Gippsland › Latest news › Latrobe Local NewsReg is on a passionate path towards ReconciliationLessons learned through a lifetime of experiences and sometimes the school of hard knocks, have obviously influenced Reg Lawrence Lessons learned through a lifetime of experiences and sometimes the school of hard knocks, have obviously influenced Latrobe City’s Koorie Liaison Officer, Reg Lawrence, and shaped his optimistic outlook on life. Reg is a man of passion, a man of mixed Koorie and Italian descent, who has an uncanny knack of understanding the complexities of Australia’s indigenous and non-indigenous societies and the path towards reconciliation, and the need for a harmonious respect for other people’s views. His view of Aboriginal reconciliation as an ongoing process of understanding and learning by indigenous and non-indigenous peoples qualifies him to be taken very seriously and begs the question, ‘why aren’t more people thinking this way?’. "In the same way that the non-indigenous community need to understand the cultural heritage, the respect for the land and the problems faced by indigenous communities now and in the past, our own people have to recognise their own potential and get up to speed with the world in which they live today. We have to learn ourselves," Reg said. "Our own people need to aim high and recognise they really have got the talents and expertise to achieve whatever they want to, if they set their mind to it. We see examples of this in our daily lives, Aden Ridgeway and Cathy Freeman are two examples of indigenous people who have made it to the top, who inspire our people, and more of our people need to recognise that they can make it to. But we also need the broader community to encourage them, recognise where they may be restrained, and ensure they can reach their potential." Reg is enthusiastic about Latrobe City’s role in embracing an understanding of indigenous issues, and its relationship with the indigenous community. "Latrobe was a municipal leader in recognising its indigenous community and forging a meaningful relationship between Council and indigenous people. By recognising and consulting with indigenous people, and forging bonds through the Braiakaulung Committee, Council embarked on a path that ultimately led to saying ‘sorry’ and working towards policies that reflected respect for indigenous peoples and their culture. The ‘sorry’ business is over now – we have moved on," Mr Lawrence said. Reg said that the ceremonies and events of Reconciliation Week provided an ideal opportunity to build relationships. "Reconciliation Week, Sorry Day and NAIDOC Week all provide the whole community with opportunities to learn from and respect each other. The Flag Raising ceremony at Lowanna College in Moe at the commencement of Reconciliation Week is a marking point for instance. Three flags were raised, the Aboriginal flag, Torres Strait Islands flag and Australian flag; symbolising a sign of respect by indigenous and non-indigenous communities for each other. Wednesday’s Reconciliation Barbecue was a great success and a way in which relationships can be built. It’s a form of traditional gathering, yet done in today’s environment blending tradition into a modern Aussie barbecue," Reg explained. Reg is not shy about exposing the background that moulded him and his outlook on life. Born in Toowoomba, he was reared by his grandparents on the Cherbourg Mission in Queensland. "I ran away from there in my teens because of racism. A works’ foreman where I was engaged building houses, taunted us with racial slurs on an everyday basis and if we didn’t like it we could lose what jobs and pay we had, and I left thinking there must be a better way. I joined my father-in-law and travelled over the country where our people originally came from, around Cooktown, and picked up on politics, ceremonial language, and the culture of our own clan and the thirteen or fourteen other clans from up north. I studied at the Queensland Institute of Technology, a Queensland unit of TAFE, and University," Reg explained. Reg’s interest in politics and indigenous issues saw him at the forefront of what in hindsight became Australia’s first reconciliation wake-up call to the growing momentum of opinion demanding a move towards indigenous recognition. That was the establishment of the Aboriginal tent embassy on the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra. Reg freely admits he was a bit of a stirrer at the time and got knocked about a bit for his troubles. "In later life I taught and studied at TAFE in Albury Wodonga, did bible studies and got involved in working with indigenous people in central NSW. I started doing liaison work with the local Council and Albury Wodonga Tourism, and I guess one of my most satisfactory achievements was getting the highly successful Bogong Moth Festival off the ground. More recently I moved to Warragul to live and work with the indigenous people of this area, and when the job of Koorie Liaison Officer came up at Latrobe City, I applied and was appointed," Reg added. Reg said he saw part of his role with Council as informing Council better on issues with an indigenous perspective, and working with the indigenous and non-indigenous communities on the road to greater understanding. "We need to focus a lot more on our own people, than just on things Council can do. What I am saying to our young people is ‘don’t wait for it to happen, get out and do it!’. It would be absolutely fantastic for there to be an indigenous Councillor here in Latrobe, but our people need to recognise in themselves that many of them are quite capable of being leaders in the wider community, and bite the bullet and stand as a candidate. They must understand they can do it," Reg concluded. Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: latrobecity@gippslander.com
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