The Drover's Wife, January 26 and more: Here's how NITV is kicking off the new year

After one of the biggest years for our mob, NITV is gearing up to tell stories of strength and survival on January 26.

NITV is bringing in the new year with a range of content from the latest news, to highly anticipated documentaries and films. Source: Supplied

It's a new year and NITV is ringing in 2024 with incredible and inspiring news programs, documentaries, movies and more.

After launching the channel in HD last year, NITV has curated a month of content that invites people to delve into culture and identity and for audiences to deepen their understanding in the lead up to January 26.

In January, the channel will deliver the highly anticipated Her Name Is Nanny Nellie and Leah Purcell's The Drover's Wife to lounge rooms across the nation.

Premiering on NITV and SBS on January 21, Her Name is Nanny Nellie tells the story of a nameless trio of statues buried in the Australian Museum's archive.

The statues were commissioned by the museum, after the 1925 Australian census declared Aboriginal people a "dying race".

The statues, of a child, man and woman, were to be studied.

The woman depicted in the statue was Nellie Walker. Her great-granddaughter Irene Ridgeway uncovers the statue and begins to unravel Nellie's history. In doing so she attempts to rewrite how Aboriginal people are remembered and represented in Australia's public history.

The film is directed by Daniel King, who is the great-great-grandson of Nellie Walker.

“In Her Name is Nanny Nellie, director Daniel King and his mother Irene Ridgeway tell a deeply personal story about their family history, which has global consequences for colonial museum collections everywhere," explained Wiradyuri woman and NITV’s Head of Commissions Marissa McDowell.

“First Nations peoples are continuing to share their stories to create positive change and this documentary is no exception.”

On January 27, Goa-Gunggarri-Wakka Wakka actress Leah Purcell's The Drover's Wife premiers at 8:30pm.

The film makes history, being the first in Australia to have an Indigenous woman perform the lead role, direct and write.

The film is an adaption of Purcell's 2016 play which was a re-imagining of bush poet Henry Lawson's 1892 short story. It follows the journey of Molly Johnson, who is left at a remote Snowy Mountains homestead to care for her four children while her husband is away droving cattle.

Leah Purcell in The Drover's Wife: The Legend of Molly Johnson. Source: Supplied

On January 26, NITV will platform the strength, diversity and power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and histories. It'll give insight into how communities across the country are marking the day and invite non-Indigenous Australia to learn, listen and understand.

“At NITV, every day is an open invitation for all Australians to connect with First Nations stories and perspectives," said Birri and Guugu Yimidhirr woman and SBS Director of Indigenous Content, Tanya Denning-Orman.

"As we approach January 26, SBS – with NITV at its heart – wants to encourage and empower all Australians to understand more about the 65,000+ years of history and cultures we have across this continent, the views and experiences within communities, and the role we can all play in Australia’s future.”

Coverage will begin at 5am with Bamay, then focus on ceremonies including the buŋgul from Garma Festival and DanceRites 2023. The channel will then broadcast Elder in Residence Oration from Widjabul Wia-bal woman from the Bundjalung Nation, and SBS’s Elder in Residence, Rhoda Roberts AO.

At 7:30am NITV will broadcast WugulOra, a morning ceremony from Barangaroo Reserve on Gadigal Land. Meaning one mob, the show will be hosted by Jerrinja and Wandi Wandiaan woman Shahni Wellington and Wuthathi and Meriam man John Paul Janke.

WugulOra morning ceremony at Barangaroo Reserve on January 26. Credit: Salty Dingo

In the afternoon a special episode of Living Black will air, with a focus on the Indigenous Voice to Parliament Referendum, followed by Ganbu Gulin: One Mob, a documentary about a council's decision to stop observing January 26 as Australia Day, directed by Daniel King.

Ningla A-Na airs at 1:10 pm, the only documentary shot from within the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, chronicling the events surrounding the establishment of the embassy on the lawns of Parliament House.

At 2:30pm an NITV special, Songs of Solidarity, will air. The program is a celebration of the enduring and powerful legacy of First Nations music and is hosted by Wiradjuri and Western Arrernte journalist Lowanna Grant, Yuin and Dunghutti rapper Nooky and Butchulla Songman Fred Leone.

When it comes to news, NITV will be reporting from events, rallies and vigils across the country, with NITV News and NITV Digital updating audiences across television and social media.

NITV News coverage will be led by esteemed Mudburra and Wagadagum journalist and Head of Indigenous News and Current Affairs Natalie Ahmat and will deliver two-minute news bulletins hourly from 2pm.

At 5:30pm on the day, the news program Day 26 - NITV News will premier delivering all the news of the significant day.

SBS On Demand has curated Always Was, Always Will Be, which is a collection of programming highlighting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander stories. SBS Food will air similar programs including The Cook Up with Adam Liaw and Strait to the Plate and from 12:15pm SBS VICELAND will air Sing About This Country.

SBS Audio will be reporting on January 26 in 60 different languages and SBS Learn will showcase Always Was, Always Will Be teaching resources exploring First Nations languages, cultures and histories. The incredible resources have been authored by Wonnarua and Kunja woman Shiralee Lawson and Wiradjuri woman Jarin Baigent.