Melissa McIntosh (Lindsay, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

The electorate of Lindsay has vibrant and diverse communities. We are hardworking, generous and resilient. Our community spirit is strong enough and our relationships mature enough to have an important reflection on Captain James Cook's journey to Australia in 1770, which shaped our nation. This voyage is what made Australia the country it is today. Next year Australia will mark 250 years since Cook's journey, from the perspectives of the ship and from the shore. It is also a time to reflect on the Aboriginal historical and cultural perspectives.

This year's NAIDOC theme was 'Voice. Treaty. Truth.'. Truth-telling engages all Australians in the important process of understanding together. The messages and learnings of NAIDOC Week are not limited by the week itself. The continuation of these themes is integral to further reconciliation. When the Minister for Indigenous Australians, Ken Wyatt, joined Aboriginal members of our community in Lindsay for an open forum, we all experienced the value that comes from honest, mature local conversations. People in my community want a voice on the issues that matter to them—health, housing and, very importantly, education. I am passionate about ensuring all children have access to the best education and engagement in their education throughout their school journey so that they get the best opportunities to secure a job in the future and to have a secure future themselves.

With over 6,000 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in my electorate of Lindsay, truth-telling and understanding of our heritage and history deepens the relationships within our community. Cook's journey on the Endeavour to Australia holds historical and cultural significance for all Australians. The Endeavour encapsulates one of history's most storied maritime voyages of scientific exploration and discovery. As our Prime Minister Scott Morrison said, it contributed to making what Australia is today. The 2020 anniversary will see educational experiences along the ship's journey, to provide new generations with insight into this historic venture. We will encourage all Australians, on the anniversary, to take the opportunity to learn more about the voyage's contribution to knowledge, science and history and about its impact on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Sharing in this important process about this significant part of our nation's history will build on the path to reconciliation through open dialogue and a better understanding of our heritage and shared history.

The Cook 250-year anniversary also marks an important milestone in the repatriation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural heritage. The significance of over 60,000 years of Indigenous culture, society, art and language is captured in over 100,000 objects in museum exhibits around the world. The Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies is leading the Return of Cultural Heritage project, making great strides in bringing cultural heritage material back to the traditional owners and custodians of country. I am proud that the Morrison government is funding these important efforts to return items of such rich historical and cultural significance. This cultural heritage material plays a key role in the intergenerational transfer of knowledge and the continuation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and tradition.

The anniversary of the Endeavour's journey to Australia offers a chance to revisit and further understand an event that shaped our nation's history. We all share in this history. While some have recently arrived and others have a connection to this land spanning tens of thousands of years, the diversity of heritage strengthens our country and makes it what it is today. Understanding the many perspectives that form the complexity and diversity of Australia brings us closer together. I look forward to continuing the important local conversations that I've started with members of my community of Lindsay. I encourage people in my community to be part of the 250-year anniversary from the perspectives of both the ship and the shore.

See this speech in context