Australians are increasingly embracing an open-hearted process of reconciliation with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. History and historians are central to how we discover and give voice to often difficult truths from the past. Acknowledging painful histories and seeking ways forward together are at the core of reconciliation, as many societies around the world have found. 

This panel discussion outlines three different journeys of reconciliation, then asks how we can learn from them to shape the best possible future in our own country. Hosted on the bamal (lands) and badu (waters) of the Gadigal people of the Eora nation, this session is open to all.

The panel will include Kenny Bedford, Dr Roland Leikauf and Dr Harry Hobbs. It will be led by Matt Poll, Manager of Indigenous Programs at the Australian National Maritime Museum. 

Topics and panelists:

Kenny Bedford is a Traditional Owner from the Meuram Clan of Erub in the Torres Strait Islands. Kenny is former Deputy Mayor on Torres Trait Islander Regional Council and served his region as the Torres Strait Regional Authority Member for Erub. As such he held the Torres Strait Fisheries portfolio over a significant decade of fisheries development for his peoples. He has since become a founding Director of the Torres Strait community-owned trading company, Zenadth Kes Fisheries. Kenny has his own consultancy business, Indigenous Initiative and Innovation. He also sits on the Boards of Reconciliation Australia and the My Pathway Group and is a member of the National NAIDOC Committee and the Australian National Maritime Museum Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Advisory Board. Most of his current time and energy, however, is focused on helping to lead community Engagement with the Yes23 campaign for the upcoming Referendum for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Constitutional Recognition.

Changing Goals of Reconciliation – the German Post-war Experience

Dr Roland Leikauf is the Curator for Post-war Immigration at the Australian National Maritime Museum. He worked for museums in Germany as a curator and historian, and as a freelance historian on numerous public history projects. His PhD “Welcome to my Bunker”, which was published by Transcript Publishing in Germany, analysed different strategies of memory construction on the websites of veterans of the Second War in Indochina.

Waitangi and Treaty Settlements in Aotearoa New Zealand: Lessons for Australia

Dr Harry Hobbs is an experienced constitutional lawyer working at the forefront of academic research and legal and political debate on Indigenous-State treaty making. He has published more than 45 articles in peer-reviewed journals, and is the author of “Indigenous Aspirations and Structural Reform in Australia” (2021), and the second edition of “Treaty” (2020) (with George Williams), among other books.

Tickets are $10 each and are non-refundable.

The speakers will be paid and any profits will be given to Reconciliation Australia.

Image: Narrabeen beach, c.1910. Australian National Maritime Museum ANMS0519[022].