ADM+S Celebrates 50 years of Deadly
Author ADM+S Centre
Date 2 July 2026
The ADM+S Centre joins Australians in supporting NAIDOC Week and celebrating 50 years of Deadly. For five decades, NAIDOC Week has celebrated the voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. Each year, its themes have called for truth, celebrated culture, honoured resistance, and reminded the nation of who they are.
“Fifty Years of Deadly marks a milestone. It’s a tribute to the people who built this movement. The Elders who stood firm, the organisers who made space, the artists who turned resistance into expression, and the communities who keep showing up, year after year.
This moment is about looking back at the stories, the marches, the languages, the art, the leadership. At the strength it took to get here. It’s about recognising how far Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities have come, not by chance, but because generations of people refused to be silenced.
It’s also about the here and now, who they are today. Grounded in culture. Strong in their identity. Leading change across every field, from health and education to media, business, and the arts,” as stated on the Celebrating NAIDOC week website.
Research at ADM+S contributes to a growing body of evidence about digital inclusion, equity and self-determination for First Nations peoples. Through partnerships with First Nations communities and organisations, our researchers are helping to build a clearer understanding of the opportunities, challenges and aspirations shaping participation in Australia’s digital future. These projects include the Australian Digital Inclusion Index, Measuring Digital Inclusion for First Nations Australians, and Mapping the Digital Gap.
Australian Digital Inclusion Index
Digital inclusion is about ensuring that all Australians can access and use digital technologies effectively. The Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII or “Index”) uses survey data to develop Australia’s key measure of digital inclusion across three dimensions: Access, Affordability and Digital Ability. Read more about the Australian Digital Inclusion Index
Measuring Digital Inclusion for First Nations Australians
This project amplifies the strengths, voices, and digital aspirations of First Nations Australians from diverse communities and cultural contexts across urban, regional, remote and very remote areas, while shining a light on the scale and nature of the digital gap relative to other Australians.
In 2025, the project released the most comprehensive data and analysis to date on First Nations digital inclusion with the Counting on Connectivity report alongside the First Nations Digital Inclusion Dashboard, finding a gap of 10.5 compared to non-First Nations Australians. This was followed up recently with the Regional and Remote Towns supplementary report, showcasing data from ten regional and remote towns collected in partnership with local First Nations organisations.
The research team has commenced its second round of data collection for release in 2027 with the ADII, and just visited the town of Newman in Western Australia.
Read more about Measuring Digital Inclusion for First Nations Australians
Mapping the Digital Gap
Mapping the Digital Gap is a supplementary project of the Australian Digital Inclusion Index (ADII), established through the ADM+S Centre in partnership with Telstra in 2021 to address a lack of data on remote First Nations digital inclusion.
The place-based project works in partnership with local First Nations organisations and supports local digital inclusion plans in participating communities. It explores all the ways communications and media are used in communities by residents and service providers, and the challenges faced.
The research team has visited seven remote communities this year as part of its annual field research program, and will visit Woorabinda and Mowanjum in July.
Read more about Mapping the Digital Gap
The Centre acknowledges and respects the deep spiritual connection and the relationship that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have to Country. We affirm our commitment to truth-telling, understanding, and advocating for justice and equality, to improving and sustaining research, employment and study outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and investing in research that aims to improve outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Read more about 2026 NAIDOC week
Find out about public NAIDOC week events hosted across ADM+S institutions
About the image: Paralpi by Zaachariaha Fielding
Paralpi extends Zaachariaha’s acclaimed Inma series and reflects a deeply cultural and immersive narrative grounded in Country. The artwork depicts the sounds of Paralpi, a significant place just outside Mimili on the eastern APY Lands in South Australia. As Zaachariaha describes, Paralpi is a place where people come to embrace and celebrate children, where they are taught by Elders to move and mimic their Clan emblem — for Mimili, this being the maku (witchetty grub).
