NAIDOC Week 2019

Westfield living centres renamed Indigenous names for NAIDOC Week 2019

With more than 50 years of Westfield brand heritage within Australian communities, some of which represent the largest populations of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander populations in Australia, we recognise we have an important role to play in acknowledging and celebrating, engaging and educating our communities about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history, culture and achievements.

In July 2019, we acknowledged NAIDOC Week as a significant cultural moment for our Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities and celebrated with them across our Australian Westfield living centres, and at the same time encouraged the wider Australian community to join that celebration and gain a greater understanding about NAIDOC Week and all it represents.

The 2019 NAIDOC Week theme was:  VOICE. TREATY. TRUTH.

To showcase and pay respect to Indigenous voice and language, whilst acknowledging the truth of the land on which we all stand, as well as driving awareness of NAIDOC Week, every Australian Westfield living centre was temporarily renamed to their traditional name in the language of their local Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander communities.

For example, Westfield Parramatta became Westfield Burramatta, meaning “head of waters” or “the place where the eels lie down”. Westfield Tuggerah became Westfield Darkinjung, meaning “people of the mountain, people of the sea”.

The name changes were reflected across our digital platforms including our connected SmartScreen network, 36 Australian websites and social media platforms, where customers were able to learn more about the name origins of their centre.

In addition, each of the Westfield living centres hosted celebrations and activations aligned to their local community during NAIDOC Week itself. Celebrations ranged from in-centre welcome to country and didgeridoo performances, a visual language installation that spoke to the language and stories of Darug Country and its people at Westfield Parramatta, interactive traditional and contemporary dance workshops, and art workshops and traditional storytelling for kids.