2026
First Nations Cal
January
1 Jan 1994 25 Jan 2014 26 Jan 1838 26 Jan 1938 26 Jan 1972 26 Jan 1988 26 Jan
2026
First Nations Calendar
To download: bit.ly/first-nations-calendar or scan the QR code
February
5 Feb 1972 12 Feb 1965 13 Feb 2008 14 Feb 2004 26 Feb 1968
March 19 Mar 21 Mar 21 Mar 1829
April 1 Apr 1897 5 Apr 1997 15 Apr 1991 17 Apr 1816
May 1 May 1838 1 May 1946 24 May 2020 26 May 1997 26 May 26 May 2017 27 May 1967 27 May – 3 Jun 28 May 2000 29 May 1992
June
Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) commenced Adam Goodes named Australian of the Year Waterloo Creek massacre (Kamilaroi people, NSW) William Cooper organises Day of Mourning Aboriginal Tent Embassy established in Canberra Bicentennial Protest – 40,000 march in Sydney Survival Day, Invasion Day, Australia Day, Yabun Festival
Tent Embassy Petition to Parliament Freedom Ride bus leaves Sydney Anniversary of the National Apology to the Stolen Generations TJ Hickey dies, sparking Redfern riots Lionel Rose wins World Bantamweight Title National Close the Gap Day (3rd Thursday of March) International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Aboriginal warrior Windradyn e dies (Bathurst, NSW) Aboriginal resistance leader Jandamarra killed (WA) Bringing them home report launched Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody final report Appin Massacre of men, women and children (Dharawal people) Slaughterhouse Creek massacre (Kamilaroi people) Anniversary of the Pilbara Strike
Destruction of Juukan Gorge rock shelters by Rio Tinto Bringing them home report tabled in Federal Parliament National Sorry Day Uluru Statement of the Heart issued Referendum on Indigenous recognition in the Australian constitutio n National Reconciliat ion Week Reconciliation Walk over Harbour Bridge (250,000 attend) Torres Strait Islander flag launched
July
1 Jul 2 Jul 1971 5-12 Jul 9 Jul 1971
endar
The Coming of the Light festival (Torres Strait Islands) Evonne Goolagong -Cawley wins Wimbledon NAIDOC Week 2026 Aboriginal flag first flown in Adelaide
August
4 Aug National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander 9 Aug Children’s Day International Day of the World’s Indigenous 14 & 28 Aug 1963 Peoples Yirrkala Bark Petitions presented to Parliament 14 Aug – 18 Oct 1928 Coniston Massacre on Warlpiri/Anmatyerr/Ka 15 Aug 1971 ytetye lands Neville Bonner becomes first Aboriginal person 16 Aug 1975 in Parliament Return of Gurindji land to the traditional owners 23 Aug 1966 (NT) Wave Hill Walk-Off (Gurindji Strike) 25 Aug 1994 Prime Minister Paul Keating officially recognises South Sea Islanders as a distinct cultural group.
September
2 Sep 13 Sep 2007
Indigenous Literacy Day Anniversary of the UN of Indigenous People Declaration on the Rights Indigenous activists and their allies persuaded a policy supporting equal pay for Aboriginal the ACTU to adopt Islander workers and Torres Strait Cathy Freeman wins gold in the 400m final Olympic Games. at the Sydney
16 Sep 1963 25 Sep 2000
October
14 Oct 2023 26 Oct 1985 28 Oct 1834 31 Oct 1975
Voice to Parliament referendum Uluru-Kata Tjuta title deeds returned to the Anangu people Pinjarra Massacre (WA) Proclamation of the Racial Discrimination Act
November
19 Nov 2004 28 Nov 2023
Cameron Doomadge e dies in custody (Palm Island) Senator Pat Dodson (“Father of Reconciliat retires from Parliament ion”)
December
1 Dec 1976 Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls appointed Governor 4 Dec 2000 of South Australia Council for Aboriginal Mabo Day (High Court Reconciliation Final 10 Dec 1992 Mabo Decision 1992) Report released Redfern Park Speech Resistance warrior Tarenorere delivered by Prime 12 Dec 2025 Minister Paul Keating r (Walyer) dies (Tas) Commencement of Myall Creek Massacre Australia’s first Treaty 16 Dec 1976 in Victoria Aboriginal Land Rights Palm Island Strike (NT) Act passed 23 Dec 1996 High Court handed Racial Discrimination down Wik Peoples Act 1975 (Cth) enacted v Queensland decision Burunga Statement presented to Prime Minister Bob Hawke Artwork credit: Women Dreaming This painting is about women hunting. They and bush plums. Painting: are hunting April Campbell Language: for bush foods. Women are hunting around Anmatyerr Communit y: Ti Tree Date: 5/11/2018 the waterholes, so they can look for witchety grubs, bush berries, bush onions 3 Jun 5 Jun 1831 10 Jun 1838 10 Jun 1957 11 Jun 1975 12 Jun 1988
The newspaper of the Independent Education Union of Australia NSW/ACT Branch (vol 46 #1) February 2026 PP 100000871 ISSN No: 0728-4845
New year, new pay rises Members secure strong gains and better conditions Carol Matthews Secretary Many IEU members will see the rewards of their campaigning and hard work in 2026. These are just some of the wins the union has delivered for members. Catholic systemic schools Two enterprise agreements (EAs) covering 10 Catholic dioceses were approved by the Fair Work Commission (FWC) in December 2025, locking in pay rises and improved conditions. There is an EA for teachers and general employees employed by Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) and one for teachers and general employees employed in the other nine dioceses (not including Broken Bay). The new EAs expire in October 2027. Members have already received pay rises due under the EAs for 2024 and 2025: • NSW teachers gained a 3% increase from the first pay period on or after 9 October 2025 with a further increase of 3% due in October 2026. • ACT teachers gained a pay rise of about 3% in August 2025 and will receive 3.5% in August 2026. • general employees in NSW and the ACT gained a pay increase of 3% from July 2025 with 3% to come from July 2026. More flexible parental leave for the non-initial primary carer of a child will apply for babies born or adopted on or after the commencement date of the EAs. Twelve weeks paid parental leave can now be taken 24 months after the birth or adoption of a child – not just in the 12 months following the birth or adoption (the 12 weeks entitlement as a primary carer comes in addition to two weeks around the time of birth or adoption). Superannuation must now also be paid on employer-provided parental leave. Cultural and ceremonial leave for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander employees also commences under the new EAs. Trade trainers are included in the EAs from 27 January 2026. Trade trainers are employed in some dioceses to teach vocational education or training at a school or trade training centre but are not fully qualified teachers. If you are a trade trainer, don’t hesitate to contact the IEU to check your new classification and pay rate. Read and download your agreement • Nine Catholic dioceses • Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese Broken Bay Diocese: Teachers and general employees employed in Broken Bay are covered by an EA approved by the Fair Work Commission in January 2025. Under this EA, all employees received a 3.5% pay rise from the first pay period on or after 1 October 2025, with a 3% increase to be paid from October 2026.
Employees in Broken Bay are also entitled to superannuation on paid parental leave and a more flexible approach to the timing of the 12 weeks non-initial primary carer parental leave. Read and download your agreement • Catholic Schools Broken Bay Diocese Independent schools After a long campaign in 2024, the FWC approved new multienterprise agreements (MEA) in early 2025 for independent schools represented by the Association of Independent Schools (now Independent Schools NSW) in both NSW and the ACT. Most pay rates in the MEAs will increase by 4.5% from the first full pay period on or after 1 February 2026. For teachers employed at their current school prior to the 2025 school year, translocation tables in the new MEA (setting out the transition from the old MEA) will determine the increase.
“We’re committed to making sure members receive the full benefit of improved pay and conditions the union negotiates.” Under some translocation tables, a few pay rates may increase by less than 4.5% (for example, Proficient teachers with one or two years at Proficient level, transitioning from the old Standards model). But those teachers, if working full time, will also receive increases due to incremental progression. Other rates may increase by more than 4.5%. All professional and administrative staff will receive increases of at least 4.5%, and NSW classroom support services employees and curriculum/resources services employees receive pay rises of 5% from February. The union also won improvements in paid parental leave including: • the 14 weeks of paid parental leave will count as service for the purposes of salary progression and leave accrual • male employees who are the initial primary caregiver immediately after birth or adoption will now be entitled to 14 weeks paid parental leave (previously, the leave was defined as maternity leave and available to mothers only). At the time of birth or adoption of a child, an employee who is not the initial primary caregiver will be entitled to two weeks of paid parental leave. If that person becomes the primary caregiver within 12 months of the birth or adoption, they are also now entitled to an additional 12 weeks paid parental leave.
Workload transparency: This was a key win of the union’s Now’s the Time campaign. Under the Teachers MEA, employers must provide teachers with the following information: • the usual number of face-to-face teaching hours per week or per cycle for a full-time teacher • the general requirements in relation to extracurricular activities • any reduction in face-to-face teaching hours for teachers in leadership 1 and 2 positions. This clause imposes obligations that employers must follow. Read and download your agreement • Teachers MEA • NSW Professional and Administrative Staff MEA • ACT Professional and Administrative Staff MEA NSW Christian Schools After a protracted bargaining process, new MEAs for teachers and general staff in almost 40 NSW Christian schools were approved by the FWC in January. The MEAs are in place until March 2027 and replace agreements that expired in late 2023. Approval of the MEAs means pay increases and improved conditions negotiated by the union since the expiry of the previous MEAs are now legally enforceable. A key improved condition is that the number of weeks of New Parent Bonus payments (which top up the government Paid Parental Leave scheme payments to your normal salary) will increase to match the increase in the number of weeks of the government payments. From July 2026, the payment will be made for 26 weeks. The MEAs also contain delegates’ rights provisions and the right to disconnect. For teachers, the pay rises under the MEA between 2024 and March 2027 total 17.5%, including a 1.5% pay rise in October this year. From July 2026, there will be a change to the teacher classification scale that means it will take less time to reach the top step – this will benefit less experienced teachers who are not at the top of the scale. General staff will receive pay rises of at least 15% over the three years of the MEA, including a 4% increase in February this year. Read and download your agreement • Christian Schools NSW MEA Our focus in 2026 Addressing teacher workload is a key priority for 2026. We’re committed to making sure members receive the full benefit of improved pay and conditions that the union negotiates. For Catholic systemic school members, this includes new entitlements under your Work Practices Agreements. We will continue bargaining for groups of members for whom enterprise agreements were not finalised at the end of 2025. Your support for this work will be crucial in achieving success. We are always stronger together.