NAIDOC Week 50th anniversary celebrations of NAIDOC Week have kicked off in Geraldton, with the milestone marked with a cake-cutting and flag-raising ceremony on Monday.

This year’s NAIDOC Week theme is 50 Years of Deadly, and on Monday the local community gathered at Geraldton Regional Aboriginal Medical Service in Rangeway for a morning tea and welcoming ceremony.

As people made their way onto the lawn, speeches began, followed by the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander flags being raised.

There was a formal cake cutting of the NAIDOC Week cake, and everyone then went inside for morning tea.

GRAMS executive manager Erin Mongoo said the flag raising and cake cutting was the service’s main annual event as well.

“ This year I’m just amazed at this beautiful weather... For 50 years of Deadly we honour those who come before us by continuing the work they began through their stories and celebration and into the future,” she said.

“The last couple of years, we’ve partnered with the City of Greater Geraldton to do it... and they have been able to come here to GRAMS.”

City of Greater Geraldton mayor Jerry Clune was pardoned for his attendance, as he was at a citizenship ceremony. Instead, the council was represented by deputy mayor Natasha Colliver.

Tyra Moocher, who attended the event, said that to her “NAIDOC Week is about pride”.

Fellow attendee Kaitland Kelly believed that celebrating NAIDOC Week was about “just coming together with the community and celebrating our culture together and with non-Indigenous people”.

“Five decades of celebrating our culture is a big milestone for our people,” she said.

Attendees of all ages were welcomed, with many young families joining in the celebrations.

GRAMS launched their NAIDOC Week celebrations on Sunday, with an opening concert at Queen’s Park Theatre.

GRAMS is hosting three more events during the week — a basketball tournament, a big breakfast and the Mayu ball — to celebrate five decades of NAIDOC Week.

The Justice and Community Network Committee is hosting a community event at Edith Cowan Square on Friday, July 10.