The new Australia never recognised the old Australia, 65,000 years of our life, and instead relied on the fiction of terra nullius for more than 200 years until the High Court’s decision on native title in the Mabo Case. There has never been formal recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia, not when the Britons arrived in 1788, not when the colonies federated to form the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, not ever.

So “why” ? Because there has been no formal recognition in Australia’s history, and recognition is foundational to reconciliation.

Many Australians from all walks of life agree, the status quo cannot continue. A new partnership with Indigenous people is needed so all Australians can move forward together, with confidence, into the future.