NAIDOC week march and flag raising ceremony 2022 at Emerald.

NAIDOC week celebrations began in Emerald on Monday with a march and flag raising ceremony organised by Central Queensland Indigenous Development. Find out what else is planned throughout the week.

NAIDOC week celebrations began in Emerald on Monday with a march and flag raising ceremony organised by Central Queensland Indigenous Development (CQID).

CQID regional manager Nadine Payne, who arranged the march, flag raising ceremony, and elders morning tea, didn’t let the rain stop the march or flag raising, because she hopes to make the event an annual occurrence, and thought rescheduling or rearranging it would cause people who expressed interest to lose interest.

The march began at the Lion’s Park in Ruby Street, Emerald about 9.30am and ended at the Town Hall in Egerton Street about 9.45am.

“We’re trying to make it an annual event, where we’re starting here and going around to the council for the flag raising, ceremony, and the elder’s morning tea that they put on,” Ms Payne said.

“And they do that at the start of every NAIDOC week.

“We’re just trying to get more community involved with NAIDOC week, and celebrating culture, and how beautiful the first nation’s people’s culture is of this country.”

Many mobs was being held on Tuesday at Windmill Park and Ms Payne explained the name for the event comes from the fact that it is about all the different cultures coming together as one to celebrate.

Ms Payne said roughly 500 people were expected to turn out, which was more than the number of people that attended last year’s march.

Other NAIDOC week events at Emerald this week include traditional fire making skills, traditional spear making and throwing, arts and crafts and sensory play for the children.

Ms Payne wasn’t sure how many people attended this year’s march but she did say there was a large number of people who expressed interest in it.

This year was the first year that the roads were closed so that march could take place on them and not the foot paths, which had been issue for some of the community members previously.