Harrington Australia day speech by Lesley Williams

Manning River Times

Transcript

00:00 Of course we all know, again as was already mentioned, that the 26th of January marks the day in 1788

00:06 when the first fleet, which consisted of 11 convict ships, arrived in Australia.

00:11 On its journey from Great Britain and its captain Arthur Phillip raised the Union Jack at Sydney Coral.

00:17 Now while that event occurred over 235 years ago, it was actually not until 1935

00:24 that all states and territories used the term 'Australian Day', marking the day as a national holiday.

00:30 And it was only as recently as 1994 that Australian Day was actually celebrated nationally

00:37 as a public holiday on this day, the 26th of January.

00:42 But of course we also all agree that Australian Day is much, much more than a public holiday.

00:48 But the question of what it means to individuals obviously will deliver very different responses from people.

00:54 And we've seen that in the media, particularly in recent days and weeks.

00:59 Some of course, they might not be here today because their focus is on being with their family and friends,

01:05 with the quintessential Aussie barbecue with a bit of lamb thrown in.

01:09 It's their chance to, or some people, to express their pride of being Australian,

01:14 buying bags proudly on their front fences and on their cars.

01:18 Or like you here today, it's the opportunity to come together at community-driven events such as this

01:24 to acknowledge our award nominees and recipients,

01:27 those people who've done incredible work for our local communities.

01:32 I ask that we also take time today though to reflect on our nation's history

01:36 and consider how we, we as Australians, can make this an even better place to live into the future for everyone.

01:44 As we start so many community gatherings, as we did today, we acknowledge country.

01:49 And that often spurs me to reflect on our history, the parts that we are enormously proud of,

01:55 but also those segments which question and hope will never be repealed.

02:01 In doing so, I too acknowledge the traditional owners of the land on which we are gathered here today,

02:05 and I acknowledge their custodianship, their strong connection to the land and the water,

02:10 and I acknowledge their elders past and present, and extend that respect to Aboriginal people who are joining us here today.

02:17 I acknowledge that while this day marks the beginnings of colonisation of the land,

02:22 I also acknowledge that for 60,000 years it was cared for by our Indigenous Australians.

02:29 If we go back in history just eight years prior, in 1770,

02:33 Captain Cook landed in Morton Bay and wrongly claimed possession of the land of the Eora people,

02:38 alleging it as terra nullius, derived from the Latin meaning to mean "no man's land" or "nobody's land".

02:46 I say "wrongly" because it was actually according to law at the time that Britain could only take possession

02:52 and settle on another country if it was uninhabited, or if it had permission by the inhabitants,

02:59 in this case Indigenous Australians, or if it defeated that country in war.

03:05 History tells us that there was no compliance with these edicts,

03:09 and in fact, since the arrival of Captain Cook, Britain settled here on the false premise

03:13 that Australia was uninhabited and acted accordingly, according to what they saw as the law.

03:20 And so it is that when we are joined by Aboriginal elders, we are welcomed to their land,

03:25 always was and always will be Aboriginal land.

03:28 I was privileged to hold the position of Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in New South Wales,

03:34 and now as Minister for the Shadow Minister,

03:36 so I've had many opportunities to consider the meaning of the "welcome to country" more deeply.

03:42 I have listened intensely to so many Aboriginal elders "welcome me to country".

03:47 Their words are colourful, they're inspiring, they're expressive,

03:52 and they are so meaningful as they describe their connection to Mother Earth.

03:58 Often a "welcome" intertwines both English and local Aboriginal language,

04:02 with a plea for us all to respect the ocean, the land, the rivers, and our other natural delights,

04:08 as this respect enjoys the ongoing health of the country and of their people.

04:12 Protocols for welcoming visitors to country have been a part of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture

04:17 for thousands of years.

04:20 It is believed that there were more than 600 Aboriginal tribes living in harmony

04:25 right across our sunburned country for tens of thousands of years before colonisation.

04:30 But despite the absence of fences or visible borders like states,

04:35 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups had clear boundaries

04:38 separating their country from that of another group.

04:41 Crossing into another group's country required a request or a permission to enter,

04:47 kind of like gaining a visa.

04:49 And when that permission was granted, the hosting group would welcome the visitors,

04:53 offering them safe passage to their country.

04:56 So the welcome to country in a modern context also recognises Aboriginal people

05:01 as the traditional owners of the land.

05:04 As I mentioned earlier, there are some aspects of our history that are, quite frankly, reprehensible.

05:11 And I refer, for example, to the Stolpern Generations,

05:14 when I reflect on the stories that have been told to me so many times

05:19 by those who were personally impacted,

05:22 those now older men and women,

05:26 as they recall their experiences, weeping,

05:29 remembering being ripped from their parents' arms

05:32 and taken away to homes like the Kingilla Boys' Home in just north of Kempsey,

05:36 given a number as their identity, abused and tortured.

05:40 It's nothing to be proud of, but it is our legacy,

05:44 and it is part, and unfortunately, of disobsessions, injustices and harm.

05:49 And so I understand that people will have different views about Australia Day.

05:54 They will have different views about it being held on the 26th of January,

05:59 while some will refer to it as a day of mourning,

06:02 or, as has been mentioned, Invasion Day or Survival Day.

06:06 It's not my view that the day should change in name or in date,

06:11 but I think it's okay that others have a different view.

06:15 It is a reminder to me of the privileges we have living in a democratic country.

06:20 We have the freedom to act, to speak and to think freely,

06:24 each and every one of us, as long as it does not stop others doing the same.

06:30 And in fact, an effective democracy is one where we connect

06:34 and we talk across our dividing lines.

06:38 Today, let's count our blessings.

06:40 Let's be thankful that we share a stable, a peaceful,

06:43 a culturally rich and diverse, prosperous, free and beautiful country.

06:48 Yes, we do live in the luckiest country in the world.

06:52 And let's together make sure that our future and the road to reconciliation

06:56 is a much smoother one, by acknowledging and by respecting the views of others.

07:01 We are reminded in the first that we're all a part of the story.

07:05 It brings us together and it tears us apart.

07:08 We all have our views, so where do we start?

07:11 By listening to each other and sharing our part.

07:15 Thank you for having me and happy Australia Day.

07:17 [applause]

07:20 [APPLAUSE]

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