If you visit Google Australia’s home page today, you’ll see a nifty little image incorporated into the company’s logo – a few rings of black and red dots, and two human figures (one of whom is bearing a shield). This was done in honor of National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) Week.
I know, I know – you’re lost. I was, too, and if you’re like me, you’ll occasionally see Google doodles – those little manipulations of Google’s name – and not know what they stand for. This is especially likely to occur if you’re visiting Google’s home pages for other countries. But those doodles provide a good way of finding out what those countries – and Google – value.
In this case, everyone is interested in “an annual celebration of the continuation of Australia’s ancient Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and the contribution made by Indigenous people to Australia,” according to what Julian Sonego, a Consumer Marketing Manager, and Rob Shilkin, the Head of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs, wrote on the Official Google Australia Blog.
The two then explain an apparent contradiction in NAIDOC Week’s name, adding, “Historically, there was only the one day of celebration. Now a whole week is set aside to celebrate our Indigenous cultures.”
To find out what other sorts of things Google has been commemorating, you can look at this corporate catalog of Google doodles – it spans all the way back to 1999.
