Water Polo New South Wales acknowledges and pays respect to past, present and emerging Traditional Owners of the land, the Wann-gal people, where Water Polo NSW is based and also to the various Custodians of the lands across the water polo landscapes in NSW.

National Reconciliation Week 2022: 27 May - 3 June

#NRW2022 #BeBraveMakeChange

National Reconciliation Week was formalised in 1996 and occurs between 27th May and 3rd June each year. It’s a time for all Australians to learn about our shared histories, cultures, and achievements, and to explore how each of us can contribute to come together in recognising and supporting each other.

We all have a role to play when it comes to reconciliation, and Water Polo NSW is committed to collectively building relationships, our community, and values to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, histories, cultures, and futures.

Water Polo NSW would like to take this opportunity to recognise the 172 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members involved within our communities. These members stretch from the Far North Coast all the way down to the Illawarra and out through Dubbo and Albury and each and every one is a key part of making our sport as diverse and engaged as it is.

Through our local communities Water Polo NSW connected with Maurice Goolagong an Indigenous artist on the Central Coast to create a unique artwork. This artwork visualises the important connections Indigenous communities have to water, and the cultural significance of journeys taken by traditional custodians of our land to meeting places, where communities connect to and around waterways.

Maurice, a Wiradjuri man currently working as an Aboriginal education office with schools on the Central Coast, has created a truly special piece for our sport's community. Maurice in an AFL legend on the Central Coast, where he played as a full-forward for Woy Woy before moving to the Terrigal-Avoca club where he currently has the leading goal scorer award named in his honour. Maurice loved challenging himself to create a story that captures all the individual identities in our community and connecting us to the water, our sport and each other, regardless of background or heritage.

Reconciliation must live in the hearts, minds and actions of all Australians as we move forward, creating a nation strengthened by respectful relationships between the wider Australian community, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

Alex Godbold

WPNSW CEO