Quentin Bereford speaks about Aboriginal activist Rob Riley.

Biographer says hope essential in reconciliation quest

By Kerri Carr

The dynamics of the reconciliation debate in Australia can change, biographer of Aboriginal political leader Rob Riley, Dr Quentin Beresford told Federation's Friday Forum on November 24.

"All of us have to have hope that we can change the direction of Aboriginal reconciliation," Dr Beresford said.

"Canada has done it. New Zealand has done it. Little old Tasmania has started to do it. Why can't the nation?"

Rob Riley committed suicide on April 30, 1996, after years at the forefront of campaigning about Aboriginal land rights, self-determination, the justice system, native title, Aboriginal deaths in custody and the Stolen Generation, and feeling that he was getting nowhere.

Rob Riley's suicide note stated in part: "Understand White Australia that you have so much to answer for. Your greed, your massacres, your sanitised history in the name of might and right."

Dr Beresford said he didn't think you could separate Rob Riley's suicide from the life he led.

"You cannot take the racism out of his death."

He said that in the lead up to his death, Rob Riley was in a state of depression with undiagnosed post traumatic stress caused by the burden of his family history.

"What made life difficult for Rob was his...years at the top of contested racism. He came to the conclusion that nothing would change," Mr Beresford said.

Rob Riley was part of the third successive generation of his family to be removed from their parents.

Dr Beresford said that when Rob Riley was reunited with his family, aged 12, he was told stories and it made him angry and he decided to do something about it.

Dr Beresford said Rob Riley had tried to bring a political settlement to reconciliation, and "battled" Prime Ministers Malcolm Fraser, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating.

"The power and insidiousness of racism ultimately prevented a political settlement of Australian reconciliation," he said.

Dr Beresford said a political settlement was "derailed" by conservatives, the press, National and Liberal parties, and the resource industry, who used racism to "intimidate from a political settlement".

He said Labor tried to bring a political settlement but "was highly vulnerable to a racist backlash".

"He never forgave Hawke...for being overcome by populist racist politics," Dr Beresford also said.

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