SHIRT, POLO - CITY OF ARMADALE, CELEBRATING NAIDOC WEEK
c. 2024Short sleeve polo shirts. Mostly blue with Aboriginal art. Collar is navy. Three transparent buttons. Triangle, square, circle and wave patterns in purple, pink, and light blue. A hand is painted diagonally above and below in purple with numerous circular patterns in red and orange in between. Hand from diagonally above is positioned over the heart, text [CITY OF ARMADALE] on it and bears the mark of the city of Armadale. There is a black circle painted in the upper right corner that text [CELEBRATING NAIDOC WEEK], and human figures in white, dots in red, yellow, green, and blue. The back is the same pattern. A picture of a dog is painted on the inside near the collar and text [MAD DOG/PLOMOTIONS/SIZE 4XL/100% POLYESTER].
This shirt was produced by the City of Armadale for staff to wear for National Aboriginal and Islanders Day Observance Committee NAIDOC (7-14 July) in 2024. The shirt was designed by Seville Grove artist Caitlin Schnaars who wan a competition run by the City of young Aboriginal artists to submit a design for the shirt. The artist were asked to respond to that years NAIDOC theme 'Keep the fire burning! Blak, Loud and Proud.' Caitlin's artwork was also inspired by her '..close relationship with my grandfather throughout my life, his unwavering strength to get through whatever life threw at him while also being a father figure to myself and my sister. This is a celebration to the culture I inherited from him and I am proud to be his granddaughter, I will keep the fire burning I promise. The background represents the things I love about Armadale, the hills that I stare at while daydreaming as a passenger in the car, Minnawarra park and the many other creeks that my mum would take us to as kids for a day out, and the community of Armadale itself as its where I've lived for most of my life. I hope you enjoy my artwork and the meaning behind it'
The shirt continues to be worn by staff as part of their uniform.
The City of Armadale has made a special effort to acknowledge and celebrate NAIDOC week since 11 July 2001 when it held its first official NAIDOC Day event.
In 2024 the City implemented its first Reconciliation action plan.
NAIDOC can trace its origins back to Aboriginal rights groups in the 1920s and 30s who boycotted Australia Day in protest of the treatment and status of Indigenous Australians. These organisations included the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association and the Australian Aboriginal League.
Between 1940 and 1955 a Day of Morning, also known as Aboriginal Day, was annually held on January 25. In 1955 it was shifted to the first Sunday in July when it was decided the day should not only be one of protest but also celebration of the diversity of Aboriginal culture across the nation.
Following the creation of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in 1972 in response to the 1967 Referendum to recognise Indigenous Australians as full and equal citizens, the first NADOC composed entirely of Aboriginal members was formed in 1974. In 1975 NAIDOC went from a day to a week long event in July.
In 1991 NADOC was expanded to include Torres Strait Islander peoples and became NAIDOC.
Details
Details
The City of Armadale NAIDOC staff shirt produced in 2024 is of local historic, social, and aesthetic significance. Created for staff to wear during NAIDOC Week (7–14 July 2024), the shirt is a tangible expression of the City’s long-standing commitment to acknowledging and celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, a commitment it has maintained since hosting its first official NAIDOC Day event on 11 July 2001.
City of Armadale - History House
City of Armadale - History House
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