National Close the Gap Day (AU)

National Close the Gap Day, every third Thursday in March, has been an important date in Australia since it began in 2007. It started at the Sydney Olympic Stadium, where Aussie Olympic stars Cathy Freeman and Ian Thorpe stepped up to shine a light on the shocking health and life expectancy gap between the indigenous and the non-indigenous communities in Australia. The sad truth is that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples still live, on average, 10-11 years less than non-Indigenous Australians. And that has to change.


Over the years, this day has turned into a nationwide movement. Schools, businesses, community groups, you name it, everyone’s getting involved. But there’s much work to be done. Despite various initiatives, recent data shows that only four out of the campaign’s nineteen focus areas are on course to hit targets by 2031. A reminder that the journey towards equality is far from over.


Relevant Hashtags: #CloseTheGapDay


Learn More: closethegap.org.au