2 May 2025

Whitehaven proud to support the 2025 Aboriginal Elders Olympics in Inverell

The 2025 Aboriginal Elders Olympics took place on 9 April at McCosker Fields in Inverell, with more than 400 Elders from across New South Wales to participate in a series of games and social activities.

Hosted by the 2024 champions, Inverell Bear Eaters, Whitehaven was proud to be one of the annual event’s major sponsors as 27 teams competed in a round-robin format with points tallied across a range of activities to determine the winners.

The Elders Olympics serves as a platform to honour the contributions of Indigenous Elders, promote cultural heritage, and strengthen community bonds. It offers participants an opportunity to engage in physical activity, social interaction, and cultural exchange, fostering a sense of unity and pride among Indigenous communities.

The day was a wonderful opportunity for Elders to catch up with old friends and family, as well as establish new friendships within the wider community. Elders groups from Gunnedah, Quirindi, Moree and Tamworth were among those represented.

Following the completion of the competitive event, the Maclean Elders were crowned the 2025 Elders Olympics Champions and were presented with the winners’ trophy by NSW Aboriginal Land Council Northern Region Councillor, Mr Charles Lynch. The presentation took place as part of a formal dinner enjoyed by all at the Inverell Town Hall.

Joyce Livermore from the Inverell Bear Eaters was quick to extend her praise to this year’s winners.

“Congratulations to the Maclean Elders on their well-earned victory.

“And a big thank you to Whitehaven for their continued support for such an important event in the NSW Aboriginal community calendar. We’ll be back next year and look forward to competing to reclaim the title at the 2026 Elders Olympics.”

Whitehaven’s Senior Manager of Indigenous Engagement, Bob Sutherland was pleased to be at the event to present the runners-up trophy to the Elders of the Booroogen Djugun.

“Elders play an important part in all our families and communities,” he said.

“It was great to see so many people and organisations like the Clontarf Foundation in attendance supporting their Elders and contributing to the overall success of the day.

“A big thank you to the Inverell Bear Eaters for making the day so memorable. Whitehaven is proud to contribute to such a great event and we look forward continuing our partnership with the Inverell Bear Eaters Elders Group in years to come.

“We’d like to extend a special thanks to the organising committee and the tireless effort from a wide range of volunteers, in particular Mandy Binge, Daniel Davis and Belinda Tully.”

Following their victory this year, Maclean Elders will host the 2026 Elders Olympics.

Whitehaven invests in Indigenous programs and initiatives that support and empower communities through partnerships across education and training, healthcare and sponsorship of representative-level sport. In FY24, we donated $1.25 million in corporate community partnerships and donations, including $250,000 to Indigenous organisations.

For more information, please check out our website.

Back to News