Ayers Rock Resort will mark National Reconciliation Week 2025 from 27 May to 3 June with a deeply considered and immersive week-long program of art, storytelling, film and ceremony, all centred around truth-telling and connection to Country.
Set against the backdrop of Uluru, the program includes the unveiling of newly developed Guest Protocols, created by the Yankunytjatjara and Pitjantjatjara Traditional Owners, the Anangu.
These simple guidelines, co-created with the Anangu Advisory Group, offer a meaningful roadmap for guests to respectfully engage with the region’s culture, people, and stories.
They include:
- Walk gently on Ngura (Country): Respect sacred sites, stay on tracks
- Support Waltja (Family): Engage with Aboriginal-run art centres
- Speak Wangka (Language): Use simple Pitjantjatjara or Yankunytjatjara phrases like “Palya”
- Listen to Tjukurpa (Stories & Law): Participate in storytelling experiences like Wintjiri Wiru
- Celebrate Inma (Ceremony): Attend performances that showcase living culture
The 2025 Reconciliation Week theme, “Bridging Now to Next”, highlights the connection between past, present and future and calls on all Australians to walk together toward a more unified future. The programming at Ayers Rock Resort reflects this with opportunities to listen, learn and experience living Anangu traditions.
The Road to Punu exhibition
The Road to Punu exhibition at the Gallery of Central Australia (GoCA), opening Tuesday, 27 May, is the centrepiece of the week. The exhibition celebrates 40 years of Maruku Arts and features intricate wood carvings (pun) from artists across Central Australia and the Western Desert.
A live carving demonstration on Friday, 30 May, will feature renowned artists Billy and Lulu Cooley and their daughter Marlene, who will share punu techniques and the stories embedded in their work.
Indigenous films at Arkani Theatre
From 28 May, the Resort’s Arkani Theatre will host a free Indigenous film program. The program will start with the short documentary Punu, followed by a curated selection of influential films, including The Final Quarter, Bran Nue Dae, Ten Canoes, and Sweet As
On National Sorry Day, 26 May, a special screening of Apology to the Stolen Generations will honour the survivors of the Stolen Generations. On Mabo Day, 3 June, a screening of Mabo will commemorate the 1992 High Court decision recognising Indigenous land rights.
Interactive displays throughout the Resort’s Town Square will share key milestones in Australia’s reconciliation journey, encouraging guests to reflect on shared history and engage with Anangu perspectives.
Guests are also invited to the Kulata Academy Café, staffed by trainees from the National Indigenous Training Academy. Here, over coffee and conversation, the spirit of reconciliation lives in everyday moments and shared learning.
For the full event schedule and bookings, click here.
