Australia is a nation that prides itself on multiculturalism. From the delicate aroma of Italian espresso wafting through narrow Melbourne laneways, to colour and celebration of Brisbane’s Paniyiri Greek Festival, we’ve embraced a rich tapestry of global cultures. French patisseries, Vietnamese soups and Chinese New Year celebrations, German Oktober festivals, British pub traditions are not only accepted but celebrated as part of the Australian way of life. Yet, in this enthusiastic embrace of the world’s cultures, we find sometimes a hesitation — an ongoing struggle to fully accept and celebrate the culture of our land’s First Peoples.
European, Asian, South Asian and African cultural icons are, or are becoming, deeply woven into the fabric of Australian society. We name our cities and streets after British royalty and explorers. We celebrate St Patrick’s Day with green beer; we watch Chinese Dragons dancing and we flock to Shakespeare in the Park. We don’t bat an eyelid at Indian curries or Japanese Ramen and Italian cuisine is so embedded in our daily lives. Pizza (please…no pineapple) and pasta are staples in most households. These traditions are not just accepted — they are loved, normalised, and seen as enriching.
When it comes to First Nations culture — arguably the oldest continuous culture on Earth — our national embrace is hesitant, conditional and symbolic at best. While we acknowledge Country and fly the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags, deeper engagement remains limited. Too often, it is relegated to special occasions rather than being integrated into the everyday cultural consciousness.
This is not due to a lack of richness or relevance. First Nations culture is a profound and vibrant tapestry of language and art, spirituality and ecological wisdom. The Dreaming stories, passed down through countless generations, offer complex narratives about creation, morality, interconnectedness. Indigenous art, with its intricacies and symbolism, is celebrated globally, yet misunderstood or commodified at home. Traditional practices like fire-stick farming, a method of controlling vegetation by controlled burning, demonstrate a sophisticated understanding of land management that predates modern science.
Why, then such resistance?
Part of the answer lies in Australia’s colonial history — a history that involved dispossession, marginalisation and sadly, an attempted erasure of Indigenous peoples and their cultures. This legacy has left deep scars; a cultural discomfort that many Australians still struggle to confront. Accepting First Nations culture in its fullness requires acknowledging a painful past, making space for silenced voices.
True cultural acceptance goes beyond token gestures. It means listening deeply, learning continuously and allowing Indigenous culture to shape our national identity — not just as a relic of the past but as a living, evolving force. National Reconciliation Week with its theme “Bridging from Now to Next” gives our young men a focus, an impetus to recognise that the beauty, colour and wisdom of First Nations culture is not something to be preserved in museums, but something to be lived, respected and celebrated every day. Importantly it allows them to recognise past hurts and to look forward to a brighter future.
As we continue to welcome the world’s cultures with open arms, may we not forget the culture that’s been here all along. It’s not foreign. It’s not new. It’s ancient and resilient and uniquely Australian.
At Eddies we are incorporating Indigenous perspectives into our curriculum. Our young men who identify as First Nations are encouraged to embrace and celebrate their heritage so they can share their gifts with our community and enrich us all.
