Coral Reeve is a proud Gunditjmara woman with ancestral ties to Country in Warrnambool. Raised in Southeast Melbourne, Coral developed strong cultural connections through her nan, an Elder among the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung and Bunurong Boon Wurrung peoples. Her nan’s experience as part of the Stolen Generation shaped much of Coral’s early cultural grounding. When her nan passed, Coral experienced a period of disconnection—grieving both a matriarch and the cultural thread she represented. Over the past decade, she has gradually and powerfully reconnected with community, embracing culture, strength, and identity on her own terms.

A passionate storyteller from a young age, Coral’s love for literature grew through school, studies, and professional experiences. She is particularly drawn to transforming non-fiction into fiction—offering stories that blend lived experience with creative expression. Her writing is grounded in culture and memory, carried forward in a contemporary voice.

For NAIDOC 2025, Coral’s short story was inspired by this year’s theme and imagined through a child’s eyes. It’s a reflection on legacy, strength, and the future—as seen by the next generation. While the piece is fictional, it holds traces of traditional knowledge and deep cultural meaning, conveyed in a form that speaks to both young readers and the broader community.

To Coral, NAIDOC Week is a vibrant celebration of history, resilience, and pride. The theme resonates as a passing of the message stick to children, reinforcing that they are never alone—we stand beside them as Elders, Aunts, Uncles, and Respected Persons. She honours the week by attending as many events as she can, especially the NAIDOC Ball—where joy, recognition, and community shine brightest.

Coral believes Indigenous storytelling is vital. Once silenced through bans on language and cultural practice, storytelling today survives by evolving—honouring what remains, and sharing it through new forms. Her message to young mob and aspiring First Nations writers is simple but powerful: “When the words arrive, write or record them. Your words are just as valid as you are.”