Visit our powerful public artwork ‘bara’
Aboriginal artist Judy Watson’s work represents a giant bara, or fishhook crafted and used by Gadigal women for thousands of generations.
Celebrating the First Peoples of Sydney, the traditional custodians of Gadigal Country, you can find the work on Tarpeian Precinct Lawn above Dubbagullee/Bennelong Point. Learn more about this stunning artwork on Sydney Harbour.
bara is part of the Eora Journey recognition in the public domain program.
Read books by First Nations voices
Join the library and get access to more than 2,000 titles in our Koori collection. From bush medicine and bush tucker to fiction and non-fiction with powerful truth-telling, the collection also spans astronomy, philosophy and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. Featuring works by leading First Nations writers such as Anita Heiss, Alexis Wright, Kim Scott, Tony Birch and Ellen van Neerven, there’s something in the collection for everyone.
Take a tour from one of these First Nations organisations
Dreamtime Southern is an Aboriginal-owned tourism business delivering walking tours through The Rocks and coach tours further afield, both focusing on living cultures and local landscapes. Tribal Warrior, an Aboriginal‑owned organisation based in Redfern, offers different themed harbour cruises, including cultural tours.
The Sydney Culture Walks app allows you to take self-guided walks. The Barani Redfern and Barani Sydney Cove/Warrane walks offer great learning experiences about Aboriginal stories in our city.
Attend a local event
Check out what’s on this National Reconciliation Week.
Our top picks:
Sing with Barayagal Choir
Thursday 28 May, 6:30pm to 7:30pm
Enjoy a special performance and then join the choir in a workshop where you'll learn and sing the Voices for Reconciliation 2026 anthem, ‘Beds Are Burning’ by Midnight Oil. People of all nationalities are welcome to attend and learn about First Nations culture, stories and songs.
ACON’s Deadly Trivia Night
Thursday 28 May, 6pm
Join a lively, quiz‑packed night of laughs, games and friendly competition hosted by Jinny‑Jane Smith and Matty Mills, with a special performance by EL BEAUTY – all supporting ACON’s First Nations Health Project.
Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation – National Sorry Day Event
Sunday 24 May, 10am to 2pm, Tarpeian Lawn
A meaningful commemoration honouring the Stolen Generations, led by the Coota Girls Aboriginal Corporation, creating space for remembrance, truth‑telling and reflection.
See a performance by Bangarra Dance Theatre
Australia’s leading Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performing arts company, Bangarra Dance Theatre, presents Sheltering at the Sydney Opera House.
Experience a powerful triple bill – Keeping Grounded, Brown Boys and Sheoak – linked by an intergenerational thread that honours Bangarra’s past while looking to the future, exploring identity, resilience and connection to Country through contemporary First Nations perspectives.
Watch First Nations films
The Sydney Film Festival kicks off on Wednesday 4 June with a program spotlighting powerful First Nations storytelling. Among this year’s highlights is Yumburra, a moving documentary grounded in truth-telling, memory and connection to Country, and Proper Loved Up: Shorts, a vibrant collection that celebrates love, identity and community through bold, contemporary voices. Together, these works offer audiences an intimate and diverse entry point into First Nations perspectives from across Australia.
You can also watch First Nations films free with your City of Sydney Library membership at Beamafilm.
Celebrate First Nations music & creativity at Vivid
Highlights include the Awesome Black Block Party, a free, all‑ages celebration of Blak music, culture and community at Carriageworks, transforming the space into a one‑night gathering of live performances and DJ sets.
At Darling Harbour, Sea Gathering: Myth & Modernity invites audiences to connect through art, storytelling and live music inspired by Torres Strait sea‑gathering traditions, led by acclaimed Torres Strait artist Brian Robinson.
The Vivid Live program features King Stingray, Zipporah & Mi-kaisha, and Jem Cassar-Daley, while Mulga Bore Hard Rock take the stage at Tumbalong Nights.
Visit museums to enjoy First Nations stories
This Reconciliation Week, the Museum of Sydney will begin a new 6-part talk series featuring First Nations visionaries who are lighting the way for future generations in diverse industries from video game design to global fashion.
The Australian Museum is hosting a free after-hours event featuring tours, live music, workshops and performances and a free showcase of First Nations cinema, featuring compelling stories of kinship, resilience and cultural legacy. They’ll also
This National Reconciliation Week calls for all Australians to commit wholeheartedly to reconciliation every single day. Guided by the 2026 theme ‘All In’, it reminds us that reconciliation is not a passive idea but an ongoing commitment that requires action, learning and shared responsibility.
There are so many ways for us to engage and connect with First Nations people, histories and cultures, and to understand how we can make an impact on reconciliation.
Learn more about local Aboriginal history and stories at the Sydney Barani website.
Check out all the events on What's On.