Celebrate NAIDOC week at the library during the school holidays

Published on 19 June 2026

Mansfield Library has announced a raft of activities to celebrate NAIDOC Week’s 50-year anniversary over the winter school holidays.

A fortnight filled with fun educational activities that celebrate First Nations culture will include painting with ochre guided by a Taungurung elder, snake-painting inspired by a traditional Taungurung story and a First Nations inspired story time.

Mayor Cr Steve Rabie is pleased Council’s Library is a place for families to access education and entertainment over the school holidays.

“We recognise the need to provide young children in Mansfield Shire somewhere to go over the school holidays,” he said.

“The team at the library, with the help of the Friends of the Mansfield Library, always do an excellent job putting on a range of fun, educational activities.”

“They create a warm and welcoming environment at the Mansfield Library and that enhances a pathway to literacy for our shire’s next generation. In a digital world, that’s a worthwhile cause.”

“I encourage everyone with young children to bring their children to the library over the school holidays to take part in this exciting program”

The program, designed to help participants develop an understanding of the cultural heritage of First Nations people, includes the following activities:

Snake stories: listen to First Nation stories about snakes, learn about local snakes, then decorate a kinetic wooden snake toy.

Prep – Grade 6: 11am Thursday 2 July.

Ochre painting: join Taungurung Elder Aunty Angela ten Buuren as she teaches kids to paint with ochre.

Prep – Grade 6: 2pm Monday 6 July.

First Nation story time: join Miranda as she reads stories written and illustrated by Aboriginal authors and illustrators.

4yo kinder – Grade 3: 11am Thursday 9 July.

Bag tag shrinkies design workshop: decorate a bag tag shrinkie with an Aboriginal design then watch your creation shrink before your eyes in the oven. 11am Friday 10 July.

Visit the Library anytime over the winter school holidays to make your own set of Aboriginal clay symbols or create a collage with beautifully designed craft paper.

For more information drop into the library at 2 Collopy Street Mansfield, call 5775 8621 or check out the MansfieldLibraryVictoria Facebook page.