9 Jul 2018: Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and CPA Australia staff came together today to celebrate NAIDOC week at the CAANZ Sydney office.

The event was kicked off by musician Brendan Kerin playing the Yidaki (Didgeridoo) and was followed by a Welcome to Country by Uncle Michael West, who is a Cultural Representative of the Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council and owner of Guwaali. Guwaali is a consultancy for reconciliation and social inclusion through understanding, appreciating and incorporating diversity.

Speakers included Matt Lancaster, Indigenous Accountants Australia (IAA) Relationship Manager, and Holly Martin, Relationship Manager – Education Development at CPA Australia.

David Breust Chief Marketing Officer, CAANZ and David Jenkins, General Manager NSW, CPA Australia spoke on behalf of the two professional accounting bodies. Both reaffirmed their support for the IAA initiative and to improving pathways to welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders into the finance and accounting professions.

There was also a special video presentation featuring Sarah Richards CPA that explores the motivations that drive her career in accounting and her artwork.

Sarah generously donated for raffle a striking and beautiful original artwork in support of this year’s NAIDOC Week theme, ‘Because of Her, We Can’ – with all funds raised to be donated to Girls Academy.

Girls Academy works within the school system to provide support for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander girls to help them complete their education and reach their full potential. This year the Girls Academy is sending 110 young Indigenous women to Canberra for NAIDOC Week.

The function closed with staff enjoying a fabulous bush tucker lunch that included emu skewers, crocodile quiches and damper with quongdong jam.