Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2025 – Honouring Strength, Vision and Legacy
Published on 04 July 2025
The Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority proudly joins communities across Australia in celebrating NAIDOC Week 2025, recognising and honouring the enduring strength, vision and legacy of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
We acknowledge the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung Peoples as the Traditional Owners of the lands and waters that make up the Great Ocean Road coast and parks, and we pay our respects to their Elders past and present. For countless generations, their ancestors have cared for Country—land, rivers, sea and all living things—with deep knowledge and spiritual connection.
This year marks 50 years of week-long NAIDOC celebrations. The 2025 theme ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy’ pays tribute to the courage, leadership and resilience of those who came before, while empowering emerging leaders to carry the flame forward.
Our work is guided by the Great Ocean Road and Environs Protection Act 2020, which embeds Aboriginal inclusion and custodianship into its foundation. This includes acknowledging cultural heritage, integrating Traditional Owners’ ecological knowledge into land and sea management, and supporting First Nations leadership in decision-making.
NAIDOC Week is a time for all Australians to engage with and celebrate the oldest continuous cultures on earth. We encourage staff, visitors and community members to take part in local events and reflect on the shared responsibility of caring for Country, for today, and for the generations to come.
Quote attributable to Great Ocean Road Coast and Parks Authority Interim Chief Executive Officer, Christine Ferguson:
“We acknowledge the Eastern Maar and Wadawurrung Peoples as the Traditional Owners of the lands, waters, seas and skies along the Great Ocean Road.
“NAIDOC Week is an opportunity for all of us to deepen our understanding, listen to First Nations voices, and celebrate the resilience and brilliance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
“We are committed to walking alongside Traditional Owners in genuine partnership, respecting cultural knowledge, realising rights to self-determination, and embedding Aboriginal values and practices into how we continue to care for Country today.”