The free Ngarrama event, celebrating Indigenous culture, returned to Newcastle's King Edward Park on January 25 for its fifth year. The event invited attendees to listen, reflect, and celebrate the cultures, stories, and knowledges that have shaped the region for tens of thousands of years.
Hosted by the University of Newcastle on Awabakal and Worimi country, Ngarrama translates to "sit, listen and know" in a number of local Aboriginal languages. Bandjin woman and University of Newcastle acting pro vice-chancellor of Indigenous strategy and leadership, Loren Collyer, said it was exciting to welcome old and new friends to the 2026 event.
"We are incredibly proud to be spearheading what is proving to be culture-shifting engagement in our beloved community," she said. "This night is about sovereignty and also togetherness and our shared history, and it becomes clearer each year that there is a growing appetite for events like this for the whole family."
The Ngarrama 2026 program included a welcome to country, traditional dance and musical performances, storytelling, and knowledge-sharing. Children were invited to join a lantern parade led by local theatre and puppetry company Curious Legends.
Councillor Deahnna Richardson, proud Wiradjuri woman and co-chairperson of City of Newcastle's Guraki Standing Committee, said it was an opportunity for the community to reflect on traditional life in Mooloobinba before 1788 and the journey towards reconciliation. "Ngarrama celebrates the richness and resilience of First Nations culture, in particular the Awabakal and Worimi people, the traditional custodians of the land upon which Newcastle now stands," she said.
