Redfern tent embassy - Image, www.smh.com.au

Redfern tent embassy – Image, www.smh.com.au

Courtesy of The National Indigenous Times – 300 gathered in the rain and cold to declare their support for The Block and the Redfern Tent Embassy. The until recently vacant lot at The Block in Redfern that was once the focal point of Aboriginal life in Sydney is once again a vibrant black community and it is a community which has attracted the support of the out-going New South Wales Governor, Dame Marie Bashir.

The Block, the little patch of inner-Sydney Redfern that was purchased for low income Aboriginal housing with a grant from the Whitlam government in 1972, is once again abuzz with Aboriginal life and that means Aboriginal politics is back on the agenda.

More than 300 people poured onto the site last weekend for a rally to defend their place from plans by Aboriginal Housing Company (AHC) Chief Executive Officer, Mick Mundine and his development partners at Deicorp to turn what was once Aboriginal Housing into a commercial and Sydney University student accommodation precinct.

Redfern Aboriginal Tent Embassy founder, Jenny Munro said the rally last weekend was a resounding success and attracted “very, very good representation”.

“All my mentors, the women that I have been taught by since 1972 such as Alana Doolan, Bronwyn Penrith, Naomi Mayers, Marlene Cummins, a lot of the old guard were here for the rally and I think they’ve been re-invigorated by what they’ve seen here,” Ms Munro said.

The rally to defend The Block was opened by Kaye Bellear.

Ms Bellear said her late husband, Bob Bellear, who led the campaign to acquire The Block for Aboriginal people, would be broken hearted by the actions of the Aboriginal Housing Company he helped form.

Ms Munro said Ms Bellear gave the crowd the history of The Block and also made sure everyone knew “under whose watch it all fell apart”.

“My dear sister, Kaye Bellear started the proceedings and gave a history of the Housing Company, the board, the efforts they made in securing the land here, buying it freehold, all that political history involved in the establishment and the building of the houses and under whose watch it all fell apart,” Ms Munro said.

“That was a very clear message from the day,” Ms Munro said.

Lyall Munro Jnr was another speaker at the rally and he informed the crowd the outgoing New South Wales Governor, Dame Marie Bashir while unable to attend, had sent her support to the people of The Block with a message “she was with them”.

Utopia Elder, Rosalie Kunoth-Monks also sent a message: “The lines are drawn and the whole nation should know this and we cannot go back”.

There was a level of anger and disbelief from some of the women who had originally fought to get The Block with news the Aboriginal Housing Company had recently completed a letterbox drop claiming the Redfern Tent Embassy mob were trespassing.

“Micky was doing a letter drop around the neighbourhood, more of Micky’s propaganda,” Ms Munro said.

“Apparently we’re here illegally but I haven’t seen anyone come to remove us for trespassing. It would be an interesting case in any court.”

Marlene Cummins, subject of the documentary Black Panther Woman, said the trespassing allegation was “laughable”.

“That’s a joke, that’s laughable. That is so funny,” she said.

Ms Cummins said Mick Mundine should be standing with Aboriginal people not trying to dispossess them.

“Why doesn’t he come down here and stand beside us? We’re Sovereign People on Sovereign Land.”

“For him to say his people are trespassing; what is this black fella all about? Obviously himself,” Ms Cummins said.

Alana Doolan, like many at the rally a veteran of the establishment of the Canberra Tent Embassy in 1972 believes the struggle has come “full circle”.

“Yes, we’ve come around a full circle, I believe, from what we’ve seen from the Embassy setup down at The Block, and I was involved in the 1972 Tent Embassy,” she said.

“Even before that our main focus was about land, my fight and our fight, it always comes back to the land.”

Ms Doolan said she doesn’t like to name names but said those involved in trying to destroy The Block “ought to hang their heads in shame”.

“Certain people, these people who are pushing for this and it’s not just one person in the Housing Company, ought to hang their heads in shame when the situation is at crisis point with our people all over this country,” she said.

“Our people have got to start making our own agendas instead of following along with government people’s agendas.”

Jenny Munro fears the Aboriginal Housing Company will send the bulldozers in earlier than the July 7 date originally set by Mick Mundine but regardless of the actual date, organisers now say The Block will be defended.

Ms Munro said she thought it was incredulous Mick Mundine would even choose a date like the first day of NAIDOC Week to send bulldozers in to demolish The Block and thinks it may be a ruse.

“He’s got the demolition set for July 7 and it’s a stupid date to start with, it’s the beginning of Aboriginal week,” Ms Munro said.

“I don’t trust him. I don’t trust a single word that falls from his mouth. We’ll be ready whenever it is,” she said.

Marlene Cummins agreed and said everyone was resolute: “We’re here to stay”.