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Drawing Together…art competition’ public launch speech
Australian Public Service Commissioner
9 March 2007
Welcome to this very exciting and inspiring event—the official launch of ‘Drawing Together… an art competition exploring reconciliation and promoting the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Public Service’.
I would like thank Matilda House for her gracious introduction and welcome to country, and to acknowledge any other Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders and descendants of all the people, families and communities, who contributed to the 1967 Referendum and who are with us today. I am also delighted to be able to welcome our APS Indigenous Ambassadors here today and participants on the Indigenous Leadership Programme.
We are gathered to not only participate in this launch but to respect, to acknowledge, to celebrate and to mark the 40 year anniversary of the 1967 Referendum through this wonderful ‘Drawing Together…’ initiative.
‘Drawing Together…’ is a truly unique opportunity to recognise this important chapter in Australia’s social and political history, and I am proud to be able to do this in partnership with my colleagues from the National Archives of Australia and the National Museum of Australia.
Let me draw a quick picture for you of the significance of the 1967 Referendum and why I believe it is important for the Australian Public Service to recognise and promote this anniversary.
The 1967 referendum came about as a result of a long and passionate campaign by the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. The campaign persuaded the Australian Government and the then Prime Minister, the Hon Harold Holt, to hold a national referendum, which saw amendments to the Constitution and overwhelming support for the advancement of Indigenous Australians. For the first time, Aboriginals were to be counted in our census and given access to the full range of Australian government services.
The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders was one of the earliest, and purest, forms of practical reconciliation. Here we had a group of individuals from all over Australia—Indigenous and non-Indigenous, educated and uneducated, old, young, pre-eminent and unknown—a group who were drawn together with a similar vision of achieving equality and civil rights for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders.
The overwhelming support and success of the 1967 Referendum continues to be remembered for the powerful portrait it presented to the Australian people and to the world, of an Australia that was both ready and willing to move forward together in the pursuit of equality for all. This year it is celebrated as a landmark event between Indigenous and non‑Indigenous Australians, a significant milestone towards achieving reconciliation between all Australians.
Reconciliation is about a society which values equality, diversity, and the contribution and participation of all. It is about an Australia that provides justice, equity and life choices for all. It is about the symbolic significance of a spirit of optimism and goodwill.
The 40 year anniversary is not only a timely opportunity to remember this occasion, but it is also an important opportunity to reflect on its implications. The employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people is one significant indicator of these implications.
As the Public Service Commissioner I am proud that the Australian Public Service is a major employer of Indigenous Australians. The Australian Public Service not only values the knowledge and insights Indigenous Australians bring to the workplace, but it prides itself on providing pathways to employment—offering Indigenous Australians access to diverse and exciting career opportunities around our magnificent country. Employment in the Australian Public Service is not only a foot in the door, but a step in the right direction for Indigenous Australians, their families and their communities.
The Commission is actively implementing a range of employment initiatives under the Government’s APS Employment and Capability Strategy for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees. I see this competition as a wonderful opportunity for us to promote to the wider community the benefits, challenges and rewards that an APS career can provide to Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders, and I look forward to spreading this message over the coming months. We know from our work that job satisfaction rates for Indigenous employees in the Australian Public Service are very high, so promoting our employment initiatives through this competition is a valuable opportunity for us.
So now, to the competition itself.
One of the most widely coveted, celebrated and culturally expressive components of Australia’s Indigenous people is their art. And what better way to mark the 40 year anniversary of the 1967 Referendum than to host a national public art competition that honours the beauty, truth and integrity an image can bring.
The visual concept we are asking artists to explore in their competition entries is reconciliation. Reconciliation is about all Australians coming together and taking full advantage of the opportunities that are available today. It is about all Australians moving forward together. This is the image we wish to convey and this is the challenge we are putting to Australian artists through ‘Drawing Together…an art competition exploring reconciliation and promoting the employment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Australian Public Service’.
However, this is far more than just an art competition…it is far more than just an exhibition. ‘Drawing Together…’ is a statement of active reconciliation. It is a means of artistic symbolism, of respect for and recognition of the significance of art in Indigenous culture, heritage and tradition. It is a date stamp in history to be told through art and passed down from generation to generation. It is a story of two distinct groups within our own country, an Australia no more than 40 years ago, who drew together in the face of adversity to not only achieve something inspiring but to change the face of Australia for decades to come.
The competition challenges all Australian artists to consider and explore the concept of reconciliation through drawing, painting or print. I am hoping that artists entering this competition will represent all components of Australian society, and that we will have a truly representative talent pool, to award the magnificent prizes we are offering. This is a competition open to every Australian – Indigenous and non-Indigenous, we want everyone to feel free to participate and drive further reconciliation.
Full information on the competition is available today. I encourage you to take a brochure, a postcard or two, and start spreading the word.
Under the Drawing Together... banner, we intend also to host an exhibition of some of Australia’s finest Indigenous artwork – artwork from the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Art Collection – which has been generously loaned to us by the Department of Families and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs. This prestigious exhibition will incorporate short listed pieces from the Drawing Together... competition, and will culminate in the presentation of major awards on July 11.
In closing I would like to thank my colleagues in those Australian Government agencies who have contributed their generous support to this initiative, namely:
- The Department of Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs;
- The Attorney-General’s Department
- The Treasury;
- Centrelink;
- The Department of Forestry, Fisheries and Agriculture - Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service;
- The Department of Health and Ageing; and
- The Australian Customs Service.
The generous support of my colleagues has resulted in us being able to offer total prize money in excess of $80,000 for this competition, which makes it once of the richest art competitions in the country.
And, as the saying goes “[Y]ou’ve got to be in it, to win it” so get painting everyone!
Most importantly, though, I would like to recognise and acknowledge the tremendous amount of support and assistance my staff have received from the National Archives of Australia and the National Museum of Australia. I look forward to us continuing this wonderful partnership as Drawing Together unfolds over the coming months.
A lot can happen in 40 years. Indigenous Australians have witnessed enormous change in that time. Let us use this wonderful competition to stand together, to welcome, nurture and support each other in the true spirit of reconciliation. Let us also use this competition to promote the Australian Public Service as an employer that welcomes, values and encourages its Indigenous employees to enjoy diverse and rewarding careers.
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