09/07/2026
🔴🟡⚫ NAIDOC Week 2026 "50 Years of Deadly"
We’re taking a moment to acknowledge and celebrate the Traditional Owners of the Whitsundays. The Ngaro people, known as the "canoe people," along with the Gia peoples whose Country spans this stunning stretch of coast and islands.
🌊 A living connection stretching back millennia
Archaeological evidence shows continuous Ngaro occupation of the Whitsundays for at least 9,000 years, with their territory once stretching from St Bees Island to Hayman Island and across to the mainland near Cape Conway. Sites like the caves at Nara Inlet on Hook Island and the old stone quarry on South Molle Island still hold traces of that deep history today, forming part of the Ngaro Sea Trail.
🐢 Stories held by Elders
Knowledge of this Country has been carried forward by Ngaro Elders through generations. Spaning the Dreaming stories, the seasonal reef journeys and the songlines connecting islands to sea. Their persistence in keeping culture alive is exactly what this year's national theme honours.
💙 How to get involved in the Whitsundays
Walk a section of the Ngaro Sea Trail, visit the cultural site at Nara Inlet, support Ngaro-led tourism and cultural experiences, or simply take the time to yarn with local Traditional Owners and learn Country's real story.
We acknowledge the Ngaro and Gia peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the land and sea of the Whitsundays, and pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging.
