Today my husband and I went to Old Parliament House in Canberra for lunch. We then played at being politicians in the old House of Representatives and acted as journalists recording an interview with an ex-Prime Minister (one of the activities for visitors). As we left the building I took this photo of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy on the opposite side of the street, an unofficial and often-in-the-news embassy that has existed since 1972 on the lawns in front of Old Parliament House which, in 1972, was the only Parliament House. A new, much much larger one has since been built on the hill behind it. The tents are out of view to the left and right but in the centre is the sacred fire which burns continually. The two people to the left of the sovereignty letters are on segways which can be hired to ride around the lake, a popular weekend pastime.
That’s a neat photograph! 😀
Thanks. This is a neat city!
Wow,Excellent post 🙂
Thanks Jake.
nice pic
Thanks.
Hi Patricia. Aboriginal Tent Embassy, indeed. I’ll be looking it up. Wondering if the film “Contact” had as much impact there at home as abroad; it received a standing ovation here and first prize at the film festival here last year. You are in a good position to give us both sides of the story.
Yes, I remember the documentary. It was very moving, but I think the most stunning aspect was seeing people who had lived all their lives without seeing us, and vice versa. We whites don’t know everything. The Aboriginal situation is a touchy one and not something I could discuss here.
Did you read the New Caledonian short story I translated? I chose it because I understand it. The problem dealt with in that story is at the root of most of our black and white differences here in Australia. New Caledonia and Australia have the same differences between colonisers and colonised, except we in Australia have more space to spread out and avoid each other, ignore each other. I’m sympathetic, hence I’m comfortable showing a photo of the tent embassy and Sovereignty sign. Thanks for asking about this, Whitt.