NAIDOC Week 2025 Our Faces, Our Future, Our Mob.

Bathurst Regional Council presents Our Faces, Our Future, Our Mob: Portraits of strength, vision & legacy, an exhibition of portraits from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people across the Bathurst region, in celebration of NAIDOC Week 2025.

This year's National NAIDOC Week marks 50 years of the week-long celebrations, and the theme, The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy, celebrates achievements of the past and the bright future ahead.

In the Bathurst Region, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander young people have created portraits of themselves and others to tell stories, honour individuals and express identity.

In Aboriginal culture, the concept of portraiture goes beyond physical likeness. Identity is deeply connected to Country, kinship, dreaming stories and ancestral ties. Aboriginal artists often incorporate traditional symbols, like meeting places, pathways, and animal tracks - to tell personal and cultural stories with their portraits. Rather than focusing solely on appearance, these works reflect spirit, heritage and connection to land.

Council acknowledges that Our Faces, Our Future, Our Mob has been created on Wiradjuri Country by young people representing different home lands.

For more information, please contact: Council's Community Development Team on 02 6333 6523