Australian embassy in Ireland is world’s first to fly the Aboriginal flag
THE Australian embassy in Dublin has become the first in the world to fly its country’s Aboriginal flag.
Australia’s Ambassador to Ireland Gary Gray raised the flag alongside Australia’s national flag outside the embassy on St Stephen’s Green yesterday.
The flag, featuring a black upper half, red lower half and golden circle in the middle, will be a permanent feature at the embassy.
Australian Minister for Indigenous Australians Ken Wyatt and Connacht rugby player John Porch took part in the ceremony which also featured videos from Australian Aboriginal people living here.
President Michael D Higgins marked the event in a Twitter post, writing: “The embassy will today become the first Australian Embassy in the world to fly the Indigenous Aboriginal flag alongside the national flag, as a tribute to Australia’s first nation people.”
Mr Gray said: “As with many countries around the world, some of Australia’s early history can be difficult to reconcile with the modern and open nation we have become today. Working with the Aboriginal community here, as well as our minister Ken Wyatt, we are extremely proud to be able to recognise an integral part of Australia’s history.”
Speaking on RTÉ Radio One’s Drivetime, he said: “We knew people would like it because it’s a serious statement of where our country is with respect to Aboriginal people. It’s not always been a great history. It’s a tough history, it’s a difficult history and we all have to deal with our history and to speak of it loudly and we need to acknowledge where we have failed.
“We also need to be prepared to acknowledge the historic and unique connection which Australian Aboriginal people have to the land and the culture of our nation which is appropriate and why we’re glad to be doing this in Dublin.”