8 ways to connect with First Nations cultures and communities

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.

Credit: Chris Southwood/City of Sydney

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.

Credit: Abril Felman/City of Sydney

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.

Credit: Abril Felman/City of Sydney

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.

Credit: Karen Flood/City of Sydney

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.

Credit: Daniel Boud/Bangarra Dance Theatre

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 showcases 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.

Credit: Sydney Film Festival

Explore 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.

Credit: Mythical Mashup: The Graphic Worlds of Brian Robinson/Vivid Sydney

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

Credit: Warwick Thornton/Australian Museum