I’ve never celebrated the 26th of January ever, and never will. I find it ludicrous that we can be all “happy families” when this date clearly hurts our First Australians.

Yesterday was the 80th anniversary of “The Day of Mourning”, where a group of Aboriginal luminaries such as Margaret Tucker, Jack Patten and Sir Doug Nicholls held a march challenging the government over the country’s so-called birth date. Nothing’s changed.

In 1988, the 200 year anniversary of white colonization, the “March for Freedom, Hope and Justice” was held with over 40,000 supporters and led by a coalition of indigenous leaders from around the country as they marched through the streets of Sydney. Nothing’s changed.

I’m pleased to say that 50,000 Melburnians took to the streets yesterday in searing heat to support our aboriginal brothers and sisters. Of the 50,000 marching, I would estimate at least 40,000 were white. This marks a real positive shift in attitude and it was duly noted by some of the speakers who were overwhelmed by the support.

The crowd was as diverse as any Melbourne crowd. There were the inner city “lefties” as Mark Latham would call them but the majority were just middle-class white families who have had enough of the government’s ignorance. Successive governments have done their best to keep the Aboriginal agenda “out of sight, out of mind”. Aborigines only got the right to vote in 1967 and to this day aren’t even recognised in the constitution!

What compounded the frustration yesterday was that upon our return home, the commercial news went searching for anything they could find to discredit what was a joyous, peaceful march. They managed to get some footage of a young woman speaking, clearly emotional, who used some profanity which was barely audible. Channel 9 in their wisdom decided to put sub-titles underneath just in case every knucklehead racist with a southern cross tattoo on their neck didn’t hear it! Ironically, I went for a jog this morning and stopped to stretch at a soccer game in a nearby park. A young white player turned to the linesman and yelled, “Didn’t you see that you f…….g old c….”.  Charming.

On the train heading into the city, the carriages were filled with our migrant Australians and their gorgeous children no doubt looking forward to seeing the Oz Day parade and taking in all that is great about living in Melbourne. I love the citizenship ceremonies and the joy on the faces of our new Australians. It’s just that it would be so much better if we could engage the people we should be most proud of, then we could all enjoy a day of celebration together as one.

“Quit talking about the Kennedy Assassination Bill. It was a long time ago. Let it go.” “OK, then don’t talk about Jesus to me! As long as we’re talking shelf life here. It was a long time ago., let it go!”  Bill Hicks

230 years ago, the white colonisers of Australia killed 270,000 aborigines which included some the most barbaric methods ever recorded in humanity. That is genocide. So, when Channel 9 flashes a grab from a moron on Port Melbourne beach who whilst laughing says, “they need to get over it” you wonder why people get incensed. In Europe, whole countries have harboured grudges at each other over incidents that happened thousands of years ago. In Australia, we’re talking “great-grandfather distance” away! 230 years is nothing. My grandmother was born in 1878, my father 1915. It’s not that long ago!

Our Mum always told us to put ourselves in the shoes of others. Growing up in Medina WA, a town full of “10- pound Poms” (my Dad being one) and Aboriginals was terrific grounding for what life was to bring forth. It was a full-on housing commission area but we never felt poor. Our Mum was the most generous person I’ve ever met and she was like a Mother Theresa to the local black community and most notably the Walley family who lived 4 doors down. Her reputation for giving away “stuff” whilst herself having nothing was legendary and with us 9 kids especially. When challenged by my younger brother Glen as to why she insisted on giving everything away, she simply stated, “There’s always people worse off than yourself Glen.” To which Glen would reply, “There is no one worse off than us!”

Peter Walley was a year older than me but we were great mates throughout our childhood. One day he came to pick me up from school and I noticed he was wearing a t-shirt that looked remarkably like one of mine. “Yep,” he said, “your Mum gave it to me.” Say no more. Peter’s older brother Dr Richard Walley OAM has become a pre-eminent leader within the Nyoongar community. A brilliant artist, musician and sportsman Richard has been at the forefront of social justice for Aborigines in WA for decades.

Children aren’t racist, they just want to play. Parents can be, and by the time high school came around, the Walleys, Indich’s and Bennell’s were fighting prejudice from freshly poisoned teens any way they could. This would often lead to terrible fights and the constant denigration of their rights as human beings. I was bullied at school but it was nothing like what these kids put up with. Even in the local milk bar, they’d be looked down upon and you could see kids like Peter withdraw immediately and lose confidence. White male attitudes soon changed when aboriginal footballers were tearing opposition teams apart but even then, a snide comment would be dropped just to bring the conversation back to the shallow end of the pool.

Remember when Cathy Freeman won the 400m gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in 1998? All hell broke loose around the country when Cathy produced an aboriginal flag to accompany the Australian flag for her lap of honour. Interestingly, 2 years later it was nothing but sheer ecstasy as OUR Cathy did her lap of honour with both flags in Sydney 2000. The public’s treatment of Sydney Swans superstar Adam Goodes in his final year was nothing short of a disgrace. This is a man with more integrity in his big toe than most of the footballing public, being boo’ed out of the game. A non-drinker, non-smoker, dual Brownlow Medallist, extraordinary athlete, philanthropist, indigenous leader and wait for it…..an Australian of the Year! Compare that to Shane Warne. Smoker, drinker, gambler, drug cheat, misogynist, philanderer and a great bowler. Maaaate! You can’t have a crack at Warney!…. God help us.

Ok, rant over. Our First Australians aren’t asking for much. That’s my point here. Keep it simple. If you’re not familiar with the culture outside of Buddy Franklin and Cyril Rioli well that’s fine but please try and investigate some history, try and understand the stories and then put yourself and your loved ones into those shoes. Once you’ve done that then consider why the 26 January probably needs to be changed so ALL Australians can celebrate this lucky country. Fingers crossed the millennials can do a better job at raising awareness than mine and past generations.

Below are some documentaries and movies that I can highly recommend that are made by black and white Australians and are truly authentic:

  1. The First Australians – This SBS series is quite frankly the definitive history of the Aborigine. It should be mandatory for EVERY Australian school and home. Simply brilliant. I think you can view it on SBS streaming and is also available on dvd and book.

http://www.sbs.com.au/firstaustralians/

  1. The Chant of Jimmy Blacksmith (1981) – Directed by Fred Schepisi based on the book by Thomas Keneally, this story of a half caste aborigine who goes on a murderous killing spree may not sound inviting but it’s a chilling insight into life at the turn of the 20th century and the introduction of alcohol into aboriginal society.
  1. Ten Canoes (2006) – Directed by Rolf de Heer, this was the first ever movie to be filmed entirely in Aboriginal language. Narrated by a certified “National Treasure” David Gulpillil, this film takes you to a time before European settlement. Filmed in the beautiful Arnhem Land it’s a truly extraordinary experience.
  1. The Tracker (2002) – Again directed by Rolf de Heer, this dusty, brutal film will leave you feeling parched from go to woe! Set in 1922 it tells the story of a racist cop (Gary Sweet) who uses a black tracker (David Gulpillil) to hunt down an Aboriginal man accused of a triple murder.
  1. Rabbit Proof Fence (2002) – Directed by Phillip Noyce and set in 1931 this is a highly emotional story of three mixed race girls who run away from the Moore River native settlement north of Perth. The girls walk for 2700 kms along the famous rabbit proof fence to reach their original home of Jigalong whilst being pursued by white authorities. The movie examines the attitude to half-caste Aborigines particularly in WA.
  1. Samson & Delilah (2009) – First time director Warwick Thornton is an indigenous man from Alice Springs and this portrayal of two disillusioned 14 year old aborigines wandering in and around Alice Springs is spellbinding. An extraordinary film due to the two extraordinary first time actors Rowan McNamara and Marissa Gibson. Warwick’s new film Sweet Country is released this weekend and has had 5 star reviews across the globe

Finally, to the lovely Koori man I met yesterday on the march, I hope your daughter enjoys the photo I took of her sign and I’m still gob smacked how you walked barefoot the whole way on 50 degree concrete! Cheers