Thanks for this. I do caution using Bruce Pascoe as a source- the jury is quite out on some of his findings but I do try to keep an open eye about it. Certainly he created a discussion. Other Aboriginal historians have criticised his work.

For the rest, I absolutely agree. In my own family, my great grandfather was a blackbirds, effectively a slave owner of islanders who worked his cane farms. Yet also my cousins are Blak Torres Strait Islanders and, though very loosely, I am related to Chrstine Anu and even Eddie Mabo.

So I have both sides in my own family tree. What is interesting is my own father is racist as hell and we grew up hearing horrible jokes about Aborigines. My first wife's family was much the same. I didn't encounter many in my youth, just see the odd one homeless etc. But then I moved to the Northern Territory and I met Aborigines in various communities and you would not find a more wonderful and kind people on this Earth. I did a full 180 and became an advocate for indigenous rights and the beautiful thing is my siblings, who we never discussed this issue prior, all went on their own journey to the same conclusion.

Referendums are done for two reasons, one to get something through that you are confident will pass. The second is to have a vote that you are confident will fail and put to the bed the idea for some time. The Republic vote in Australia and independence vote in Scotland went ahead with the second in mind.

The PM of Australia had to be naive to bring the matter to Referendum or he knew the outcome- which has had States walk back treaty negotiations, a rise in anti-Aboriginal sentiment and means something like the Voice won't be considered again for a decade at least, let alone a nationwide treaty. A travesty.