The march, which celebrates local Aboriginal culture and reconciliation, began outside Bob Jane T-Marts and wrapped up with the NSW Fair Trading Family Fun Day behind the Visitor Information Centre.

The day was coordinated by the Dubbo Koori Interagency Network (DKIN), and chair Robert Salt said the events aimed to showcase Aboriginal culture to the wider Dubbo community.

“We had a street march or walk down the main street that’s just really to tell Dubbo that Aboriginal culture is alive and is vibrant and is resilient,” Mr Salt said.

“I know in Dubbo people often see the negative of Aboriginal culture but a day like today really just changes people’s perceptions of Aboriginal people by us coming together in a positive way and having a nice time.”

Mr Salt himself is the son of an Aboriginal mother and a non-indigenous father, a “product of the old and the new in this country”.

“[Aboriginal culture] is in all shapes and sizes and skin colour and eye tone,” he said.

“Aboriginal people are here but really we want non-Aboriginal people to come and celebrate a very beautiful culture.”

Dozens of children also attended this year’s march and fun day, after the events were moved to coincide with school holidays.

The Olsen family are frequent participants in the march.

“It’s a day when we get out and celebrate our culture and walk Macquarie Street and it lets us show Dubbo who we are and where we’ve come from,” DKIN secretary Melissa Olsen said.

“I think we did have some non-Aboriginal people march with us today.

“We’re moving towards reconciliation and involving people from all walks of life is part of that.”

Plans will soon get underway for next year’s NAIDOC celebrations.

Mr Salt said DKIN would like to encourage anyone who is interested – from service providers and businesses to young people, parents and elders – to get involved.