Evidence Library

Emma Mayall talks about her Grandfather, who lost his connection to his heritage and for a large part of his life denied he was a First Nations man. She talks about the struggle of trying to find out more about her Dadda’s history and her own identity as a First Nations woman.

“My mother’s truth came when she met her cousins. He said your mother had a beautiful singing voice. It was the first time my Mum had met a blood relative to her Mum. I will never forget how she looked, how it changed her, how much those words meant to her. Her whole body changed in her joy of those words. I try not to think about what could have been. How it took till my Mum was in her 80’s for this to happen.”

The author decided to make this submission as they believe their early education and experiences would mirror those of many other non-Indigenous Australians. She reflects on her family history, how she was not taught about the impacts of colonisation on Aboriginal people until university and how that silence now seems deafening. She highlights the lack of services for Aboriginal people in Victoria compared to the Northern Territory and hopes for future generations to respect Indigenous ways and for the Treaty process to promote unity.

Steph Tashkoff, a teacher, describes the ongoing impact of colonisation and stolen land she sees first-hand on young Koorie people. She highlights the financial insecurity due to a lack of generational wealth, structural racism, trauma, and distrust of white institutions she has witnessed. She shares her family’s history on Gulidjan Country, acknowledging the lack of recognition for the land’s original owners and expressing hope for a more positive community through truth-telling.

Meyer Eidelson is the President of the Middle Park and Albert Park History Group. The submission discusses the former Aboriginal Graveyard 1842 at Queen Victoria Market, highlighting its historical significance and the exhumation of Indigenous bodies in 1877. They call for the City of Melbourne to apologise for the graveyard’s destruction, protect remaining Aboriginal remains, and ensure respectful interpretation and appropriate memorial/s.

DB grew up on the Great Ocean Road, on what they only recently learned is Gadubanud land. Their family owned properties on various Aboriginal lands, benefiting financially over generations. They express regret over their colonial ignorance and indifference, hoping for justice to be achieved and economic reparations made.

Melissa Turnbull describes the brutal colonisation of Victoria, including undocumented massacres and displacement of First Peoples. Her education on First Nations history was inadequate, and she advocates for investment in languages, reparations, and comprehensive cultural education. She suggests non-First Nations Victorians contribute to truth-telling and treaty by researching history, listening to First Peoples, and supporting their organisations.

Barbary Clarke and Jason Clarke, descendants of Alfred Deakin and William John Turner, also known as Big Clarke, discuss aspects of their family’s history with Australia. The first aspect is about how both their ancestors and they themselves have lived unconsciously, failing to understand the cultural protocols that should have been observed from the start in interacting with First Nations people of this country. The second aspect is what they are doing to act consciously and with integrity in this country.

The author has a broad understanding of colonisation’s impact on First Peoples but feels Victoria’s education system was extremely limited in teaching First Nations history and culture. They advocate for place-based knowledge, respect for Elders, and a shift towards a “Caring for Country” model. They also support truth-telling, treaty, and self-determination for First Peoples, and advocate for a commitment to life-long learning and creating new foundations.

Jackie Mansourian recalls a childhood incident of racism that sparked her curiosity about First Peoples, which was not addressed in her education. She later learned through an Aboriginal Studies elective and placement with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service. She believes non-Indigenous Australians need to unlearn fears and assumptions, engage with First Peoples’ voices, and hold the government accountable for treaty negotiations.