Aunty Esme Bamblett from the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria addresses Synod 2025 today.
As Uniting Church members at Synod 2025 today resolved to take the first step towards exploring options for offering redress for historic injustices suffered by Victoria’s First Peoples, they were given a powerful reminder of why the issue is so important to indigenous Victorians.
The reminder came from Aunty Esme Bamblett from the First Peoples’ Assembly of Victoria, who outlined why legislation to go before State Parliament soon to enshrine a Treaty matters so much.
Aunty Esme told Synod 2025 that while the formal process to legislate a Treaty only emerged a decade ago, it had long been a goal for indigenous Victorians.
“Treaty is about justice and of generations of legacy,” she said.
“Uncle William Cooper asked the Government for this in 1938, and Pastor Doug Nicholls wanted the same thing.
“Treaty should have happened 235 years ago when non-Aboriginal people came here, because this country was our country.
“Sovereignty has never been ceded, so Treaty is about giving back to us what should have happened a long time ago.”
Shortly before Aunty Esme spoke, Synod members resolved to instruct the Synod Standing Committee to approve the terms of reference for the establishment of a working group to respond to two recommendations contained in the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s recent Final Reports.
The two recommendations call on Churches in Victoria to identify land that could be returned to the state’s First Peoples, and to share with them the proceeds from the sale of any Church land.
Aunty Esme told Synod members the Yoorrook Justice Commission’s work had shone a powerful light on past injustices suffered by Victoria’s First Peoples.
“The Yoorrook Justice Commission was set up to find out the truth, because very few people know that truth,” she said.
“Very few people know what happened in this country, what happened to my people, and of the massacres, the stolen children, taking people off country and putting them in country somewhere else, and stopping them from speaking their language.
“Now we are saying it’s time to turn that around.”
Aunty Esme said annual Australia Day celebrations throughout the country illustrated why a Treaty mattered so much.
“I use this analogy: If you came to my house and knocked on my door and said ‘I’m taking over your house and you can go and live in the shed, and one day we’ll have a celebration every year on the day we took over your house and you’re going to celebrate with me’, would you do it?” Aunty Esme asked.
“I don’t think so, and that is why we don’t want to celebrate Australia Day.
“And it’s why we want a Treaty, because we want recognition for who we are, the first and traditional owners of country.
“Treaty is about saying we recognise you.”
Aunty Esme Bamblett with Leprena UAICC Tasmania’s Alison Overeem and UAICC Victoria’s Rev Will Pickett today.
As the Treaty legislation nears Parliament, Aunty Esme warned we needed to be ready for a disinformation campaign from those opposed to it.
Uniting Church members, she said, had a role to play in combating that disinformation.
“When this opposition comes I want you all to be an upstander, not a bystander,” she said.
“Too many people are bystanders (and) I think the Church has been a bystander because it doesn’t want to get into politics, but bad things happen when you don’t get involved.”
In explaining what a Treaty meant to her as a Christian, Aunty Esme recited two verses from Scripture.
“He has told you O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you.
“But to do justice and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God.” Micah 6:8
“But let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never failing stream.” Amos 5:24
“That’s what God says, not what I say, or the Government says,” Aunty Esme said.
“As people belonging to God we should be looking for justice, and Treaty is about justice.
“Treaty is about our people, Aboriginal people, receiving that justice and that has never happened in this country.”
Moderator Rev Salesi Faupula said the Synod 2025 theme of ‘Pilgrims of the Spirit’ held us accountable, and charges us, to listen deeply, to seek justice and face reconciliation.
“We are deeply grateful that you could share your time with us, and there is a longing to share this struggle because the Spirit holds us accountable,” Salesi said to Aunty Esme.
