The tragedy for Australians seeking personal pride in the achievement of their nation is their ignorance of a politically distinctive past of which there is much to be proud, and whose wonderfully subversive stories that shaped the national character are seldom told. In the silver and zinc mines of Broken Hill, New South Wales, the miners won the world's first thirty-five-hour week, half a century ahead of Europe and America. Long before most of the world, Australia had a minimum wage, child benefits, pensions and the vote for women.

By the 1960s, Australians could boast the most equitable spread of income in the world. The secret ballot was invented in Australia.

And in my life-time, Australia has been transformed from a second-class Anglo-Irish society to one of the most culturally diverse places on earth, and it happened peacefully. By most standards of cilisation, the transformation is a remarkable achievement.

Of course, the first Australians were never included. Their extraordinary cilisation and their oneness with an ancient land were never taught as a source of national pride. And their inclusion, still to be achieved, remains the nation's key to itself.

Saying sorry is a sign of maturity, of a willingness to face mistakes that caused suffering. It heals divisions between people, shows a deepening understanding of the life of a nation and reflects humility and honesty. The acknowledgement of guilt is not to be confused with personal guilt; rather it acknowledges a historical responsibility.
In the cse of indigenous Australians, many of whom lost family, culture and tribe, it helps to soothe the anger and frustration of those who feel affected.

It must be done - if we believe in justice, an egalitarian society, and a "Fair go" for all.

Onya, Foxy.

Beautiful post :)

Yes good post foxy, however I would also point out that our contribution to these extraordinary feats were considerable.

None of those feats would have been enabled without dispossessing / exploiting Aboriginal people (especially Labour. Indeed much of written Labour history of this country has not documented Aboriginal contributions to the development of early, middle or late 'civil society'. It was simply considered in the same fatalistic paradigm that exists today, ie ' our demise being inevitable'. It is not.

Don’t get me wrong. It is good that many do appreciate our connection to land but these expressions often tend to be a romantic admiration and thus exempt any critical analysis of the issues of legal, political and economic reparation. I have a deep connection to land now owned lock stock and barrel by rich pastoralists and miners.
No one can produce the receipts for the original purchase of this land.

Weeks and months from now many will be saying ‘Well we said sorry didn’t we” in response to the unfinished business.

I feel this apology should be the beginning, not the end of a longer and more genuine reparation process.

kartiya jim,

Yeah whatever, you're not unique in my world, join the que.

Dear Rainier,

Of course the apology should be only the beginning.

There is an enormous amount still to be done - as I wrote in my previous post, the first Australians must be included in our society.
That remains the nation's key to itself.

And I'm sure the current PM and his Government are well aware of this.
The apology is their entry - into a new era for us all.

Passy,

Your comment of "The rate of removal of Aboriginal children today is 50% higher than at the height of the Stolen Generations removals. We even use the same "they'll be better off" argument." Is such a terrible misrepresentation of reality.

The fact that DOCS is so understaffed, and that the federal gov has had to intervene because child abuse has become a sport in some communities is an indictment on the communities and not of the government.

It is this type of rhetoric which muddies the waters and puts child protection in the same basket as forced removal.

These communities suffered from a stolen generation due to the ill advised activities of previous governments, don't let another generation be lost due to the inactivity of this one.