Sunday 19 June 2022 11:58 PM Aboriginal flag to fly on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge everyday trends now
The Aboriginal flag will be permanently flown atop Sydney Harbour Bridge by the end of the year following a five-year-long grassroots campaign.
Kamilaroi woman Cheree Toka led the push to give the flag a prime position on Sydney Harbour for 365 days each year by organising successful petitions and fundraising $300,000 towards the cost.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet this week committed another $25million for construction work on the bridge to install the third flagpole ahead of the state's budget announcement on Tuesday.
Mr Perrottet said flying the flag alongside the Australian and NSW state flags is an important gesture towards Closing the Gap and addressing inequality.
The Aboriginal flag will be permanently flown atop Sydney Harbor Bridge after previously being flown only on special occasions such as Australia Day and NAIDOC week (pictured)
Indigenous activist Cheree Toka (pictured) has been fighting for three years to have the Aboriginal flag flown permanently on Sydney's Harbour Bridge and was thrilled with the funding announcement
'Our Indigenous history should be celebrated and acknowledged so young Australians understand the rich and enduring culture that we have here with our past,' Mr Perrottet said in his pre-budget statement on Sunday.
'Installing the Aboriginal flag permanently on the Sydney Harbour Bridge will do just that and is a continuation of the healing process as part of the broader move towards reconciliation.'
The flagpoles are about 20 metres high, the same as a six-storey building, while the flags require an attachment strong enough to withstand all weather conditions.
Transport for NSW and Aboriginal Affairs will engage with key stakeholders about the project.
NSW Treasurer Matt Kean (left) and Premier Dominic Perrottet (right) have made some pre-Budget funding announcements on Sunday
Mr Perrottet had previously committed to giving the Aboriginal flag a place on the Harbour Bridge in February.
The funding, however, provides a guarantee it will be in place before next year after consultants initially said engineering and construction work could take up to two
