'Journey of
the Spirit '
Before I
start, I would like to thank Charles
(Chicka) Madden, an Eora Elder, with the
In
addition, I would like to personally acknowledge that we meet today on
Aboriginal land and I would like to pay my respects to the Cameraygal people,
who like ourselves, treasured these beautiful lands that we today
call Lane Cove.
I’d also like to acknowledge the Aboriginal Elders here today as well as
welcome –
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Her
Excellency, Professor Marie Bashir AC, Governor of NSW,
Ø
Chairperson
of the
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Representatives
from Lane Cove Residents for Reconciliation, Lane Cove Historical Society, Lane
Cove Council including General Manager Peter Brown and my fellow Councillors,
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Lane
Cove church and religious groups,
Ø
the
Media and
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supporters
and children from and beyond Lane Cove.
Welcome and thank you for attending and supporting this historic
Reconciliation event. This Reconciliation Memorial Plaque, I believe, provides balance
to our shared local and national history through its assertion of the truth.
It is the third plaque to be placed here; the previous two present the
non-Aboriginal view which relates to colonisation. Today’s plaque acknowledges
the original inhabitants of the land and their resistance to British invasion.
Along with this historic
acknowledgement, today’s ceremony has included a very moving, spiritual component
of smoke, song and dance. I feel making that spiritual connection helps to
bring a sense of peace and completion to what was a very sad episode in our
history.
It is significant that we as a community were here to be part of the
sacred ceremony and I thank the performers - Uncle Max Eulo, Matthew Doyle and the Garrabarra
Dance Company for taking us through it.
There is sadness in our reflections, but I’m encouraged and uplifted by
the tremendous support shown for today’s event and am especially delighted to
see the children here. It is important to involve our children, so that they may
carry on with the reconciliation process, based on these shared foundations.
Lane Cove Council’s commitment to Reconciliation is strong. We are
supporters of today’s event and have assisted in its co-ordination. We have
also organised many other Reconciliation events and initiatives.
Our Reconciliation processes have received national recognition, been
highly commended in the 2003 Metro Pride Awards and been cited by NSW Education
as examples of best practise. Some of our key initiatives include:
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Naming our
spring festival the “Cameraygal Festival” after the traditional owners of these
lands
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Organising
the Children’s Voices of Reconciliation event in
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We have
a significant collection of books and videos on topics related to Indigenous
studies and Reconciliation in our libraries.
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We are vigilant
in identifying and respecting Aboriginal heritage within our boundaries
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And we fly
the Aboriginal flag alongside the Australian flag at all significant Aboriginal
events
§
Also,
Lane Cove Council has contributed to and endorsed the
But of course, today’s event takes our involvement that one step
further. Today, we have joined with the Governor of NSW and other organisations
to formally recognise our history from a shared perspective.
On behalf of Lane Cove Council, and all those involved in today’s
unveiling, I thank you for coming here with open hearts. May this gathering,
and this ceremony, lead the way forward on the process of Reconciliation.
Today, we have taken a big step. It’s a step towards healing the past through
acknowledgment and healing is always a forward step.
Now, it is my honour to call on Kerrie McKenzie, Convenor of the Lane
Cove Residents for Reconciliation, to conduct the Close of Ceremony address.