Voice to Parliament starts to become clearer

I was talking with a friend about the Voice in the light of the prime minister’s speech at Garma during which she’d had tears in her eyes listening to the events unfold. I agreed with the ABC presenter that it was a momentous day, but when the two of us, my friend and I (and her rambunctious, friendly, intelligent dog), were crossing the park I said that the most important thing about the day wasn’t what Albanese said but the fact that the Opposition spokesperson was present.

This morning a Sydney Morning Herald headline agreed with me, drawing me in to read a story in which he said that more detail is needed. But the thing I like the most about Labor’s proposal is that it contains two parts: one to establish the Voice in the nation’s founding document, and then Parliament deciding how it should be formed and what form it should take.

This open-ended strategy almost circumvents Leeser’s misgivings as any future government would also be able to change the formulation of the Voice. Doing things this way should give the Liberals confidence that nothing is set in stone forever in this term of government, and that alterations, improvements, adjustments and tweaks can be made at any time well into the future.

Given this new way of thinking about a Voice I think we’re in a better position to sit down and feel comfortable that there’s no need to panic – or to kill the idea. This would be my main worry, and having the Liberal Party along for the ride (and the Nationals as well) is central to the success of the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Let’s reflect on Albanese’s wise words: this is mere courtesy, and it’s also very practical since the way we’ve been managing things up to this point obviously aren’t working very well (though no doubt there have been success stories). 

Opening a new page can be liberating, and we’ve got an opportunity with the USftH to do just that. It’s time to lift the covers and find our future written within. 

Paramontage - 'Syntax prescribes - I'

A third work of art by Matthew sent to the group. Enjoy.

This work is the last one in a series.

Another photographic work - 'On the way to New England'

This is a 3-minute video with a second artwork Matthew made commemorating Myall Creek. 

Hope you enjoy watching it. Thanks for your time.

Photographic artwork about Myall Creek - 'Return'

One of the Sydney Friends, Matthew da Silva, shared a video with the Friends showing a striking photographic artwork he made featuring Myall Creek. Specifically, the piece shows the 2011 commemoration ceremony, which he attended. 

This video runs for about 3 minutes. The work is one of a series Matthew made, and more videos will be posted here in coming days.

New history of Myall Creek memorial published

It’s easy to overlook the importance of reconciliation. What does it mean to you? To me? To the bloke down the street with his designer clothes? Graeme Cordiner’s memoir pulls back the layers of history to reveal a long-term commitment to the act of reconciliation.

A journey on a road that, to make it, makes perfect sense. It’s a journey that, in a way, each Australian is being asked to make now that we’re facing the prospect of a referendum on a Voice to Parliament. But it’s easy to miss the turnoff even when we feel that something is wrong. We have centuries of abuse to deal with.

As Cordiner says in his book, Aboriginal people have given us a gift in the Uluru Statement from the Heart. Whichever model is chosen to proceed on the path to closure for all Australians – remember that we have prospered while they have been – among other things – killed, raped, and had children stolen from their parents – we should take the time, as Cordiner has done, to understand the full breadth of the issue. 

Written over a period of 20 years, ‘Find Our Heart at Myall Creek’ charts the trajectory of one man. Taking a view that privileges early settlers as well as convicts, Cordiner tries to come to terms with the fact of the word “Sorry”. What does it mean to an Aboriginal person to hear the word? What does it cost a white man to utter it? What kinds of relations become possible once the fact of the matter has been admitted, in all of its real and imagined ramifications? What kinds of relations are prevented from happening in its absence?

Drawing on personal memories, in a series of short, punchy chapters, Cordiner unveils an image of forgiveness and shows that it will cost us more to ignore than to recognise the depth of the injustice that has been perpetrated in our name. He doesn’t spare iconic names, such as the Sydney Morning Herald – a booster of colonial enterprise that disparaged the prosecution in the case of the crown at the time of the Myall Creek murder case – because Sydney was involved as much as was New England, where the crimes took place at a remote cattle run in 1838. 

Not only were around 30 Aboriginal people killed, in the aftermath of the massacre Sydney was troubled and generations have been troubled in kind. The map of the territory is still being drafted, but we can all lend a hand in opening a passage through the thickets. 

Sydney Biennale – possum skin cloak

Part of the exhibit at the National Art School in Darlinghurst is this impressive item made by people associated with the Myall Creek Memorial. Entry is free and it’s on for a little while yet. 

The show in Darlinghurst is collectively titled ‘Rivus’ and it contains several things with the theme of a river, which is fitting considering where the massacre took place, in the environs of a creek in northern New South Wales. In the same room as the cloak, for example, is a work that resembles a snake river by a Colombian artist who lives in Los Angeles. The show is eclectic and interesting, and is worth spending an hour to view if you have time or if you’re in the area. The school is quite close to Museum Station on the City Circle line.

Media release: Recent incident of vandalism at the Myall Creek Memorial

The Friends of Myall Creek Committee has been joined by a broad representation of its supporters and stakeholders to condemn a recent incident of vandalism at the Myall Creek Memorial near Bingara, NSW

The committee was formed in 1998 to raise awareness of the Myall Creek massacre to better understand the truth of our shared history. Their work to highlight this unique story in our nation’s history was recognised by the unveiling of the Memorial in 2000.

Throughout this time a broad section of visitors and school groups continue to travel from far and wide to attend the annual solemn Memorial. The NSW and National Heritage listed site honours the violent and unprovoked massacre of at least 28 Wirrayaraay women, children and old men on 10 June 1838.

Vandals have damaged areas connected to the new sections of the Memorial site, damaging and removing several items connected to the amphitheatre and one of three water tanks built to provide essential water to the bush garden. The newly built section was part of a Create NSW grant that was launched in a COVID safe way in February 2021. A plaque situated along the Memorial Walk has also been vandalised, but it remains unknown if this was done by the same perpetrator/s. A number of these items have already been repaired by our partner Gwydir Shire Council who has acted quickly on this.

Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall condemned the senseless act of vandalism. “More than 20 years of hard work has gone into transforming the Myall Creek Memorial site into a place of cultural healing and reflection,” Mr Marshall said. “Unnecessary acts like this do little to support the message of reconciliation the site was established to achieve. I hope those who caused damage take a good hard look at themselves and do the right thing by handing themselves into NSW Police. I am committed to working with the Friends of the Myall Creek Memorial to making the site a safe and welcoming space for all.” 

Aunty Sue Blacklock a founding member and life member of the Friends of Myall Creek Committee, as well as a direct descendant of the survivors of the massacre said she was disappointed by the news. “We are just saddened by what was done at the Memorial.”

The committee is also upset by the incident and it has particularly effected all of the Aboriginal members. Founding and current committee member Marilyn Isaacs who is also a direct descendant of the survivors of the massacre has also been saddened by the incident.

“We’ve had the plaques along the Memorial Walk damaged before. With the new additions to the Memorial only being developed seven months ago, we need more security for the site. This place is about reconciliation. I just feel sorry for these people.“

Any fair-minded human being would not defend the actions of those responsible. Over the last 20 years the committee had prided itself on the relationships we have built with Gwydir Shire Council and community organisations in Bingara and Myall Creek who have always supported the annual Memorial gathering along with other businesses in the New England region.

The committee would also like to draw the public’s attention to social media posts that has included some inaccuracies concerning the incident.

It is understood that the damage out at the site took place before September 3 2021, we call on members of the public to do the right and honourable thing and report any suspicious activity they may have observed at the site. Should any members of the public have information that may assist Police with their investigation of the matter, please call Crime stoppers on 1800 333 000 or nsw.crimestoppers.com.au.

Listen live to Yingiya

Graeme Cordiner is 20 years part of the Myall Creek Massacre Memorial, and a fundraiser for Yiŋiya (Yingiya) Mark Guyula’s 2016 & 2020 election campaigns. 

This post is to introduce readers to a largely unheard-of man, but a man whose voice needs to be heard, listened to, not just as an MP in the Northern Territory, nor as a Djirrikaymirr (senior leader) of his people, the Yolgnu country of east Arnhem Land – but by all Australians.

Yingiya grew up in traditional culture, his spirit shaped by Madayin (system of law) and Ŋärra’ (governance institution of law). Aged ten he started to undertake a Western education, in turn becoming an aircraft mechanic, commercial pilot, cross-cultural and community facilitator, senior university lecturer, and Independent MP (overturning a sitting deputy leader by 8 votes in 2016).

Yingiya, who was re-elected in 2020, speaks directly and powerfully to us out of a civilisation which for tens of thousands of years maintained peace, justice and harmony. Yolŋu Rom Ŋurruŋu is a message from the Yolgnu for all Australians. It speaks of the foundation of all relationships since the time of creation, challenging our nation – and world – to see where our feet first left the path.

Until now we have not listened. We have refused to meet as humble equals with a civilisation so very much older than our own with other than our cultural assumption that ‘We know best’. And then we blame them for the community fallout from the overwhelming inroads of our Western world. The very people who alone can give us that core sense of ourselves as a nation remain on the margins.

Yingiya is fighting for a partnership and treaty that respects the authority of Aboriginal nations on their own country. In so doing what Yingiya is ultimately fighting for is the soul of Australia.

That we can assist in getting his message out is our privilege. The talk with take place on Tuesday 28 September  at 7.30pm. Register your details here. 

Commemoration ceremony roundup

The following was sent out by the Friends of Myall Creek Memorial Committee via email and is posted here for convenience. If you want to subscribe to such mailouts, please search for the Facebook Page.

Thank you for your ongoing interest in the Myall Creek Memorial. I apologise for the delay in this report on the 2021 Myall Creek Gathering and concert on the June long weekend and the progress of the building works at the Myall Creek Memorial precinct.

The NSW Government provided $1.3 million for the establishment of Stage 2 of the memorial project consisting of visitor amenities and a cultural performance space. Gwydir Shire Council has provided parking and the Friends of Myall Creek Memorial raised some money towards creating an Indigenous bush garden. The latter was beyond the scope of volunteers alone and we require more funds to meet the cost of establishing the garden and its irrigation system. If you are able to assist us with a donation please visit our website: www.myallcreek.org

The Sounds of Country Community Concert on 12 June was planned to be a celebration of the completion of the cultural performance space at Myall Creek. Unfortunately, an untimely deluge turned the dance circle into a lake and the concert had to be moved to Bingara Oval. However, the concert was a great success despite cold, wind and some rain. Michael Coutts-Trotter, thanked Aunty Sue Blacklock for inviting him to speak and he spoke about the importance of truth-telling and how Myall Creek Memorial was instrumental to that and how the “cultural performance space will give non-Aboriginal people the opportunity to listen, learn and better understand the richness that Australia has in the unique heritage of Aboriginal people.”

Musicians included Gamilaroi man, Roger Knox (aka the Koori King of Country) and his band Euraba who opened the concert followed by Aboriginal-Tongan singer-guitarist Radical son with his reggae and hiphop and finally the Buddy Knox Blues Band. The music was interspersed with traditional dance and song presented by the Ngambaa Dhalaay Dancers, the Tingha Nucoorilma Dancers and the Tamworth-based Gomeroi Dancers.

Fortunately, by Sunday 13 June the dance circle had dried out sufficiently for the memorial gathering to be held at the Myall Creek Stage 2 precinct. MC for the event was Keith Munro, co-chairperson of the Friends of Myall Creek Memorial and grandson of the late Lyall Munro who was remembered as one of the main people who worked for years to make the memorial and annual commemoration happen. The late Mr Munro’s sister, Aunty Sue Blacklock, welcomed everyone to country and spoke inspiringly. The Ngambaa Dhalaay Dancers and the Tingha Nucoorilma Dancers also welcomed everyone.

We were very fortunate to have guest speaker, Professor Lyndall Ryan, step in when Professor Henry Reynolds was unable to travel from Tasmania. Professor Ryan and her colleagues have created and are continually updating an interactive map of over 350 Australian Colonial Frontier Massacres from 1788-1930 which can be viewed on the Newcastle University website. This means her words about the importance of the Myall Creek Memorial for all Australians were particularly pertinent. The speeches were followed by a smoking ceremony and walk down the memorial pathway to take part in the usual ceremony at the main memorial rock.

The enhanced precinct was officially opened by our local State Member Adam Marshall. Julia Pucci, Director Infrastructure from Create NSW, whose team oversaw the project, was also present.

We apologise for being unable to confirm arrangements until the last minute as everything depended on the weather. The memorial hall was not available because the black soil was too boggy to allow vehicle parking there. This meant the planned lunch could not be provided by the CWA, the Thoughts and Dreams Art, Writing, Song and Dance Competition entries could not be exhibited and the awards could not be presented in person. However, the gathering at the memorial precinct was well attended considering the last minute changes and on road parking was at full capacity. The Friends of Myall Creek Memorial Annual General Meeting was held back in Bingara at the Living Classroom as had been previously advised. The Annual Report and Michael Coutts-Trotter’s speech can be viewed on the website under the Memorial tab.

We also wish to thank Professor Henry Reynolds for presenting a webinar on the frontier wars through the University of New England on Friday 11 June in lieu of the planned symposium there in person.

We hope that on Sunday 12 June 2022 we can return to the usual format of a gathering at the Memorial Hall followed by a walk up the hill to the memorial precinct for the commemoration ceremony.

Kelvin Brown interview for NSW Creators of Peace

Myall Creek National Committee member Kelvin Brown, a tribal elder of the Anaiwan People of the Gamilaraay Nation, on Saturday 3 July participated in a presentation for an international group of (mainly) women, Creators of Peace. The interview was conducted over Zoom and most of the participants were in Australia.

Kelvin talked about his upbringing in the area commonly referred to as New England. When he was very small his father had been abusive and his mother, after a particularly bad flogging the man inflicted on the child, took Kelvin 70km on foot to Tingha, a small town north of Armidale. Here there were places where Aboriginal people lived, and here Kelvin grew up before he moved to Inverell so he could go to high school.

Kelvin recounted experiences of a spiritual nature, once of which took place when he was walking through bush near the town. He’d gone in between two slender trees before, on the other side, sensing a voice telling him to turn around. When he did he saw an Aboriginal warrior with spears and nullanullas whose body was transparent. He looked at this apparition for about 30 seconds before turning back to continue on his way.

On another occasion, Kelvin had an out-of-body experience. He was in class and heard a voice telling him to get out, so he walked outside. Into the distance, between two prominent rises that marked the landscape, he went in spirit until he reached a place where a very old man was sitting by a fire. Kelvin asked the man why he had been called and the man said he was dying and wanted him to be there. At that moment thousands of images flew through the air into Kelvin’s mind, though at the time he had no recollection of what they depicted. When he woke up from his reverie a friend was near him and he asked his friend how long he’d been there. His friend said he’d been gone for 15 minutes and that even punches on his arm hadn’t woken him up.

Kelvin also talked about his family’s experience in war. One grandfather, an English migrant, had been involved in Gallipoli and had decided, after that event, to come to live in Australia. Kelvin’s father had been in WWI and was in Tobruk. Kelvin’s uncle was in Singapore when the English surrendered to the Japanese and was subsequently taken into captivity. The Japanese had trouble working out what to do with him and eventually gave him more freedom than other prisoners enjoyed. In this way he was able to save 60 of his comrades.

For his part, Kelvin was in the army and assigned to signals. One of his comrades hated Aboriginals and would abuse Kelvin verbally whenever they meet, or else pointedly ignore him. Kelvin didn’t react to this conduct but got on with his other comrades, and one day this man told Kelvin that he couldn’t hate Aboriginals any longer. His mother had taught him to think that way, and later he asked Kelvin to go back when they had leave to stay at his mother’s house. When they left at the end of the weekend, she asked Kelvin to look after her son and gave them lunch to take with them for the journey back to base.

Armajen Aboriginal Medical Service was a project Kelvin was asked to become involved with. He told us how he’d been in a pub having a beer one day when he heard a tapping on the glass. A woman outside called him over and told him that her group had been having trouble getting funding for Armajen and that they wanted Kelvin to help them out. He agreed to look at their paperwork and read through it over the period of a few days, eventually agreeing to be involved on account of a certificate from the state premier supporting the project.

Kelvin subsequently became involved with a Sydney health service and started to petition the government, always coming up against on particular man who he classified as his nemesis. One time, at a conference where over 300 professionals were attending, including the man from the department, the two of them found themselves sitting opposite each other at lunch. Before the man got up to leave he told Kelvin not to stop his work, and to keep on asking for support. Not long after this, his friends asked him to come back home so he quit the health service and travelled back to New England where they told him there was a meeting with the government and he’d been asked to attend. When they got there, they received the news that their request had been successful and that approval had been given on condition that Kelvin be involved as his example had shown the bureaucrats that the group was serious.

Kelvin was asked to be involved with Myall Creek by his nephew.

Annual ceremony went ahead with some changes to plans

This year there was some bad weather for the event, as there was on the long weekend along the whole of the East Coast. “Word somehow went around the commemoration was cancelled!” said Graeme Cordiner of Sydney Friends of Myall Creek. “The site was quite dry enough, even to use the amphitheatre for dances. Sue and speaker Lyndall Ryan spoke well, as did Adam Marshall, the local MP.”

NBN News provided coverage of the event regionally. The concert on 12 June took place at the Bingara sports ground as there were concerns about the memorial site being too wet.

Around 500 people came for the commemoration on 13 June including two people from Sydney’s Initiative of Change group. 

Prasanthi said: “Going to Myall Creek is the highlight of my 29 years of life in Australia. It was a very spiritual experience for me. I felt the healing, the love and welcome by our indigenous people. 

“I do feel now I have the permission to seek and learn more about aboriginal culture. The way the dancers invited us to dance with them, and the way Auntie Sue and Clayton Blacklock welcomed us on both days felt like a warm embrace.

“It was indeed a worthy pilgrimage and I commit to spread the message to every Australian I know so they get inspired to go on this journey to learn and heal and move forward together.”

Yousif said: “The last weekend was absolutely remarkable. The journey itself was part of the destination. The friendships that were renewed and those that were established were phenomenal. 

“The occasion itself was highly spiritual. This year I was able to feel peace, and there is no more anguish or inner weeping for my own ancestors who were massacred. There is no more weeping: we are at peace. This is a powerful message, expressed in action. I feel I have been cleansed of all depression and anguish for my ancestors. I have already forgiven, through the One True God. 

“But no more weeping. I feel my ancestors want me to establish peace, in a real way, through love and forgiveness."