ACT Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Rachel Stephen-Smith said her predecessor  in the portfolio Chris Burke, the first Indigenous Australian elected to the ACT Legislative Assembly,  started the campaign for a public holiday to acknowledge the culture, contribution and resilence of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

"It's also an opportunity for Canberrans to reflect on the true history of our nation and of our city and region," she said.

She said Reconciliation in the Park on Monday in Glebe Park from 10am to 2pm was "an opportunity for Canberrans to come together to absorb Aboriginal culture, learn more about the history of the region and enjoy each other's company."

The night before, on May 27 at the Canberra Theatre Centre, will be two musical events featuring Archie Roach & Tiddas and Briggs & the Bad Apple Crew (see canberratheatrecentre.com.au). The new deputy chief executive officer of Reconciliation Australia, Andrea Kelly is a Warrramungu and Larrakia woman in her first week on the job after 26 years in the Australian public service, working in a variety of areas on Indigenous issues.

She said that generally public holidays in Australia were symbolic of what people were most proud of and valued most and while there were other days marking Indigenous issues - National Sorry Day, Mabo Day - they were not public holidays.

"We look forward to others following in the ACT's footsteps."

In addition to the Reconciliation in the Park day, Ms Kelly said there would be more than 400 events taking place in Australia during Reconciliation Week (see reconciliation.org.au for details).

"We encourage everyone to get involved," she said.

This year the theme is Don't Keep History A Mystery and Ms Kelly said research by the Australian Reconciliation Barometer, a biennial project commissioned by Reconciliation Australia conducted by Polity social research consultancy, showed about one in three Australians were unaware of or did not accept fundamental aspects of the country's history.

This included that government policy enabled Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children to be removed from their families without permission until the 1970s and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were subject to mass killings, incarceration, forced removal from land, and restricted movement throughout the 1800s.

"It's essential we talk to each other and learn about each other and gain an understanding of the history that shaped Australia," Ms Kelly said.