2026 National NAIDOC Week
- Bass Coast Shire Council
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Bass Coast Celebrates 50 Years of Deadly
For thousands of years, the land on which our arts and cultural venues stand, have been a place of gathering and belonging. The Bunurong people would meet on these lands and gather, create and share stories. Our venues aim to pay respect to and carry on this legacy by embracing and celebrating the culture of Australia’s First Peoples.
National NAIDOC Week celebrates the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Opening up an opportunity for all Australians to learn about First Nations cultures, recognise their resilience, and participate in celebrations of the oldest continuous living cultures.
Get involved by attending local First Nations events, engaging with the annual theme '50 years of deadly', and learning about the Traditional Custodians of our local area, the Bunurong Peoples.
Aboriginal Comedy Allstars
Saturday, 27 June | 7:30pm
Berninneit, Cowes
Starring Australia’s premier First Nations comedians Elaine Crombie, Janty Blair, Jay Wymarra, Kevin Kropinyeri & Sean Choolburra. With sell-out seasons and 5 star reviews in the UK, Adelaide, Melbourne, Brisbane and beyond, the Allstars bring huge belly laughs from the heart of the wide brown land.
🖤❤️💛 MobTix Available🖤❤️💛
Emma Donovan
with special guest Fonzie
Sunday, 12 July | 6:30pm
Berninneit, Cowes
A founding member of Stiff Gins and a formidable solo artist, First Nations singer Emma Donovan is one of Australia's most beloved voices. Born into the renowned Donovan musical family, Emma has spent a lifetime grounding her music in soul, country, lineage and storytelling. Her performance at Berninneit promises to be intimate, powerful and unforgettable.
Joined by special guest Fonzie, local Gunai singer and former Triple J Unearthed.
🖤❤️💛 MobTix Available🖤❤️💛
'Timelines'
Helen S. Tiernan
23 May - 12 July
Berninneit Art Gallery, Cowes
Berninneit is pleased to present this exhibition of major new work and select pieces drawing on over twenty years’ practice by accomplished artist Helen S. Tiernan.
‘Timelines’ presents new paintings of whales and sea Country, and chronicles of exploration and evolutionary deep time. Alongside this, the exhibition features some of Tiernan’s breakthrough 'Songlines' paintings from 2004, which depicted her research into life for Aboriginal women and children in the Lake Tyres Mission.
Helen was awarded the Aboriginal Artist of the Year, Canberra & District NAIDOC Award in 2004. Tiernan has exhibited throughout Australia and internationally, and her work is in numerous private and public collections, including the National Maritime Museum, Parliament House, Canberra, and the National Museum of Australia. Her work is represented by Lauraine Diggins Fine Art.
The School of Fish:
Helen S. Tiernan Publication Launch & Artist Talk
Saturday, 13 June | 2pm - 4pm | FREE
Berninneit, Cowes
Berninneit Art Gallery is proud to launch a new exhibition catalogue to celebrate ‘Timelines’, featuring documentation of Tiernan’s work, and essays by Rosemary Forde and Colin McHenry.
Join us for a convivial conversation around Helen S. Tiernan’s stunning exhibition. Hear from the artist, curator Rosemary Forde, and scientist Colin McHenry, as they discuss Tiernan’s exhibition from different perspectives – including the artist’s process, her place in art history, and the evolutionary science and stories informing her work.
'Imagine' Film screening & Yarn
Wednesday, 1 July | 12:30pm
The Union Theatre, Wonthaggi
Presented by Bass Coast Shire Council and ReGen, Imagine is an 80-minute Indigenous-led animated feature film and the first film in the world to give its IP and profits back to nature. Co-created by over 400 people during the 2020 pandemic, including Indigenous youth, elders, remote communities and storytellers from around the world, this is a story for our moment. Stay for a community yarn after the screening.
12:30pm | Smoking Ceremony & Welcome to Country at Apex Park
1:30pm | Imagine film screening at The Union Theatre, Wonthaggi
2026 Ngangga Festival at Berninneit
Saturday 11 July | 10:00am - 3:00pm | FREE
The Bass Coast Reconciliation Network invite all community to attend Ngangga Festival for NAIDOC 2026. The one-day festival will open at 10am at Berninneit, with a Welcome to Country and Smoking Ceremony lead by the Bunurong Land Council. The Ngangga markets, cultural activities and live music will follow from 11am - 3pm.
Bass Coast Cultural venues with Bass Coast Shire Council acknowledge the Bunurong as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands and waters, and pays respect to their Elders past, present and emerging - for they hold the memories, the traditions, the culture and Lore. Bass Coast Shire Council celebrates the opportunity to embrace and empower the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Communities in their diversity.
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