Unwelcome to Country

I AM a fifth generation Australian, born here almost 80 years ago, descended from a convict, a draper by trade, who was transported, accused of stealing a bolt of cloth. At the end of his term, this convict ancestor remained in Australia, where he became a well-respected schoolteacher. He married a free settler and raised a family.

Until recently, I had always considered myself a proud Australian citizen, who should work hard to contribute, to the best of my ability, for the growth of what I believed was “my country”. I was raised to accept all peoples regardless of skin colour or culture. I never doubted, that I was very lucky to live in the best country in the world. I very much valued friendships I made with indigenous people during my life.

The obsessive outpouring of “Welcome to Country” from the media, particularly the ABC, the almost pedantic inclusion of “First Nations’ People” in the media, the renaming of places and the constant political debate about “The Voice to Parliament”, coupled with ongoing condemnation of the behaviour of early English settlers and their descendants, has left me confused about my own existence. Who am I? Do I belong here? A great-great-grandfather of mine, a Scottish shepherd, sailed from England with a flock of sheep.  He acquired land in South Australia, becoming a pioneer of the Australian sheep industry. He raised his family there. Twenty years on in 1862, he acquired land in North Queensland. He walked there with his family and sheep, from South Australia.
During the first year on his new farm, while tending his sheep, both he and his dog were speared to death by Aboriginals. No doubt, he paid the penalty for not obtaining permission of the “First Nation’s People”, the custodians of the land, for his use of their land.

One of my great-grandfathers, an Irish-born doctor, sailed to Australia to establish a much needed, general practice clinic, in North Queensland. His descendants included my father and grandfather, both of whom became civil engineers of distinction, well-known and highly esteemed. Both leave a legacy of public works, named in their honour.
I had always been proud of them and their tireless perfectionist attitude toward their work. But in the current climate of obsessive acknowledgement of the “First Nation’s People”, coupled with constant criticism of British early settlers and their descendants, I now wonder if I should feel shame and embarrassment, for this “destruction” of country, perpetrated by my forebears. My father and grandfather, engineered strategic highways, bridges, levee banks, power stations, water supplies, airstrips, contributing to the infrastructure of this country, keeping pace with the world, as we know it today. Their efforts changed river courses and significantly altered landscapes, opening the land for further intrusion of immigrant people. I cannot imagine that permission was sought from First Nation’s custodians of the land, before any of these engineering projects were undertaken. I know my forebears believed they were doing the right thing for what they believed to be “their” country. The flavour of recent media outpouring leads me to believe that it would be appropriate for me to apologise to the descendants of those first peoples, whose lives were rudely impacted by this white men’s “progress”, engineered by my forebears!

Shame and embarrassment should replace my pride, at the sight of my family name displayed, to honour the works of these men. But no doubt, these names will soon disappear to be replaced with Aboriginal names. I am beginning to feel like an unwanted intruder, not welcome in this land. Do I have the moral right to continue to live here, in this country? Where else would I go? My ancestors were here. I have no living relatives that I know of in any other country. Should I approach the British Government to demand shelter and reparation, for their transportation of my ancestor? There will be many more people here like me, who can’t leave to go back to where they came from. Australia is the country they came from and the only country they know. Perhaps a “Voice to Parliament for Descendants of Convicts and Early Settlers”, could help us understand our place here?

Lyn Whitlam, Glen Forbes