AustLit

'This chapter began as a presentation made at the 'Women and Human 1 Rights, Social Justice and Citizenship' international conference held at the University of Melbourne on 30 June 1998. The session was chaired, at our joint request, by Ann Curthoys. During the presentation the three speakers remained on the dimly lit stage and each moved for-ward when it was her turn to speak. Points made in the talk were illustrated by accompanying slides. Sometimes there was a blank wall to demonstrate that what was being spoken about was not recorded by the camera, or the evidence had been deliberately destroyed. Both the presenters and the audience found the event extremely moving. The speakers were, it should be recorded, disappointed that so few white feminists chose to hear the presentation. The audience consisted of the indigenous delegates to the conference, some of the European-American delegates, as well as European-Australian feminists Ann McGrath and Anna Haebich — even allowing for the number of competing sessions, this did not amount to a gesture of support by European-Australian delegates. Sir Gustav Nossal, the deputy chair of the Council for Reconciliation attended the session and asked to address the audience. He remarked that this talk was an important milestone in the road to reconciliation and also lamented the relatively poor attendance. We felt strongly that this presentation attempted to confront the issue of the history that we share and that divides black and white Australians. ' (Introduction)