21st century Australia

Australia has grown to become one of the most diverse and vibrant nations on Earth.

The First Australians were the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, whose unique culture and traditions are among the oldest in the world. In the last few hundred years many waves of migrants have made Australia their home - Scots, Irish, English and Welsh, Africans, Asians, Americans and Europeans.

All have made unique contributions to Australia and its way of life.

Aboriginal people have never, ever professed to own this land. This is our mother.

This is where we come from and where we'll go back to. We can't do anything with you fellas. There's too many of you. We can't put you on a boat and send you back home, so we've all got to share and care for this country. It's all of our country. We just happened to be here first.

There are more than 200 languages spoken across Australia: from English, Italian and Greek to Arabic, Cantonese and Scots Gaelic. A hundred Aboriginal languages are spoken across Australia.

Four million, about 22% of Australians, have a convict ancestor.

Today, Australia has a population of 21 million people, of which 43% were either born overseas or have one parent who was born overseas.

Australians of all religious, racial, ethnic and social backgrounds live together in peace...

...Australian society values respect for the freedom and dignity of the individual, freedom of religion, commitment to the rule of law, parliamentary democracy, equality of men and women and a spirit of egalitarianism that embraces mutual respect, tolerance, fair play and compassion for those in need and pursuit of the public good.

On 10 December 1992 the then Prime Minister of Australia, Paul Keating, made an important speech known as ‘The Redfern Park Address’. The speech acknowledged the suffering of the Indigenous peoples of Australia, and the role that non-Indigenous Australians had played in that suffering.

In the 21st century, on 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologised to Indigenous Australians, presenting a National Apology to the Stolen Generations, in the Australian Parliament in Canberra. The National Apology was watched by millions of Australians.

Rudd said sorry for the pain and sorrow of the past and looked forward to the future:

...A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility.

A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia.

Australians believe it is important that there is equality of opportunity for all - this is often called ‘a fair go’. Australia is still a country where Scots come to make a new life for themselves through talent and hard work.

Today, Australia is facing up to the past and working to make sure that everyone receives ‘a fair go’.

We must respect each other's right to choose a collective destiny, and the opportunity to develop the legal and political rights for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples so that we may enjoy the right to maintain our culture, our heritage and our land, as a united Australia.