John Alexander (Bennelong, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to inform the House about some important celebrations that occurred last week in my electorate of Bennelong in support of NAIDOC Week. This week is an important opportunity for all Australians to recognise the rich history and culture of Australia's Indigenous and Torres Strait Islander communities. The name of my electorate, Bennelong, was named after the famous Indigenous Australian Woollarawarre Bennelong who helped reconcile conflict between the British and the native peoples of the land. I take great pride in my area, which was originally home to the Guringa and Darug peoples of the Eora nation. The British arrived in Botany Bay just over 200 years ago; the Indigenous peoples of this country have been here for over 40,000 years.

Recently I attended the NAIDOC Week citizenship ceremony at Ryde Civic Hall, an event where new citizens of Australia learnt about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and immersed themselves in their traditions. It is very important that we continue to improve relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people so we can find common ground and live together in good faith. My dear friend, Ken Wyatt, the Minister for Indigenous Australians, has asked us all to work together, and I'm sure we will.