Koori Radio grew out of Radio Redfern, which was established in the early 1980s. Originally it had programme time on other community station Radio Skid Row. During Australia's Bicentennial in 1988, Radio Redfern played a pivotal role in informing and educating the public about Indigenous responses to the celebration. It also acted as a communication channel for the thousands of Indigenous people from around Australia who had gathered in Sydney for protests. In 1993 Koori Radio came under the umbrella of Gadigal Information Service. It was then part of a series of national Indigenous radio broadcasts during the Sydney 2000 Olympics.