By Marg Lynn
NOEL Pearson, the Cape York Aboriginal leader, has written that Australia’s history is based on three great narratives.
The first is that we have the longest living culture on earth, a culture that sustained and shaped this land for 60,000 years, and whose people have much to offer us still in generously sharing the wisdom of the land.
The second narrative starts with colonial settlement and describes the achievements of 230 years, the prosperity created through the development and diversification of industry, the building of fine institutions through education and hard work, and the creation of solid governance structures that provide us with stability and security.
We have kept in the shadows of this narrative the dispossession of our First People.
NOEL Pearson, the Cape York Aboriginal leader, has written that Australia’s history is based on three great narratives.
The first is that we have the longest living culture on earth, a culture that sustained and shaped this land for 60,000 years, and whose people have much to offer us still in generously sharing the wisdom of the land.
The second narrative starts with colonial settlement and describes the achievements of 230 years, the prosperity created through the development and diversification of industry, the building of fine institutions through education and hard work, and the creation of solid governance structures that provide us with stability and security.
We have kept in the shadows of this narrative the dispossession of our First People.
The third narrative is our becoming the most successful multi-cultural country on earth. We have evidence of this success in our own community. The Italian Festa encapsulates the confident expression of a loved heritage that will always be part of our very Australian Italian-Australian community members, and which they seek to share with the rest of us.
But in the shadow of our multicultural success is our treatment of asylum seekers who made the mistake of attempting to come to Australia when we decided to put up the “House Full” sign rather than put out the welcome mat.
Australia is all of these narratives. It is a pity that currently Australia Day privileges the second and third of them. It was not until 1935 that this date was settled upon as Australia’s National Day, and not until 1994 that it was celebrated in all states as a public holiday.
Aboriginal People named it a Day of Mourning in 1938, and have since called it Invasion Day or Survival Day – the day their dispossession began.
We could easily change the date to one that celebrates all three narratives and that doesn't cause ongoing injury to our world's oldest living culture. January 26 has not been fixed as Australia's national day throughout history, and it need not remain our national day into the future.
And so I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today, and I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and future.
Marg Lynn is a member of the Bass Coast South Gippsland Reconciliation Group. This is the text of a speech she made at the Mirboo North Australia Day ceremony.
But in the shadow of our multicultural success is our treatment of asylum seekers who made the mistake of attempting to come to Australia when we decided to put up the “House Full” sign rather than put out the welcome mat.
Australia is all of these narratives. It is a pity that currently Australia Day privileges the second and third of them. It was not until 1935 that this date was settled upon as Australia’s National Day, and not until 1994 that it was celebrated in all states as a public holiday.
Aboriginal People named it a Day of Mourning in 1938, and have since called it Invasion Day or Survival Day – the day their dispossession began.
We could easily change the date to one that celebrates all three narratives and that doesn't cause ongoing injury to our world's oldest living culture. January 26 has not been fixed as Australia's national day throughout history, and it need not remain our national day into the future.
And so I acknowledge the traditional custodians of the land on which we meet today, and I pay my respects to their Elders, past, present and future.
Marg Lynn is a member of the Bass Coast South Gippsland Reconciliation Group. This is the text of a speech she made at the Mirboo North Australia Day ceremony.