On this day, the Settlement Council of Australia begins with acknowledgement.
We acknowledge the profound harm borne by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through invasion, frontier wars, massacres, dispossession, and the destruction of lives, cultures and law. This continent has been home to First Nations peoples for more than 60,000 years and was not peacefully colonised, but taken by force, with sovereignty never ceded. The violence of colonisation is not confined to the past; its impacts continue to be felt today. For many First Nations peoples, 26 January remains a day of grief and trauma.
For many migrants and refugees, 26 January is encountered not as a historical marker, but through citizenship ceremonies and official processes of arrival and belonging. For people emerging from displacement, conflict or prolonged uncertainty, these moments can carry relief, safety and a sense of stability. These experiences are real and deserve respect. They do not, however, sit outside history. To make a life on this land is also to inherit a responsibility to understand how it was taken and whose loss made the present possible.
As the national peak body for organisations that support people to settle in Australia, we recognise that settlement cannot be separated from the truth of colonisation. To speak of belonging without reckoning with this history risks erasure.
We also acknowledge a longer, less often told history, one in which people who arrived from elsewhere have, for generations, sought knowledge and guidance from First Nations peoples. From the Afghan cameleers who learned Country through songlines and seasons, to migrant workers, neighbours and elders who listened, adapted and shared life on this land, there has always been learning across cultures.
We carry this truth with responsibility and commit to embedding it in our work and partnerships, because belonging in this country must be grounded in justice and respect.
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About The Settlement Council of Australia
The Settlement Council of Australia (SCOA) is the peak body representing migrant and refugee services, with over 150 member organisations nationally. We are committed to building an Australia where all people of migrant and refugee backgrounds belong, thrive and experience fulfilling lives.