On July 1 we celebrate our Elders birthday.
Affectionately known as the “Old People’s Birthday”, July 1 was the date allocated to many Aboriginal & Torrens Strait Islander people who did not have official records of their birth in the 20th century.
It was decided more than 30 years ago that the first day of July would be a collective birthday for many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People living On Country who would go into town and needed support. Healthcare workers needed a birthday to put on the forms and so the date was chosen and has been used ever since.
We honour and respect our Elders each and every day but take a moment on this special day each year in our communities to celebrate locals’ culture and honour elders, including those who have passed.
Last year we were fortunate to collaborate with our community partner, Yulella Aboriginal Corporation in Meekatharra, the team from Outback Tracks and Chocolate Starfish frontman Adam Thompson to create a music video to showcase the strength, resilience and stability of Our Elders as part of NAIDOC celebrations and we’d love to share it again to celebrate our Elders birthday!
You can watch the music video here: