MC: Past President Peter Dakin
Reflection: Barbara Yerondais
President Carol Bond began meeting proceedings by welcoming visitors and guest, whose details are recorded later in this Bulletin.
Her announcements were threefold:
After drawing the weekly raffle, Carol invited Rob McGuirk to take over as Chair for the day.
Rob introduced guest speaker Ian Hamm as a Yorta-Yorta man, respected advocate for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and a distinguished leader whose career has spanned more than three decades across government, community organisations and public life. He highlighted Ian’s contribution to Closing the Gap initiatives, Aboriginal representation in high-level decision-making, strategic reform, mentoring and advocacy. Rob noted Ian’s many leadership roles, including Chair of the Indigenous Land and Sea Corporation and First Nations Foundation, former Executive Director of Aboriginal Affairs Victoria, and former Chair of Connecting Home Limited. He also acknowledged Ian’s honorary doctorate from Swinburne University of Technology for his contribution to Indigenous leadership and reconciliation.
Ian began with an Acknowledgement of Country, paying respects to the Wurundjeri and Boon Wurrung peoples. He framed his address as a reflection on “Aboriginal Australia: where to from here?”, noting how much had changed since he last spoke to Rotary Melbourne. He referred to global uncertainty, economic pressures, political unpredictability and the shifting national mood, before turning to the aftermath of the referendum on constitutional recognition and the Voice.
Ian was candid in saying he had always believed the referendum would fail, despite campaigning strongly for it. He attributed the result to overreach, political misjudgement, misunderstanding of the Australian electorate and the way the campaign became a vehicle for broader grievances. For many Aboriginal people, he said, the result was deeply felt. While a small number celebrated it, most grieved the lost possibility. However, Ian stressed that Aboriginal Australia cannot remain fixed on loss. The necessary question is now: where do we go from here?
He identified two major pathways: the Victorian treaty process and a national economic agenda for Aboriginal advancement.
In Victoria, Ian described treaty as a fundamental change in the relationship between First Peoples and the Victorian Parliament and Government. He emphasised that treaty does not displace parliamentary supremacy, but it creates a more equal platform for dialogue, negotiation and accountability. Importantly, he said it marks a shift from the right of self-determination to the responsibility of self-determination. Aboriginal Victorians will no longer simply be passive recipients of policy; they will have “skin in the game” and their elected representatives through the First Peoples’ Assembly will be answerable to their own communities. He acknowledged the treaty architecture is imperfect but argued that progress requires trying new approaches and improving them over time.
At the national level, Ian argued that Aboriginal advancement must move beyond a purely social-policy or rights-based framework. While he remains committed to rights and justice, he said the referendum revealed the limits of that approach alone. Social policy can reduce disadvantage and stop things getting worse, but it cannot by itself deliver equity. The missing tool, he argued, is economic policy.
Quoting the Clinton campaign phrase, “It’s the economy, stupid,” Ian said meaningful economic participation is the single greatest driver of uplift for individuals, families and communities. He outlined work underway on a macroeconomic framework for Aboriginal Australia, led through a partnership involving Aboriginal peak organisations, the First Nations Economic Alliance and the Commonwealth Government. Significantly, he noted that the Commonwealth lead is not the Minister for Indigenous Australians, but the Treasurer, Jim Chalmers, and Treasury. Ian described this as a major breakthrough because it places Aboriginal economic development within the mainstream of national economic policy.
He argued that Australia must focus not only on what is wrong for Aboriginal people, but on what Aboriginal people can contribute to the economy. This requires engagement with banking, finance, superannuation, manufacturing, technology and the private sector more broadly. The ultimate objective is Aboriginal economic independence from government and an equal relationship with government.
Ian concluded that treaty, responsibility, self-determination and economic participation are all directed to one goal: ensuring Aboriginal children inherit better lives than their parents. He said this should be a shared national aspiration for all Australians.
Q&A
During question time, Ian elaborated on several themes from his address and responded candidly to questions from members.
Asked whether Victoria’s Treaty process and related representative bodies might provide practical models following the defeat of the Voice referendum, Ian agreed they would serve as important “work in progress” examples. While acknowledging they are not perfect, he argued that meaningful reform requires trying new approaches, learning from experience and adapting them over time. Continuing to do things the same way while expecting different outcomes, he suggested, was not a realistic option.
Responding to a question about whether the referendum might have succeeded had constitutional recognition and the Voice been presented separately, Ian offered a frank personal assessment. He believed that constitutional recognition alone—simply acknowledging Aboriginal people as Australia’s First Peoples—would almost certainly have been supported because it represented a statement of historical fact. In contrast, he considered that combining recognition with the proposal for a constitutionally enshrined Voice complicated the debate and ultimately contributed to the proposal’s defeat. While critical of aspects of the campaign, Ian was careful to note that the broader proposal originated within the Aboriginal community rather than being solely a government initiative.
Another discussion focused on how Aboriginal culture could become more visible within Melbourne’s mainstream economy, particularly through hospitality and tourism. Ian agreed that Aboriginal cuisine and cultural experiences remain under-represented despite Melbourne’s rich multicultural food scene. He revealed that an Aboriginal-owned restaurant is expected to open in Federation Square in the coming months, complementing the Koorie Heritage Trust and strengthening Aboriginal cultural presence at one of Melbourne’s most significant civic spaces. He encouraged Rotary Melbourne to support such initiatives through patronage, catering opportunities and club events.
Throughout the discussion, Ian reinforced the central message of his presentation: progress requires practical action, experimentation and partnership. Whether discussing Treaty, constitutional recognition or economic participation, he returned repeatedly to the importance of creating opportunities that enable Aboriginal Australians to participate more fully in the economic and civic life of the nation while taking increasing responsibility for shaping their own future.
View the recording of Ian Hamm’s address by clicking here.
To view the full meeting click here.
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