Recognition through a Voice

The History Council of New South Wales (HCNSW) is the peak body for history in the state and consists of representatives from cultural and educational institutions, local history groups and heritage organisations. The HCNSW embraces and advocates studying the past and telling its stories as foundational to our sense of belonging, to our communities, to our economic well-being and to our shared future. 

The HCNSW recognises the profound importance of the Referendum concerning an Indigenous Voice to Parliament. We acknowledge past injustices: that First Nations’ lands were seized without treaty, that massacres occurred, that families were separated, and that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were denied basic human rights. We recognise that, despite overt and structural discrimination and extreme disadvantage, First Nations cultures remain strong and vital. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities hold deep knowledge about our shared history, about how to care for Country and for each other, and we will listen closely.

The HCNSW highlights truth-telling and the voices of Australia’s First Peoples as a critical element of the Value of History.

The General Council of the HCNSW supports the Voice to Parliament to be enshrined in the Australian Constitution and encourages members, and all those who value learning from the past, to do so as well.

To find out more about the Voice to Parliament, click here.

Image Credit:  Australian Government Media Resources for “The Voice” campaign, accessible via the link above.