Goondeen

In Aboriginal terminology, a ‘Goondeen’ is a person respected for their wisdom, gleaned from long experience; an elder who is listened to and their opinions shared and acted upon. In this book, you will meet three Goondeens: Uncle Albert Holt, a Murri man and champion of equality; Henry Palaszczuk, a migrant, former MP and community advocate; and Everald Compton, a successful businessman and social activist.

Indigenous and non-Indigenous, these three men have joined together to reflect on key historical moments during their lifetimes, and to ask probing, sometimes uncomfortable questions about what type of country Australia is, and who Australians are as a people.

For Everald Compton, Australia is a land of possibility but unfulfilled potential.

For Henry Palaszcuzk, it is a place of opportunity and refuge, but also prejudice.

For Albert Holt, it is a country of discrimination and bigotry — and of hope.

This is not a history of Australia; it’s the multi-faceted personal story of a country that is complicated, bold, negligent and wondrous. It challenges YOU to truly understand Australia, by reaching into your own conscience and deciding what type of Australian you are, what type of country you want to live in and what Australia’s place in the world might be. It invites you to learn more about who Goondeens are, what it takes to become one and, above all, why Australia needs Goondeens.