Rockhampton NAIDOC week baby show kicks off for 2022 | Photos

It was cuteness overload at this year’s Rock NAIDOC Baby Show, with dozens of entrants in this year’s event. SEE THE PHOTOS.

NAIDOC celebrations are in full swing across the region, with a multitude of events for the whole family.

On Tuesday it was the kids’ time to shine with the Rock NAIDOC Baby Show being held for babies and kids aged up to 12.

Despite the wet and cold weather, dozens of kids hit the stage at the Indoor Sports Arena for this year’s event.

NAIDOC chairperson Kristina Hatfield said about 50 people registered for the baby show online, with almost 30 more signing on that morning.

“We’re pretty happy with the turn out...it’s about everyone coming together,” she said.

“The NAIDOC Baby Show, it’s not about us getting out and putting our babies on display, it’s about the parents and their interaction with their kids.

“They dress them up in their cultural gear, come and connect with families, it’s just a gathering of mob because that’s what we do, we like to come together.”

Ms Hatfield said the judges would judge each group using different criteria.

For the smaller babies they were looking for their ability to acknowledge people, their smiles and waving.

With toddlers they were looking for things such as walking and movement, then the older children were asked questions.

This year’s NAIDOC theme is Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up and there are still plenty of events happening throughout the week to celebrate.

For Ms Hatfield, the theme to her was about the non-Indigenous community being their allies.

“We as aboriginal people, we get up, stand up, show up everyday,” she said.

“It’s about the non-Indigenous people in those communities, businesses and government departments, for them to start getting up, standing up and showing up for us, they need to be our allies, they need to be there supporting us and they need to be there addressing those issues.

“Whether it be deaths in custody, the injustice in remote communities or health, we need them to get up, stand up and show up for us.”

To find out what else is happening around Rockhampton for NAIDOC week, visit the Rock NAIDOC website.