Ms Anna Burke (Chisholm, Deputy-Speaker) Share this | Hansard source

At the outset, I would like to acknowledge the traditional owners of the land upon which we stand, the Ngunawal people, as well as the traditional owners of the land of my electorate of Chisholm, the Wurundjeri—their elders past and present. One of the most outstanding parts of coming back to this parliament was definitely the welcome to country ceremony performed in this great parliament building. It was an honour and privilege to be part of that after so many years, and it was an incredibly moving ceremony. It was an honour to be part of not only the sorry apology, which I think got an inordinate amount of attention, but the opening of parliament the day before. The very moving and I think poignant ceremony of welcome to country is something that we should all treasure for a long time. It was too long in coming.

I would like to acknowledge at the outset also my great appreciation to Professor Joy Murphy, one of the elders of the Wurundjeri clan, who did a welcome to country to my office when I took possession of it some 10 years ago. We did not have the smoking ceremony because we thought that DOFA would not appreciate us setting fire to a newly acquired electorate office, but we certainly did go through the ceremony of welcome to country. It was a very moving experience and one that I would really like to encourage, if members have not held one in their own electorate offices, as something that they can do to connect with their communities.

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