Posing for photographer Joseph Mayers on Oxford Street in Sydney, Queen Felicia Foxx is painted-up, donning knee-high red boots, a lap lap and g-string for the Sydney Mardi Gras parade.

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• FIRST Nations Mob turned out in numbers – and lots of glitter, feathers and other sparkly things – at the recent Mardi Gras parade in Sydney. With the theme, Free to Be, the members of the LGBTQI community, their allies and Elders made their way down Oxford Street, soaking in the appreciative claps and waves from the thousands lining the street. See photographer JOSEPH MAYERS’ spread of images from the march, pages 28-29, and read his response to online outrage, page 3.

• DELEGATES travelled from across the state recently to have their voices heard at the NSW Aboriginal Languages Gathering 2025. With the theme, Let our voices fly, the 3-day event celebrated the power and resilience of Aboriginal languages.

• ABORIGINAL and Torres Strait islanders living in Townsville were scared, prayed, and even thought a bomb exploded or a vehicle had crashed into their homes when a magnitude 4.4 earthquake occurred.

• THE NSW Government has partnered with Aboriginal women to create a multi-media campaign to boost breast screening rates. The campaign encourages Aboriginal women to prioritise having a breast screen every two years from age 40.

• IN SPORT:  Australia’s domestic summer in the one-day 50-over format concluded over the first weekend in March, Saturday and Sunday 1-2. Three elite Indigenous cricketers, Anika Learoyd and Hannah Darlington for NSW, along with Brendan Doggett with South Australia, secured championship medals, page 47.

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Bardi Jawi Rangers looking at the damage on the reefs off One Arm Point, Dampier Peninsula, WA. Picture: AAP Image/Supplied by Gabrielle Timmins, The Kimberley Land Council

‘Like a warm bath’: coral reefs rocked by heatwave

Saturday, 15 March 2025 8:43 pm

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The Kimberley coast, one of the most intact tropical marine environments on earth, is now under threat from “unprecedented” coral bleaching.

“Rangers that have been with us for a number of decades now are saying this is the worst they have ever seen,” Kimberley Land Council chief executive officer and Bardi man Tyronne Garstone said. “Scientifically, we are ahead of the curve of getting to 1.5C hotter and we’re potentially seeing some of those impacts.”

Kimberley reefs have been rocked by a severe marine heatwave causing coral bleaching – a sign of stress, but not necessarily…

Kayla Baksh of the Wulumbarra dance group performs at a previous Ngarra Jarra Noun.

An event to heal and connect

Saturday, 15 March 2025 8:32 pm

AN event to pay tribute to families and communities affected by Aboriginal deaths in custody will be held for the third time in Naarm (Melbourne) next month.

Presented by the Indigenous Sports Network, in partnership with the Dhadjowa Foundation, the Ngarra Jarra Noun – Healing Ceremony will be held at Victoria Park on Sunday, April 13, from 12pm.

Featuring a powerhouse headlining performance from renowned Indigenous rapper Briggs and supported by talented local acts, including Crooked TP, MPath Soul, Jayden Lillyst, and Aaron Morgan, Ngarra Jarra Noun will also feature healing ceremonies...

An image of Felicia Foxx and another performer at Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras outfit causes outrage

Saturday, 15 March 2025 6:15 pm

A FIRST Nations photographer who NSW snapped a photo of a drag queen dressed as a ‘strong, black, queer warrior’ at the recent Sydney Mardi Gras says he was disgusted and embarrassed by the reaction the image received online from parts of Australia.

In the photo, Felicia Foxx, aka Wendell French, a well-known Oxford Street drag queen, wore a red lap lap over a red g-string, and red leather thigh-high boots and was covered in…

The Freedom Riders marked the 60th anniversary of their tour of regional NSW to shed light on racism.

Reflecting on the Freedom Ride’s legacy, 60 years on

Saturday, 15 March 2025 6:14 pm

IN 1965 a bus filled with students arrived at the University of Sydney. They were returning from a two-week journey through regional NSW, drawing attention to racism in towns where Aboriginal people were barred from swimming pools, cinemas, pubs and RSL clubs.

Inspired by the civil rights movement in the United States, the Freedom Ride was led by activist Charles Perkins. Gary Williams started at the University of Sydney in 1963, alongside Mr Perkins, forming the Student Action for Aborigines collective, which then formed the idea of the Freedom Ride.

They were the first Aboriginal students to…

Thomas Warria celebrates his debut pro win.

Warria turns pro with resounding TKO decision

Saturday, 15 March 2025 6:12 pm

POWER-PUNCHING Torres Strait Islander Thomas Warria fulfilled a long-term dream to become a professional boxer and won his debut bout in Townsville on February 15.

The only other pro bout was a curtain-raiser before the main event in which Palm Island boxer Patrick Clarke lost a close decision on points to Moranbah’s Charlie Bell.

A big crowd packed into Townsville Quayside Terminal beside Ross Creek for the popular Battle at the Port pro-am tournament. It featured the two professional bouts and 13 amateur fights on the packed card. Thomas defeated Bundaberg’s Ricky Bowles-Brown by a third-round TKO decision in the main event, the heavyweight division.

The bout was scheduled over four/three-minute rounds, and the referee ended it when…

Tesharna Maher will be lining up with the Central District Bulldogs this year.

Recruiting coup by Bulldogs

Saturday, 15 March 2025 6:11 pm

It could be argued that lightning-quick Tesharna Maher comes from Indigenous footballer royalty.

There is certainly strong Aussie Rules heritage in the clan, as Mum, Bronwyn, played in that first AFL Women’s match for Melbourne against the Western Bulldogs back in 2013 at the MCG, while Dad, Kelvin, played a couple of years of SANFL league football with Glenelg and a star in the Northern Territory.

Uncles Aaron and Alwyn “Froggy” Davey played both SANFL and AFL football, while her cousin Alwyn Junior is currently entering his third season with the Essendon Bombers.

In a major boost to their midfield stocks, Maher is about to begin her first season with the Central District Bulldogs.

Still just 23 years old (she turns 24 in November), she has been secured by…