Ms Cooke last week announced grants for the Yalbillinga Boor Day Car Centre, the Cowra Neighbourhood Centre and Weigelli Centre at Woodstock.

Weigelli will receive a grant for $1000 while the Cowra Neighbourhood Centre and Yalbillinga Boori Day Care are each receiving grants of $2000 to celebrate NAIDOC Week.

The organisations proposed a rich variety of cultural and social activities, including smoking ceremonies, traditional painting, didgeridoo performances and a community march in their successful applications.

“NAIDOC Week is an important opportunity to acknowledge and celebrate the tremendous achievements of our Indigenous people here in Cootamundra,” Ms Cooke said.

“The Wiradjuri Nation is the largest in the state and I look forward to seeing it celebrated and shared during NAIDOC Week.

“I’m particularly excited to see this year’s theme ‘Because of her, we can!’ foregrounding the Cootamundra electorate’s strong Indigenous women.”

As pillars of our society, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women have played – and continue to play - active and significant roles at the community, local, state and national levels.

As leaders, trailblazers, politicians, activists and social change advocates, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women fought and continue to fight, for justice, equal rights, our rights to country, for law and justice, access to education, employment and to maintain and celebrate our culture, language, music and art.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Sarah Mitchell said the NSW Government is proud to support the recognition and celebration of Aboriginal women under the NAIDOC Week theme for 2018 and we are committed to continually recognise the contribution and achievements of Aboriginal communities right across the state,” Ms Mitchell said.