Walk into International Towers and look up. Three large banners now hang between the lobby columns. The Australian National Flag, the Aboriginal Flag and the Torres Strait Islander Flag, displayed side by side at the heart of the building.
Together they tell a fuller story of who lives, works and gathers on this land. They are a daily, visible commitment from us - to acknowledge, to listen, and to keep walking the path of reconciliation long after the official week ends.
National Reconciliation Week runs 27 May to 3 June. NAIDOC Week follows in July. We're keeping the conversation going across both, and beyond.
What each flag means
The Australian National Flag
Three symbols on a blue field.
The Union Jack in the top corner reflects Australia's historical ties to the United Kingdom. The large white seven-pointed star below it is the Commonwealth Star, with one point for each of the six states and one for the territories. On the right, the five stars of the Southern Cross, a constellation visible across the southern sky and one of the oldest navigational markers known to the people of this land.
The Aboriginal Flag
Designed in 1971 by Luritja artist Harold Thomas. Three elements. No wasted space.
The top half is black. It represents the Aboriginal people of Australia.
The bottom half is red. It represents the red earth, the ochre used in ceremony, and the deep spiritual relationship Aboriginal people have with the land.
The yellow circle in the centre is the sun. Giver of life. Protector.
The Torres Strait Islander Flag
Designed in 1992 by the late Bernard Namok of Thursday Island. Every shape carries meaning.
The green panels at the top and bottom represent the land.
The blue panel in the middle represents the sea, central to Torres Strait Islander life, identity and trade.
The two thin black lines mark the Torres Strait Islander people themselves.
At the centre sits a white dhari, the traditional headdress worn in ceremony. Beneath it, a five-pointed white star. The star points represent the five major island groups of the Torres Strait, and the star itself is a symbol of navigation, a craft these seafaring communities have practised for thousands of years.
What this means for our community
Flags don't change history. People do.
Flying these three together is a small act with a clear message: every person who steps into International Towers is welcomed onto land that has been cared for, sung about and walked across for more than 65,000 years.
We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which our towers stand. We pay our respects to Elders past and present. And we recognise the continuing connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to country, culture and community.
This Reconciliation Week, and through NAIDOC Week in July, we invite our tenants, partners and visitors to stop in the lobby, look up, and take a moment with the three flags. Read what they mean. Talk about them. Bring your colleagues.
The flags will keep flying. The conversation should too.