It’s Time to Talk about Recognition and Reconciliation in Everton Park

This week (May 27 to June 3) is National Reconciliation Week, which is a time to celebrate and learn about Australia’s shared histories, cultures and achievements.

The event marks two monumental milestones in Australia’s history which to this day serve as strong symbols for reconciliation.

The first is the referendum on May 27, 1967, which saw over 90 percent of Australians vote to give the Commonwealth the power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and to recognise them in the national census.

The next major milestone occurred on June 3, 1992, when the High Court of Australia delivered its landmark Mabo decision, recognising that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander have a special relationship with the land. The Mabo decision helped pave the way for Native Title land rights.

This year marks the 20^th anniversary of the Mabo decision and the 45^th anniversary of the 1967 referendum, so there is bound to be plenty of big celebrations taking place around the Everton Park and the Brisbane area.

The theme for this year’s National Reconciliation Week is ‘Let’s Talk Recognition’, which encourages us all to recognise the contributions, cultures and histories of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

We can all help recognise people in our communities through reconciliation events held at schools, organisations, universities, and workplaces.

National Reconciliation Week is for all Australians and we encourage everybody in Everton Park to get involved and learn more about the significance of the week by heading to reconciliation.org.au.