Celebrate NAIDOC Week with free tickets to the Vixens First Nations Round
From Sunday 6 to Sunday 13 July, we celebrate NAIDOC Week 2025 under the powerful theme: The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy. This year’s theme recognises 50 years of honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices, culture and resilience. It reflects on the roots of the NAIDOC movement, which began with the fight for justice and self-determination, and celebrates the future being shaped by young Indigenous leaders empowered by ancestral strength and community vision.
In a meaningful alignment, 2025 also marks 50 years of Deakin University. Since our founding in 1974, we’ve championed access to education, tackled real-world challenges through research, and built enduring partnerships with local and global communities. Our legacy is one of service, inclusion and impact – shaped by the people and stories that have driven us forward.
NAIDOC Week at Deakin brings these journeys together. It’s a celebration of culture, connection and community-led vision – and an open invitation to students, staff and alumni to take part, learn and be inspired.
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Dress design artist: Wiradjuri woman Miah Pearce
Photographer: Benny Clark (Gunai/Kurnai, Djabwurrung)
Join us on campus and online to celebrate NAIDOC Week
Across our campuses, there’s a lineup of events designed to inspire reflection, creativity and connection. You might find yourself exploring cultural storytelling through art, joining a Welcome to Country, meeting at a community yarn, or contributing to a new mural. Regardless of the land you are on, there are ways for everyone to connect and celebrate.
Visit our NAIDOC Week webpage to discover what’s happening near you.
Join us as we celebrate the strength, vision and legacy of Indigenous communities. Follow #NAIDOC2025, #NAIDOCWeek, #StrengthVisionLegacy and #Deakin50 on social media to stay connected.
Win tickets to the Melbourne Vixen’s First Nations Rounds
To kick off the NAIDOC celebrations, we’re excited to announce a special giveaway: 5 x double-passes to the Melbourne Vixens’ First Nations Round on Sunday 6 July!
The match will be held from 2pm at John Cain Arena on Wurundjeri Country. The Vixens will take on the Queensland Firebirds in a match that celebrates culture, community and connection.
This match will also be the second time the Vixens wear their powerful 2025 First Nations Round dress, designed by artist and proud Wiradjuri woman Miah Pearce.
Miah’s artwork features symbolic gathering places representing the seven players on court, the wider team, and their support networks. Animal tracks trace the team’s journey, while a lone gathering place in the corner nods to the 2024 season, its triumphs and challenges, as part of the larger story.
Designing this artwork has been one of the most significant milestones in my journey as an artist, Miah shares. It weaves my culture, my community and my love for netball into one.
To enter for your chance to win tickets to the game, simply fill out the form below with your details. Make sure to review the Terms and Conditions before submitting your entry.
Update: 4 July 2025
Congratulations to our winners below! You will receive an email to your Deakin email address with your tickets enclosed. We hope you enjoy the game!
Emma Jager-Willey, Jasmine Baird, Layla Thom, Maryanne Bell and Nirvana Kanengoni.