Celebrating NAIDOC Week 2026: 50 Years of Deadly
05 July 2026NAIDOC Week (5–12 July 2026) has begun, with this year’s theme, 50 Years of Deadly, marking five decades of celebrating the histories, cultures and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
For Brisbane North PHN, this milestone is also a reminder of our responsibility to support culturally safe primary care and strengthen relationships with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities across our region.
As outlined in our Reflect Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) 2025-2026, our vision for reconciliation is to ensure Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples within our region experience high quality, culturally informed primary care services that are respectful, responsive and designed to achieve the best possible health and wellbeing outcomes for individuals and their families.
Greeting you as you enter our office is the PHN’s commissioned RAP artwork, Flowing Knowledge, Healing Country by artist Riki Salam. The artwork reflects the relationships, knowledge-sharing and connection to Country needed to support culturally safe health networks and places of practice.
Through symbols of water, meeting places and cultural knowledge, the artwork honours the continuing strength of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. It also reflects Brisbane North PHN’s role as a meeting place for health knowledge connected to Country, and reinforces our reconciliation priorities of respect, relationships and opportunities.
Riki describes water as representing both the river systems of the North Brisbane and Moreton Bay region and the stories and knowledge that connect people, land and law.
At the centre of the artwork is Brisbane North PHN, shown as a meeting place for health knowledge connected to Country, with surrounding symbols representing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and knowledge, relationships and opportunities.
Further embedding and celebrating First Nations culture in the PHN office, the PHN engaged Turrbal Dippil to develop a series of names in language for meeting rooms and gathering spaces, which were recently revealed in a blessing ceremony by Turrbal woman Refiti Tovi. Read the full story on the PHN Talk blog.
This NAIDOC Week, Brisbane North PHN proudly recognises 50 years of celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and achievements. We remain committed to strengthening respectful relationships, listening to community voices and supporting culturally informed primary care across our region.
Learn more about our work in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander healthcare on our website.
Find NAIDOC Week celebrations in your area to get involved.
