Page 243 - Week 01 - Thursday, 9 December 2004
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our democracy and to recognise it, not as an institution or a foundation, but as a process for change.
The history of the Eureka Stockade is not limited to those events on that day in December in Ballarat. The Eureka flag is not a symbol of the political or ideological views of those groups who have flown it as a symbol of rebellion, both those groups who have my support and those with whom I passionately disagree. It is not a symbol of the views necessarily of the miners of the rebellion; rather the history of Eureka is constantly being created every time the flag is foisted and every time we, as a community, engage in our democracy and in struggle for what is right and what is fair.
The Eureka rebellion was, in itself, a short-lived event. In fact, within 15 minutes of the commencement of the attack of the colonial military force, the stockade itself had been destroyed. The legacy of Eureka has, in this 150th anniversary, been proven to be much more enduring. This motion works further to ensure that the legacy of Eureka, our commitment to ongoing debate and a process of democratic change, withstands the test of time.
The federal member for Ballarat, Catherine King, has worked throughout this year to ensure that the commonwealth parliament accords the Eureka rebellion the appropriate consideration in the year of its 150th anniversary. Similarly, a senator for Victoria, Gavin Marshall, moved a motion in the Senate that saw the Eureka flag displayed from a flagstaff in public view on the anniversary of the battle of the Eureka Stockade.
Yet it is worth noting, as this motion does, that we are right in retaining a small disappointment in that, as we celebrate our democracy through the spirit of Eureka, the federal government, which, for so many schoolchildren in our territory and beyond, is representative of that very democracy, is operating in a vacuum. It is a shame that the Prime Minister and senior federal government ministers have not bothered publicly to recognise the contribution of Eureka to the development of our democracy and, further, that they are not doing so for political reasons.
Perhaps their silence echoes the real purpose of this motion today and the importance of the continued commemoration of the Eureka rebellion. Democracy is not just about this house of assembly, nor the other that faces our proud Eureka flag on City Hill. It is about those schoolchildren and their future, and their willingness to engage in the democracy that they will inherit and create.
The motion before you suggests one means of commemoration, that is, the introduction of a calendar note marking the date of the Eureka Stockade—a small symbol but, I believe, a powerful one. Other significant dates that are celebrated and acknowledged through calendar notes are NAIDOC week, Remembrance Day and Mabo day. These dates are of significant relevance to the history of Australia and are celebrated accordingly.
Initially a day of remembrance to recognise the oppression and the struggle of indigenous people, NAIDOC week embodies a historical commitment to celebrate the struggles and cultures of indigenous Australians. The week provides an opportunity for all ACT government schools to become involved with projects involving Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and to explore the long and ardent fight indigenous people
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