Last year’s Seymour NAIDOC Week celebrations won a shire award, and this year’s attracted more than double the people, so it may be in line for a Nobel Peace Prize.
Organiser Brenda Newman, of the Seymour Local Aboriginal Network, described the town’s National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee celebrations on Thursday, July 7, as “huge”.
“It was a huge, a huge day, huge, and we got lucky with the weather, too,” she said.
“I just said next year we’ll definitely do it again, but I’m not doing it, but plenty of time, I suppose, to change my mind between now and then.
“More than 500 people turned up. Last year we got more than 200.”
Ms Newman said the event at Kings Park was well supported by both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.
“It was a good mix,” she said.
“There were a lot of non-Indigenous and a lot of mob (Aboriginal people) I haven’t seen before.
“It’s nice to see people come along and celebrate with Aboriginal people, their day.
“I had one person come up to me and she said, ‘I’m rather emotional, it’s the best event I’ve been to’.”
A wide range of stallholders attended the NAIDOC Week event, including Gnarly Neighbours skateboarding youth group, face painters, Indigenous service providers, emergency services and a wildlife display featuring snakes, a dingo and a small crocodile.
However, the most popular was the ice cream truck and the barbecue run by Nagambie Men’s Shed.