Paul Keating speech on impact of European settlement on Indigenous Australia (1992) | ABC Australia

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In the early 1990s Paul Keating's Labor government put Aboriginal reconciliation high on the agenda, establishing the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation in 1991 then following up the High Court's Mabo decision in 1992 with native title legislation in 1993.
In December 1992, Keating launched Australia's program for the International Year of the World's Indigenous People with this now famous address to a largely Indigenous crowd at Redfern Park in Sydney.
He was the first Prime Minister to acknowledge the impact of European settlement on Indigenous Australians. The address reflected a changing official interpretation of Australian history which better accommodated the Aboriginal experience.
The speech was arguably a curtain-raiser for the history wars of the Howard years: the following year historian Geoffrey Blainey observed that the 'three cheers' view of Australian history had given way to the 'black armband' view, a phrase which the newly elected John Howard adopted with alacrity in a speech in 1996.
In another sense Keating's Redfern speech paved the way for a formal apology to Indigenous Australians for past government practices, an apology which nevertheless took another 15 years to come.
Aboriginal leader Patrick Dodson said in 2007 that Keating's Redfern address was 'a great speech because it was about leadership, principle and courage... He placed before Australians the truths of our past and the sad reality of our contemporary society. He laid down the challenge for our future, as a nation united and at peace with its soul.'
The spontaneous crowd reactions to the speech are a testament to its power at the time, and are worth listening out for in this edited version of the speech.
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[@daddioduggio7612]

Why isn’t this speech one of the greatest of all time

[@SSMMTTEE]

It is!

[@fremantlesheila7632]

Highly agree !!! 🎤🙂

[@Ishu707]

Cause no substantial change occurred after the speech.

[@funkiyak]

It is a good speech. But ultimately it was just words. There was no determined push from his government, nor from those which followed, to rectify the injustices suffered, if injustice even begins to encapsulate the losses born by indigenous Australians. The best that was offered was a program to “help” them assimilate the new culture, and begin, from the bottom - and without any boost of land and resources acquired without payment - to assume a place among the other underprivileged classes of that culture to undertake a fool’s errand of rising to the heights of greed that the new order so revered. An errand that is impossible from that starting place, and also without true reward or value - especially for one from without that culture and who never willingly chose to become part of that culture.

[@daveb3987]

@@funkiyak Keating launched a Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation which brought forward a number of recommendations through the "Bringing Them Home Report" - by the time the process was complete, Howard was PM and refused to accept facts in the report about genocide. He then basically tossed it out. So because of him, he sidelined the entire reconciliation process and delayed it until Rudd. Without Keating, things wouldn't have even started. Had he won in 1996, reconciliation would have been reached as Australia became a republic.

[@aughalough1]

Paul Keating was always doing the right thing by Australians.

[@clevelandwilliams5922]

I love how you have Eureka Flag on your profile and he wanted that flag to be symbol of new Australia after we became a Republic

[@daniello9155]

Oh yes, the recession we had to have. Housing interest rates 18%, unemployment. While he makes money on his piggery and was wearing $3000 Italian made suits and at the same time telling everyone to buy Australian made. Reduced tariffs on imports and decimating locally made products. What a hypocrite, typical lefty - do as I say not as I do.

[@noahcount7132]

Better late than never! Unite and devote yourselves to unity, Australians.

[@td23asus]

Succeed in this decade. If only Paul. Then Howard came in.

[@robsmithadventures1537]

A decent man. Much respect.

[@paulaeglington]

When Australia had good leadership because there was Compassion, Vision and Integrity.

[@Annie-pj4mm]

Vision Vision Vision Born in Sydney a daughter of Italian Migrants. It has taken me a lifetime of observation and objectivity to fully understand. Understand what has happened and continues to happen to the souls of these spiritual people. I know that we, I cannot be free and at peace in this country until we all understand.

[@abbeymclaren6778]

The most eloquent of Prime Minister's.. thank U Paul.x

[@michaelchristofis7778]

Prime minister telling the truth. Paul your a legend.

[@UnityOneLove247]

I love Paul Keating ❤️ so much, he is like a father to us. Both White Australians and Aboriginal Australians.

[@irena.el.o4198]

That's the truth Paul.

[@geoffphil]

Keating showed the strength of character and decency to try and do what's right, despite the political risk. The polar opposite of Howard and Morrison.

[@ansom5805]

They got you, just watched USA tv and you are mentioned, justice along time coming

[@peregrinemccauley5010]

Anthony Valentine , Paul Keating . There is an connection .

[@chadstratton6701]

Saying sorry means you don't do it again

[@alandolan7125]

Still so moving to this day

[@sfdntk]

"How would I feel if this were done to me". That one statement sums up the massive difference between left and right politics.

[@roybennett9284]

And yet black death in custody remains a work in fiction , recondmendations put forward nothing done...shame to be Australian.

[@jfkfitirjdjjsisieirirjfjdj5967]

yes,this is the truth,that takes so much courage and strength to admit this 👍🏾

[@ianjones7740]

Yeah, but, I didn’t do that. And ! No person alive today did it. 39 billion for 3.8 % IS ENOUGH !

[@isahighlander4825]

One should compare such a speech to the 2009 apologies to forgotten Australians, and stolen children, given to those of their own.

[@billy4147]

and 30 years on, how little we have done.

[@creeib]

Best speech ever ❤

[@karendowe2269]

Thanks for caring 🥰

[@chrisgriffiths2533]

Keating's message of Hope for the Aboriginal Effort was Important at the Time. However, Some Detail missing from his Facts here. Also more Quality of Governance was needed by Him on the Reality of Aboriginal Australia in the Modern World. The Good News Now is that The Aboriginal People No Longer Need The Settler Community to Help Them. The Aboriginal People have All They Need to Live a Good Life.

[@stupendous1068]

Happy 80th birthday Paul Keating!!!

[@tareksabra3697]

Greatest Australian prime minister of all time.

[@thedolphin5428]

An odd speech. The WORDS were great, but woodenly delivered. Not passionately from his heart that day. Like he hadn't even read it the night before.

[@LeonFelixRusso]

Wrong. It was a very solemn occasion. The delivery was dignified, unlike the foamy-mouthed arm waving histrionics of any Conservative you can name.

[@jjones81963]

Vote yes

[@valixrae]

Nearly 20 years later and it's gotten so much worse.

[@beepbeep6861]

What has gotten worse.

[@tomfalkingham6942]

Racism. It's off the hook. @@beepbeep6861

[@trebell885]

There is an underlying stress in every society, alcohol tobacco & other drug's.

[@ForeverBennett]

Our last great PM.

[@rngJs-wi2sd]

Anyone from school

[@783342]

And the Queen and G-G said buggerall about any of this. I say get the Union Jack off our flag and incorporate the Aboriginal flag on it artistically now., where it belongs.

[@lesleyanne5341]

I entirely agree with this, been saying it for years

[@squidjames7735]

They just kissed buttocks of the us and uk again … aukus. Will be a while yet 🫤

[@geesewantedforwarcrimes8911]

granougle

[@jameswally9327]

Best pm ever

[@jchri132]

In otherwords. We came we conquered and replaced your heaven on earth with car parks.

[@ctw8735]

dig wells Elon. Then rockets. Leave your mark here first bro. We'll love you more for solving it

[@connappliedscience4973]

All true Paul. But living in the past means the future is dim. The victim mentality leaves one trapped forever.

[@squidjames7735]

Ok sonny boi

[@daveb3987]

Acknowledging the past allows us to move forward together into the future.

[@malcolmx3926]

the main problem in racial discrimination is creed and beliefs . in the usa and europe they teach children Darwinian evolution and read books like "The Descent of Man" inwhitch non white Europeans are referred to as "savages" by darwin . and christians worship a white man god . 🤔 Unfortunately, because of these theories such as Darwin's racist theory and some strange ideas, racism has spread and been justified. As an example ,The tragedy of George Floyd wasn't because of cops, or even systematic racism or US politics. All these Americans and Euros have been raised on this tacit idea that they're genetically and culturally and racially superior. This bloody cop just brought out what's dormant in most of them. Remember the skull measurements in the 20th century and the human zoo's of Europe where they used to display captured Aboriginal people in open air zoo's less than 100 years ago. To End racism, we must first get rid of its main sources.

[@pumpkinsunshine9696]

Not enough, just leave the lands to show you truly are sorry. :

[@dnw009]

I'm pretty sure you'd either have to make the half aboriginees leave with them or stay regardless of which you wouldn't have a nation anymore. There are currently by 2016 measures around 800k aboriginees. Only 3.3% of the nations citizens. One cannot be held responsible for the crimes of their ancestors they can only treat those who are now free with them as best as they would a non aboriginee.

[@laurenspriggs1621]

@@dnw009 The way to treat those people best is by referring to them respectfully, not with an archaic label that has been rejected by the community you are using it to refer to.

[@glennplumb2313]

we would never disrespect our indigenous population by calling them a community we know our history we have over 100 separate indigenous tribes who all speak a different language you make out like all Natives are represented by 1 spokesmen I think you underestimate how big & vast Australia is😂

[@michaelnoon6876]

this has happened in every country in the world at some point,get on with your life

[@squidjames7735]

Nothing intelligent to add, I suggest zipping it

[@andyshepard4309]

A legendary and honorable speech. Too bad he sacrificed his patriotism for China

[@wei270]

what if he didn't, why would some one like that side with china over Australia?

[@peterclaine4157]

Pig's, he tried to make aussies aware of the region of the world, they live and work in. PERIOD.

[@spudlynicholas1036]

Ahead of his time on many things

[@MrCites1]

Can we complain about Roman Empire injustices too?

[@athak31]

What do you mean?

[@mrcyberfish1]

@@athak31 Most of the white population are descended from Romes slaves. Most of the whites in Australia were not convicts but were the victims of war or having their lands stolen and the people impoverished to the point of starvation. So they fled to the other side of the planet to start again as cheap labour for the English Empire. We all have a history of slavery and oppression in our past. No one is enslaved in Australia now except maybe for the taxpayers.

[@lizziebkennedy7505]

Not here. This isn't about that. Go do it on your channel instead of constant whataboutism. Justice for First Australians is needed NOW. It's not history.

[@donovancannon9106]

So what?

[@markwalshopoulos]

No current state is a direct successor to Rome, Australia is a direct successor to British colonies. Nevermind that many horrible actions like stealing kids form aboriginals happened when Australia was independent