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PRE-ORDERS FOR THE NAIDOC T-SHIRT ARE CLOSED!

The only way to grab yourself an exclusive Wathaurong NAIDOC Tee now is to come to our Flag Raising event on Monday 7th July, from 11am  – 2pm at 62 Morgan Street, North Geelong.

Our 2025 Wathaurong NAIDOC t-shirt is here! This year’s design is by young Gulidjan artist and local community member, Ollie Hickey, and is titled “Pakarr (In the Middle)”.

The design is based on this year’s NAIDOC theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy”.

When describing his illustration, Ollie said, “Pakarr is about growing up in the middle, in a town that has Wadawurrung Country to the east where the sun rises and my Gulidjan Country to the west where the sun sets. I cross the Barwon River every day, multiple times the blue in the image represents the waters I cross and communities we live in, this water flows from Barramunga in Gadubanud Country all the way to the Ocean at Barwon Heads and connects us all. The red represents the Volcanic Plains shared across the region and the ways the old people used the landscapes to care for us and lay foundations for caring for future generations like me. The orange is to remind me of having somewhere to belong in those mountains and plains as taroo the moon rises and our moietie cockatoo’s ngayook and ponponpooramook sing us to sleep in noisy ways every night.

This years NAIDOC theme is about Strength, Vision and Legacy and you can’t have any of that without Kin, Country and Community. this artwork is special for me because Gerard Black (Worimi Man & Colac Community) helped me make my story to digital art and taught me about framing, printing and then about exhibitions and commissions. Thank you to Wathaurong Co-op for helping me learn more about artwork and ways it can be used. Happy NAIDOC.”

You can pre-order your NAIDOC Week t-shirt now, with orders available to collect at our Flag Raising event on Monday 7th July (t-shirts may be available earlier, those who place a pre-order will be emailed when collection is available)

A limited amount of these t-shirts will be available as giveaways for mob during NAIDOC Week, but if you want to make sure you don’t miss out, the best way to get your hands on one is to purchase it in our pre-order!

Please note, while the artwork will be displayed prominently on the front of this black shirt, the t-shirt image provided is a mock up only, and the final version may differ from the product image. The artwork will not be changed, but other logos or wording may be added to the front or back of the shirt.