Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty and Member for Wyong, David Harris, has urged Central Coast residents to stop and reflect during Reconciliation Week (May 27-June 3).
The dates of Reconciliation Week mark the successful 1967 referendum on May 27 and the historic 1992 High Court Mabo decision on Native Title on June 3.
The 1967 Referendum was to determine whether two references in the Australian Constitution, which discriminated against Aboriginal people, should be removed.
It saw the highest Yes vote ever recorded in a Federal referendum, with 90.77 per cent voting for change.
‘It is interesting to note that because the majority of parliamentarians supported the proposed amendment, a No case was never formulated for presentation as part of the referendum campaign,” Harris said.
The Constitution was changed, giving formal effect to the referendum result, on August 10, 1967.
The theme for this year’s Reconciliation Week is Be a Voice for Generations, challenging Australians to find ways to support reconciliation in their everyday lives.
Reconciliation Australia outlines tangible ways you can promote reconciliation including incorporating Acknowledgment of Country into meetings, gathering or events, supporting First Nations businesses and learning more about our rich Indigenous history.
Events will take place across NSW including community marches, film festivals and Indigenous art exhibitions with details on the Reconciliation Australia website.
“Reconciliation Week is a good time to stop and reflect on the role each of us can play in creating a shared future of which we can be proud,” Harris said.
“How do we want future generations to remember us?
“Will they look at us and say, ‘they’re the ones who opened themselves up to truth-telling, who moved us further down the path towards a more just and equitable Australia’?
“I hope so.
“Each of us has the power to be a voice for reconciliation in tangible ways in our everyday lives – bringing meaningful conversations and actions to where we live, work and socialise.
“Your voice holds power.
“Be a voice for generations.”
The week follows National Sorry Day on May 26, when Harris joined Premier Chris Minns in laying a wreath at the Indigenous Veterans Commemoration at the Anzac Memorial in Sydney.
“National Sorry Day provides us all an opportunity to reflect upon the trauma, pain and injustice caused by the policies of child removal and the ongoing inter-generational impacts of these policies,” they said in a joint statement.
“We recognise the Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander peoples across NSW and the courage they show as they continue to lead self-determined healing in their families and communities.”
Terry Collins