NAIDOC 2021 – Heal Country!

There is an acknowledge to country in both the Legislative Council and Assembly at the beginning of each sitting day and at the opening of each new Parliament. This year, Dr Richard Walley OAM performed the first Welcome to Country during a parliamentary sitting. Dr Walley spoke in both Noongar and English and played a song called Djinanginy Bo, which is to remind us of where we are, who we are, where we come from and who we are responsible for.

Opened in 2004, the Aboriginal Peoples Room and Gallery established a unique space to recognise the state’s First Peoples heritage and culture. View Parliaments Aboriginal Art Collection.

Indigenous voices have been strengthened in the Western Australian Parliament with the election of Rosie Sahanna, the first Indigenous person elected to the Legislative Council.

Indigenous people representation has continued with Divina D'Anna, MLA elected to the seat of Kimberley in the 2021 State Election. She succeeded Josie Farrer MLA who retired. Other indigenous members who have held this seat are Carol Martin the first indigenous woman to be elected to an Australian Parliament and Ernie Bridge the first Indigenous person to win a seat in the WA Parliament in 1980. Hon Ben Wyatt, MLA for Victoria Park became the first Indigenous person to become a Treasurer in any Australian Government.

Aboriginal people were formally recognised as the first people and traditional custodians of WA after MLA Josie Farrer’s Bill amending the State’s constitution passed through parliament in 2015. The then Premier Colin Barnett congratulated Josie Farrer, the member for Kimberley, who said it was an exciting and happy day.

Aboriginal Teacher and Student workbooks provide a culturally responsive and engaging resource for Aboriginal English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) students from remote and regional areas who are not able to visit Parliament House.