Celebrate NAIDOC Week at Our Community Walk-Shop

This NAIDOC Week, BROOKS and its allies are invited to come together on Country at Balls Head Reserve on Friday 3 July from 11:00am–1:30pm, the Friday before NAIDOC Week officially begins.

Set on the traditional lands of the Cammeraygal people on Sydney Harbour, this special experience offers an opportunity to step outside the usual routine, connect with Country, and gain a deeper understanding of the place we live and work. This is not a typical event. It is a chance to gather, listen, learn and connect through story, culture and shared experience outdoors, surrounded by one of Sydney Harbour’s most remarkable natural settings.

Tickets are heavily-discounted just $20 per person, with all proceeds going directly to Yanma Budjari Gumura (“Walk in Good Spirit”) Dharug organisation that is dedicated to sharing Dharug language, culture and knowledge with schools, organisations and communities across Sydney.

What to expect

Guided by Aboriginal cultural knowledge holder and BROOKS; First Nations Advisor, Mike Butler, the experience will begin with a traditional smoking ceremony to help ground us in more than 60,000 years of Aboriginal connection to Country, followed by a gentle bushwalk, then delicious food to enjoy and even make a traditional take-home bracelet if you chose.

As we walk through Balls Head Reserve, Mike will share stories of the Harbour’s First Peoples and introduce to Sydney’s incredible sandstone engravings, including remarkable whale carvings older than the Pyramids. Through storytelling and cultural knowledge learned from Dhurag elders, you will gain insight into the history, knowledge systems and enduring connection to Country that have shaped this landscape for countless generations.

Along the way, we will explore themes of friendship, belonging, stewardship and connection,
while reflecting on what these ideas might mean in our own lives and work.

It’s a shared experience!

This is something to take part in, rather than simply observe.

Participants will be guided through a hands-on string-making activity using natural materials such as stringybark, resin and gumnuts. The bracelets created during the session symbolise friendship, connection and the sharing of knowledge, providing a meaningful reminder of the experience long after the day has ended.

We Hope You’re Hungry

As people who work in community engagement, we know that some of the best conversations happen around food. We’ll finish the morning with a fully catered lunch, giving everyone the chance to continue conversations, share reflections and enjoy time together.

Why Join? 

Opportunities like this are rare.

It is a chance to experience Sydney differently, learn something meaningful, and build stronger connections with one another and the place we are part of. NAIDOC Week is a time to celebrate the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and we hope the learnings from our Walk-Shop extend far beyond the week itself.