Harrington Australia day speech by Lesley Williams
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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01:55 but also those segments which question and hope will never be repealed.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]