An Aboriginal reconciliation advocate says there’s still a long way to go before Indigenous people get a fair go in Australia.
Mr Col Markham told this morning’s Campbelltown City Council commemoration of the 200th anniversary of the massacre of Dharawal people in Appin in 1816 that just by comparing figures of Aboriginal people in custody over the past 30 years “you realise that not much has changed’’.
“There were 14 Aboriginal people who were massacred in Appin that we know of,’’ Mr Markham told the gathering.
“What today is about is raising awareness of this dreadful history of Aboriginal people for 200 years and this is the history our kids should be taught at school.
“This is the real history of our people and is what should be taught at schools, not the sanitised version they get,’’ he said to cheers from those in attendance.
Members of the Winga Myamly Reconciliation Group joined Mayor Paul Hawker, councillors Meg Oates and Rudi Kolkman and the Member for Campbelltown Greg Warren and local residents for the moving flag raising ceremony in front of the civic centre in Queen Street.
Mr Hawker said the ceremony was important because it reminded everyone how things had got better over the past 200 years for Indigenous people.
“I encourage young Aboriginal people who live in Campbelltown to get involved in community life,’’ the mayor said.
“The Aboriginals were subjected to terrible things; things we would not allow these days.
“As a mark of respect our flags will be at half mast today.’’
The ceremony was concluded with the raising of the Aboriginal, Australian, NSW and Council flags to half mast, followed by a minute’s silence as a mark of respect for the victims of the Appin massacre all those years ago.
