Dr Katrina Kell: "There was just not one mention of the original owners of the land and that's something that has continued right up until very recently. ... That, you know, basically, yes, "Let's pretend. Let's pretend there was no-one there. Let's pretend these people never

"He [James Liddell] didn't want to talk about the early days.  So that indicates a hiding I think.  Things that happened that he did not want to talk about share, or discuss and hopefully had an element of shame about, or whether it was just this was just this code of silence to

"We like to take pride in our families, don't we?  And of their achievements. And I think it is an inherited shame because part of the shame is, even through our family stories, is the fact that we didn't learn anything about this.  We were never told anything about this so there

Tim Goodwin, Counsel Assisting: "Why do you think it is important for all non-Indigenous Australians to face the nation's violent past with honest and critical eyes, in your words?" Dr Katrina Kell: "Because that is who we are. That is what this nation Is. If non-Indigenous

"You know, if we want to be able to hold our heads high and be part of that story, we need to own up and face what's really happened here.  And I don't think that's really been done very well up until this point, so this truth-telling process is a wonderful way of beginning that

"Accept that there could be things that you will discover that you are not happy about, that you are disappointed to learn that your ancestors have been involved with but to think about it as a duty of care to First Nations people and to this country and to this nation and making

"I would just like to say how sorry I am, deeply, genuinely sorry. That this is something this loss of land, this theft of land that you have experienced, the genocide, the terrible atrocities that have been inflicted on you and that my ancestor was clearly aware of that and very

Chair Bourke: "I thank everyone that's come before us so far and I thank the people that are watching today. I also welcome the way in which everybody spoke today openly and frankly to us and I like the idea that you seem to feel reasonably comfortable before us. I think

That brings us to the end of the Descendants Day hearing. Thank you for following. The evidence presented by witnesses today helps build a shared understanding of Victoria’s colonial history and shows truth-telling isn’t a process only for First Peoples to take part in. All

"If we want to be able to hold our heads high and be part of that story, we need to own up and face what's really happened here. And I don't think that's really been done very well up until this point, so this truth-telling process is a wonderful way of beginning that and

“It is distressing to consider, as his descendant, that he may have perpetrated some of the violence.” - Dr Katrina Kell, descendant of Captain James Liddell. Follow us to stay updated on truth-telling for First Peoples in Victoria. theage.com.au/politics/victo… #DescendantsDay

Today we've heard evidence from three non-Indigenous people to help build a shared understanding of Victoria’s colonial history. The Descendants Day hearing has shown truth-telling isn’t a process only for First Peoples to take part in. All Victorians have a role to play. We

"When we understand what has happened in the past and how this impacts the present, we can create a better future and have a better understanding between all Victorians." Chair Eleanor Bourke closes Descendants Day hearing with gratitude and encouragement to other Victorians to

Spotlight on Victoria's colonial history at truth-telling commission abc.net.au/listen/program… via ABC Australia

"For years, Peter Sharp thought his great-grandfather – Australia’s second prime minister – was an honourable man and a great defender of Aboriginal rights. As a child, his grandmother said Alfred Deakin – her father – was a “wonderful man”, “a storyteller” and a “playful”

"I am regularly challenged by people's surprise or even shock that we live and work and generally carry on our day-to-day lives so close to the massacre site." - Elizabeth Balderstone Read full article below from the ABC abc.net.au/news/2024-09-0…

"My hope from today is that other landholders let go that angst of worrying that land will be resumed or impacts on what they are wanting to do... it's a shared journey and I hope that others will see that." Elizabeth Balderstone, property owner of the Warrigal Creek Massacre

"Researching and critically analysing my ancestor's role in facilitating the theft of Gunditjmara land and the abhorrent treatment of Aboriginal people in South-Western Victoria has been confronting but also cathartic. "I believe all non-Indigenous Australians must face this