation mean to you?” on postcard-sized cards. These responses are to be be collected in the boxes, with selected appropriate submissions displayed on Building 14 Level 3 foyer windows, alongside a display explaining the history and importance of National Reconciliation Week, including official National Reconciliation Week posters and multilingual materials to ensure the activity's accessibility to our diverse cohorts. On June 2 the ballot boxes will be removed, with the display remaining visible until June 19.
Throughout NRW paper collection / ballot boxes will be placed in key locations around UQ College, including Building 14 and the UQ College Learning Centre (39a.231), inviting students and passers by to respond to the question “What does reconciliation mean to you?” on postcard-sized cards. From May 27 to June 2, paper collection / ballot boxes will be placed in key locations around UQ College, including Building 14 and the UQ College Learning Centre (39a.231), inviting students and passers by to respond to the question “What does reconciliation mean to you?” on postcard-sized cards. These responses are to be be collected in the boxes, with selected appropriate submissions displayed on Building 14 Level 3 foyer windows, alongside a display explaining the history and importance of National Reconciliation Week, including official National Reconciliation Week posters and multilingual materials to ensure the activity's accessibility to our diverse cohorts. On June 2 the ballot boxes will be removed, with the display remaining visible until June 19.
Wednesday 27 May, 5:30 - 7:30pm, St Lucia
Murri Trivia is a fun, inclusive evening that’s all about connection, learning, and laughter. Whether you bring a team of up to 8 people, or just yourself, you’ll be part of a safe space to explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and cultures. There will be delicious pub food to order, great company, and the chance to win some deadly prizes! (Please note that this is an 18+ event, and identification is required for entry.)
Murri Trivia is a fun, inclusive evening that’s all about connection, learning, and laughter. Whether you bring a team of up to 8 people, or just yourself, you’ll be part of a safe space to explore Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and cultures. There will be delicious pub food to order, great company, and the chance to win some deadly prizes! (Please note that this is an 18+ event, and identification is required for entry.)
Tea, treats and truth
Wednesday 27 May - Wednesday 3 June, St Lucia
Science students and staff are invited to help yourself to free native flavoured tea and biscuits in the Science Learning Centre and Gatton Student Central. Test your knowledge of Indigenous history with an online quiz and you could win RAP merch!
Science students and staff are invited to help yourself to free native flavoured tea and biscuits in the Science Learning Centre and Gatton Student Central. Test your knowledge of Indigenous history with an online quiz and you could win RAP merch!
Wednesday 27 May - Wednesday 3 June, St Lucia
Celebrate National Reconciliation Week by exploring UQ’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage through an interactive campus challenge. Inspired by UQ Has a Blak History, students are invited to visit key reconciliation sites at St Lucia, reflect on their cultural significance, and share their experience on Instagram for a chance to win prizes. Running throughout NRW, participants can enter by visiting at least one featured location, taking a photo, and posting it with the required tags. An activation booth during workdays at Duhig Library will offer “All In” badge-making to encourage engagement throughout the week. 20 winners will be selected to receive themed prize packs.
Celebrate National Reconciliation Week by exploring UQ’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage through an interactive campus challenge. Inspired by UQ Has a Blak History, students are invited to visit key reconciliation sites at St Lucia, reflect on their cultural significance, and share their experience on Instagram for a chance to win prizes. Running throughout NRW, participants can enter by visiting at least one featured location, taking a photo, and posting it with the required tags. An activation booth during workdays at Duhig Library will offer “All In” badge-making to encourage engagement throughout the week. 20 winners will be selected to receive themed prize packs.
Wednesday 27 May - 3 June, Daily, 11:30 am -12:00pm daily, St Lucia
Join the Anthropology Museum team for a free National Reconciliation Week highlights tour of Shields: Design and functionality. Discover some of the remarkable First Nations works of art and stories on display and explore our shared histories, cultural connections and achievements. This exhibition features over 130 Australian shields from the collection of the Anthropology Museum. The collection shields are exhibited alongside works by contemporary Indigenous artists that have been influenced by traditional shield designs.
Join the Anthropology Museum team for a free National Reconciliation Week highlights tour of Shields: Design and functionality. Discover some of the remarkable First Nations works of art and stories on display and explore our shared histories, cultural connections and achievements. This exhibition features over 130 Australian shields from the collection of the Anthropology Museum. The collection shields are exhibited alongside works by contemporary Indigenous artists that have been influenced by traditional shield designs.
Let the Language Speak: A Journey into Djukun
Thursday 28 May, 2:30 - 4:30pm, St Lucia
This event is planned to be coordinated by Dr Zyta Ziora, UQ RAP Network Agent in the Indigenous Engagement, together with Ms Dishani Senaratne, a PhD candidate, from the School of Political Science & International Studies at the University of Queensland. The conversation will be centred on language revitalisation, exploring challenges, community efforts, and the significance of reclaiming Djukun for future generations. It will be facilitated by the invited guest, a UQ graduate, Jaala Ozies, a proud Djukun woman who recently published a children's book documenting 50 words in the Djukun language. This discussion examines how the Djukun language is deeply embedded in relationships to Country, identity, and collective memory. Rather than treating language as a neutral tool of communication, the session explores how Djukun encodes cultural knowledge, social values, and histories tied to land. It invites participants to reflect on how language sustains Indigenous worldviews and shapes a sense of belonging.
This event is planned to be coordinated by Dr Zyta Ziora, UQ RAP Network Agent in the Indigenous Engagement, together with Ms Dishani Senaratne, a PhD candidate, from the School of Political Science & International Studies at the University of Queensland. The conversation will be centred on language revitalisation, exploring challenges, community efforts, and the significance of reclaiming Djukun for future generations. It will be facilitated by the invited guest, a UQ graduate, Jaala Ozies, a proud Djukun woman who recently published a children's book documenting 50 words in the Djukun language. This discussion examines how the Djukun language is deeply embedded in relationships to Country, identity, and collective memory. Rather than treating language as a neutral tool of communication, the session explores how Djukun encodes cultural knowledge, social values, and histories tied to land. It invites participants to reflect on how language sustains Indigenous worldviews and shapes a sense of belonging.
NRW Movie Night: The Drovers Wife, the Legend of Molly Johnson (2020)
Thursday 28 May, 5 - 7pm, St Lucia
Join the School of Architecture Design and Planning for a National Reconciliation Week screening of of the film 'The Drovers Wife, the Legend of Molly Johnson'.
"In the Snowy Mountains, Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned. A searing reimagining of Leah Purcell's play and Henry Lawson's classic short story." -- Screen Australia
Join the School of Architecture Design and Planning for a National Reconciliation Week screening of of the film 'The Drovers Wife, the Legend of Molly Johnson'.
"In the Snowy Mountains, Hell hath no fury like a mother scorned. A searing reimagining of Leah Purcell's play and Henry Lawson's classic short story." -- Screen Australia
Goorie Goannas Jersey Presentation
Thursday 28 May, 3:30 - 4:40pm
Dr Mary Mahoney AO Amphitheatre, UQ St Lucia Campus
Jersey presentation to the Goorie Goannas team ahead of their appearance at the Indigenous Nationals Games in Newcastle. Formalities to include a smoking ceremony, Torres Strait Islander dance performance, speeches from the DVCIE and past Goorie Goannas players.
Dr Mary Mahoney AO Amphitheatre, UQ St Lucia Campus
Jersey presentation to the Goorie Goannas team ahead of their appearance at the Indigenous Nationals Games in Newcastle. Formalities to include a smoking ceremony, Torres Strait Islander dance performance, speeches from the DVCIE and past Goorie Goannas players.
Thursday 28 May, 12:30 - 1:30pm, St Lucia
Join Professor Dr Allanah Hunt in conversation as she discusses her new release, Forever & Ever. After the discussion, guests are invited to enjoy light catering and refreshments (provided by Heart to Harvest), and browse a selection of First Nations books at the Avid Reader Bookshop pop-up.
Join Professor Dr Allanah Hunt in conversation as she discusses her new release, Forever & Ever. After the discussion, guests are invited to enjoy light catering and refreshments (provided by Heart to Harvest), and browse a selection of First Nations books at the Avid Reader Bookshop pop-up.
NRW Lunchtime Concert
Friday 29 May, 12:30 - 1:30pm
Dr Mary Mahoney AO Amphitheatre, UQ St Lucia Campus
A musical performance held in the Amphitheatre (TBA) consisting of the Reconciliation Choir, The Human Resources band and then them both performing together.
Dr Mary Mahoney AO Amphitheatre, UQ St Lucia Campus
A musical performance held in the Amphitheatre (TBA) consisting of the Reconciliation Choir, The Human Resources band and then them both performing together.
Tuesday 2 June, 10:30am - 12:00pm, St Lucia
As part of National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June), the UQ Poche Centre invites you to a special Seminar Series event featuring some of Australia’s most respected leaders in reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights: Professor Jackie Huggins AM FAHA, Professor Tom Calma AO, and moderator, The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO.
As part of National Reconciliation Week (27 May – 3 June), the UQ Poche Centre invites you to a special Seminar Series event featuring some of Australia’s most respected leaders in reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander rights: Professor Jackie Huggins AM FAHA, Professor Tom Calma AO, and moderator, The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO.
Thursday 28 May, 5:30 - 7pm
Michie Building (9), Writers Studio Room 612, St Lucia
This is a chance for SCA staff, and literature-lovers across UQ, to discuss Wiradjuri woman Tara June Winch's masterful novel THE YIELD (Winner of the 2020 Miles Franklin Award), in an inclusive, book-club style format. "Profoundly moving and exquisitely written, Tara June Winch’s THE YIELD is the story of a people and a culture dispossessed. But it is as much a celebration of what was and what endures, and a powerful reclaiming of Indigenous language, storytelling and identity." This book club event is hosted by Dr Tom Doig on behalf of the SCA's Indigenous Engagement Committee.
Michie Building (9), Writers Studio Room 612, St Lucia
This is a chance for SCA staff, and literature-lovers across UQ, to discuss Wiradjuri woman Tara June Winch's masterful novel THE YIELD (Winner of the 2020 Miles Franklin Award), in an inclusive, book-club style format. "Profoundly moving and exquisitely written, Tara June Winch’s THE YIELD is the story of a people and a culture dispossessed. But it is as much a celebration of what was and what endures, and a powerful reclaiming of Indigenous language, storytelling and identity." This book club event is hosted by Dr Tom Doig on behalf of the SCA's Indigenous Engagement Committee.