Something remarkable has happened in Victoria. After 236 years of colonisation, the State and First Peoples have tabled a Treaty to Parliament. Not a symbolic gesture, not another report destined for a dusty shelf, but a real, legally binding agreement that fundamentally changes the relationship between First Peoples and the State.
This is a moment our Ancestors dreamed of. A moment our Elders fought for. A moment our children will thank us for.
Let me tell you why this matters, not just for First Peoples, but for every single person who calls Australia home.
We Are Still Here: The Strength of 60,000 Years
First, let's ground ourselves in a truth that often gets lost in political debates: First Peoples have been caring for these lands for over 60,000 years. That's not a typo. Sixty thousand years of continuous culture of languages perfectly adapted to describe this Country, of sustainable land management, of complex governance systems, of art and story and song.
We survived ice ages. We survived volcanic eruptions. We survived sea level changes that transformed the landscape. And yes, we survived colonisation – though it came closer to destroying us than any natural disaster ever did.
In just twenty years after colonisation began in Victoria, our population was reduced by 90%. Our children were stolen. Our languages were banned. Our sacred sites were destroyed. We were forced onto missions, controlled by laws that dictated where we could live, whom we could marry, and whether we could keep our own children.
And yet, here we are. Still connected to Country. Still practicing culture. Still strong.
That's not just resilience, that's love. Love for Country, love for culture, love for our children and their children's children. It's that love that brought us to this Treaty table, ready to build something better together.
The Long Journey to Treaty: Patience, Persistence, and Purpose
The path to Treaty has been paved by generations of First Peoples who never gave up believing in justice, even when justice seemed impossible.
In the 1930s, William Cooper walked from Melbourne to Canberra to petition for Aboriginal representation – they wouldn't even let him in the building. In 1972, the Tent Embassy was established on the lawns of Parliament House, and it still stands today. The 1988 Barunga Statement called for Treaty. The 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart offered a generous invitation to walk together.
Each generation carried the flame forward, knowing they might not see the outcome in their lifetime but believing it would come. Today, in Victoria, it has.
Victoria began this journey in 2016, becoming the first state to commit to Treaty. It wasn't perfect from the start, nothing ever is. But what mattered was that they started. They listened. They learned. They created space for First Peoples to lead.
The result?
The Advancing the Treaty Process with Aboriginal Victorians Act 2018, Australia's first Treaty legislation. The First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria, the first democratically elected Indigenous representative body in the state's history.
And now, this Treaty.
Understanding the Difference: Treaty vs The Voice
It's important to address why Victoria's Treaty has succeeded where the federal Voice to Parliament referendum did not. These are fundamentally different approaches, and understanding this difference helps explain why Treaty has such strong support in Victoria.
The Voice was about constitutional recognition and creating an advisory body at the federal level. It asked for the right to be consulted. Treaty, on the other hand, is about agreement-making and actual decision-making power. It's not asking for a voice, it's establishing partnership.
The numbers tell the story: while the Voice received about 40% support nationally, Treaty in Victoria consistently polls at 60-65% support. Why? Because Victoria spent years building understanding, demonstrating what practical reconciliation looks like, and showing that when First Peoples lead, everyone benefits.
Federal vs State: Why Victoria Can Lead the Way
Here's something that might surprise you: states have enormous power to create change. Victoria doesn't need Canberra's permission to recognise First Peoples' rights, to establish representative bodies, or to negotiate agreements.
The state controls education, so it can mandate truth-telling in schools. It controls health services, so it can fund Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisations. It controls the justice system, so it can implement culturally appropriate programs that actually reduce reoffending.
While the federal government continues to fail on 14 of its 19 Closing the Gap targets, Victoria is showing what's possible when you stop treating First Peoples as problems to be managed and start treating us as partners in solutions.
Myth-Busting: Because Some Arguments Never Get Old (Just Tiresome)
Now, let's address the elephant in the room, or should I say, the tired old arguments that get wheeled out every time First Peoples make progress. Honestly, at this point, these myths are like that relative at Christmas dinner who tells the same stories every year. We've heard them before, they weren't true then, and they're not true now.
"Treaty will divide us by race!"
Oh, this old chestnut. You know what's actually divisive? The current statistics. Indigenous people dying younger, being locked up more, having our children removed at devastating rates. Treaty creates partnership and shared solutions. It brings us together to solve problems, not perpetuates them. Time to find a new argument – this one's past its expiry date.
"They'll take our backyards!"
Sigh. No, nobody's coming for your quarter-acre block. Treaty doesn't change land ownership. Native Title and Treaty are completely separate legal processes. Your property is safe. Your backyard is safe. Your garden gnomes are safe. Can we move on now?
"Why should my tax dollars pay for this?"
Here's a revelation: your tax dollars already fund Indigenous programs. Lots of them. Programs designed in Canberra by people who've never set foot in the communities they're meant to serve. Treaty redirects existing funding to solutions designed by communities themselves. It's not more money – it's the same money spent intelligently. Revolutionary, right?
"It's apartheid!"
This one's particularly rich. Treaty creates inclusive decision-making structures where First Peoples have a say in issues that affect them. You know, like how farmers have a say in agricultural policy, or doctors in health policy. It's called expertise and lived experience. Look it up.
"First Peoples already get special treatment!"
If by "special treatment" you mean featuring prominently in all the wrong statistics, then sure. Treaty addresses systemic disadvantage. It levels the playing field; it doesn't tilt it. But if you're really concerned about special treatment, might I interest you in some statistics about private school funding?
Look, we get it. Change can be scary. But these arguments? They're not just wrong; they're boring. It's 2025. Time to update the rhetoric.
What Treaty Actually Delivers: Real Change, Real Outcomes
Let's talk about what Treaty actually does, because when you strip away the fearmongering, it's beautifully practical and hopeful.
Gellung Warl: Self-Determination in Action
Treaty establishes Gellung Warl, a democratically elected body where First Peoples make decisions about First Peoples' affairs. This isn't radical, it's common sense. Who better to design Indigenous health programs than Indigenous health professionals? Who better to create education curricula about First Peoples' history than First Peoples themselves?
This is what self-determination looks like in practice: communities identifying their own priorities, designing their own solutions, and having the resources to implement them.
Truth-Telling in Education: Growing Wiser Together
Every Victorian child will learn the true history of this land, the full story, not just the comfortable bits. They'll learn about the oldest living culture on Earth, about sustainable land management practices developed over millennia, about languages and knowledge systems of incredible sophistication.
Yes, they'll also learn about the difficult parts, the frontier wars, the Stolen Generations, the policies of exclusion and control. But they'll learn it in age-appropriate ways that build understanding, not guilt.
Because here's the thing: when children grow up knowing the truth, they grow up equipped to build a better future. Truth isn't divisive, lies are.
Accountability That Works: Nginma Ngainga Wara and Nyerna Yoorrook Telkuna
Two new bodies will ensure promises are kept and stories are heard:
Nginma Ngainga Wara will monitor government programs, ensuring they deliver real outcomes for First Peoples. No more programs that look good on paper but fail in practice. No more wasted money on initiatives that communities never asked for.
Nyerna Yoorrook Telkuna will continue the vital work of truth-telling, creating space for stories to be shared and recorded. Not for blame, but for healing. Not for division, but for understanding.
Infrastructure and Investment: Building Strong Communities
A dedicated First Peoples' Infrastructure Fund will support Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations with buildings, maintenance, and facilities. These organisations deliver health services, education programs, cultural activities, and social support. They're the backbone of First Peoples' communities, and now they'll have the resources they need to thrive.
Cultural Recognition: Seeing Ourselves in Our State
More places will receive traditional names. The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags will fly on government buildings. First Peoples will play a formal role in state ceremonies.
This isn't about symbolism, it's about belonging. It's about First Peoples' children seeing themselves reflected in their state, knowing they matter, knowing they belong.
Why Other States Are Watching
Victoria isn't operating in a vacuum. South Australia, Queensland, Western Australia, and the Northern Territory all have Treaty processes underway. They're watching Victoria carefully, learning from what works, adapting it to their own contexts.
This is how change happens, not all at once, not perfectly, but step by step, state by state, community by community. Victoria has proven it's possible. Others will follow.
The Economic Truth Nobody Talks About
Here's something that might surprise those worried about costs: Treaty makes economic sense. Every dollar invested in Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations returns $3-4 in social and economic value. When communities design their own programs, they work better and cost less.
Lower incarceration rates mean less spent on prisons. Better health outcomes mean less pressure on hospitals. Higher employment means more tax revenue and less welfare dependence. Cultural tourism creates jobs and brings money into regional areas.
Treaty isn't a cost, it's an investment. And like all good investments, it pays dividends.
A Message of Hope: What This Means for Our Children
When I think about Treaty, I think about the children. First Peoples' children who will grow up seeing their culture celebrated, not hidden. Who will learn their languages in school, not in secret. Who will see their people as leaders and decision-makers, not statistics.
But I also think about non-Indigenous children. They'll grow up in a Victoria that tells the truth, that faces its history with courage, that solves problems through partnership. They'll inherit a state that's richer for its diversity, stronger for its honesty, and united in its commitment to justice.
This is the gift Treaty gives to all our children: a better story to be part of.
The Global Context: Victoria on the World Stage
Australia is one of the only Commonwealth countries without a Treaty with its Indigenous peoples. Canada has Treaties. New Zealand has the Treaty of Waitangi. Even the United States has Treaties with Native American nations.
Victoria is changing that. They're showing the world that a modern, prosperous democracy can face its history, partner with its Indigenous peoples, and emerge stronger for it.
This puts Victoria on the right side of history. It aligns them with international human rights standards. It positions them as leaders in Indigenous rights and reconciliation.
Looking Forward: The Next Steps
This Treaty is not the end, it's the beginning. More Treaties will follow, with different Traditional Owner groups, on different aspects of life and governance. Each will be unique, reflecting the diversity of First Peoples and their Countries.
The work ahead won't always be easy. There will be challenges, disagreements, and setbacks. That's normal in any relationship. What matters is that we've created a framework for working through these challenges together, as partners.
Why We Never Gave Up
You might wonder why First Peoples kept pushing for Treaty despite decades of rejection, despite the pain of our history, despite the ongoing challenges we face.
The answer is simple: love.
Love for our children and their futures. Love for Country that has sustained us for 60,000 years. Love for culture that connects us to something greater than ourselves. And yes, love for this place we all call home and all the people who share it with us.
That love is stronger than fear, stronger than hatred, stronger than all the forces that have tried to eliminate us. It's that love that brought us to this moment, and it's that love that will carry us forward.
The Truth at the Heart of Treaty
At its core, Treaty is about a simple truth: First Peoples never ceded sovereignty. We never agreed to colonisation. We never consented to the taking of our lands or our children. But rather than seeking revenge or reparations, we're seeking partnership.
We're not asking for the last 236 years to be undone, that's impossible. We're asking for the next 236 years to be different. We're asking to write that future together.
The Courage to Begin
Victoria has shown remarkable courage in tabeling this Treaty to Parliament. It takes courage to face hard truths. It takes courage to admit past wrongs. It takes courage to share power. It takes courage to change.
But here's what gives me hope: Victorians have that courage. We've seen it in the overwhelming support for Treaty. We've seen it in the young people demanding truth in their education. We've seen it in the allies who stand with us, who amplify our voices, who refuse to let lies go unchallenged.
This Treaty is proof that change is possible. That democracy can evolve. That justice, though delayed, need not be denied.
To our Ancestors who dreamed of this day but didn't live to see it: we remember you.
To our Elders who never gave up fighting: we honour you.
To our children who will inherit what we build: we promise you a better future.
And to all Australians: we invite you to be part of this historic moment. Not as bystanders, but as participants. Not as guilty parties or innocent beneficiaries, but as partners in creating something beautiful and just and true.
Because after 60,000 years on these lands, we've learned something important: Country has room for all of us. But only if we care for it together.
The Treaty is tabled. The work begins. The future is calling.
Let's answer it together.
Want to learn more?
Read the full Treaty document.
Listen to First Peoples voices directly.
Support Indigenous businesses.
Learn whose Country you're on.
And remember: Treaty isn't about division, it's about unity through truth, justice through partnership, and hope through action.
