Reconciliation Week exhibition features Wadi Wadi Mixed Tribe dance troupe
Local Studies librarian Samantha Figueroa takes a look back in a time at the Wadi Wadi Mixed Tribe dance troupe's tour of Macedonia
It has been 20 years since the Wadi Wadi Mixed Tribe hit the stage as the first Aboriginal dance troupe to perform in Wollongong’s sister city in Macedonia.
They were invited to perform at the 2006 Summer Festival in Ohrid as part of a Wollongong City Council delegation visit.
With community support, the Wadi Wadi Mixed Tribe fundraised enough to finance this trip. They performed to appreciative audiences in multiple locations over 10 days, including Skopje, Kumanovo, Bitola, Ohrid, and Struga with some of the stages set amongst ancient ruins.
Starting in National Reconciliation Week (NRW) 2026, photographs of the Wadi Wadi Mixed Tribes experience in Macedonia have been brought together in an exhibition.
The exhibition is on show in the Local Studies area on level 1 at Wollongong City Library and aims to recognise the significance of the group’s contribution to international relations through sharing Aboriginal culture on the global stage.
To see listen to the Wadi Wadi Mixed Tribe’s tour experiences through oral histories, visit the Illawarra Stories website or view images from their trip in the gallery.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this exhibition contains images and names of deceased persons.
