What being Australian means to me: an elder’s perspective

Editor By Editor
hero media
Willie Gordon, Nugal-warra elder and Cape York story-keeper, shares ideas for a hope-filled Australia Day with Jennifer Pinkerton

If you were born in this country then I classify you as an Australian. And one of the beautiful things about Australia is that we have all these different cultural values in our mix, values we can learn from. Sometimes these cultural boundaries impose comfort zones on us; we’re afraid to move out of our comfort zone because we think other cultures might pose a threat.

 

When we travel, we extend our comfort zone and challenge our preconceptions. Before I went overseas – and I’m embarrassed to admit this – I thought that everyone in England was white! But I saw that they came from all over. I was 40 years old; I felt so stupid. I was amazed at my misunderstanding. I had to travel that far to realise that multiculturalism is everywhere.

 

I was also surprised that, when in Hong Kong, I couldn’t see the sun because of smog. It was foggy every day. I couldn’t believe that it didn’t go away. I couldn’t fathom it. I found myself thinking: “At home, we have nice air, we have rain, we have sun and we can see the stars."

 

In Australia, we’re pretty lucky. In fact, I am looking at the stars right now! Travel helps free up our ideas, and see the things we take for granted. It challenges fixed views and makes us realise what we have.

 

Sometimes we wait for a disaster to happen in order for us to be united, you know, like a fire or flood. Why don’t we be united anyway – before disasters hit? The only fence that we build is the one that exists in our own minds. And we’re the only ones who can pull it down. I want my grandchildren to say, “Well OK, there is no barrier". And we should teach them that there isn’t a barrier. There is no ‘black’ and ‘white’. We’re just people. We’re Australian people. We are on the same boat.

 

If we keep going back to history trying to fix it, then we won’t be moving forward as a united people. We need to draw on our strengths to do this. The past is what we learn from, but education helps us move confidently into the future. And by education, I mean gaining knowledge and understanding. Reconciliation is about accepting people. It starts with you. Not with the government.

 

Each ANZAC Day I salute the people who have died for our country. I don’t think any of my people, the Guugu Yimithirr, went and laid down their lives, but I try and go and appreciate the people who did. For Australia Day, I believe we should broaden things out and salute the people who have worked hard to build our country. I think it should be a remembrance day for the hard yakka we’ve been through, you know? My father, for example, cut sugar cane in the burning sun. Cutting cane was really hard work. His sweat, and that of many others, forms part of the patchwork that makes our country what it is.

 

What does it mean to be a good Australian? First of all you need to find out who you are. We tell our children about other people, so they’re busy looking over there and not looking at themselves. We lose sight of ourselves.

 

In today’s society, we drive cars, live in houses, have vaccines against illnesses, watch television, and all these need dollars. But we still need our spirituality and cultural values to make us strong – that’s the thing that’s going to get you through. Then the practical will follow. That’s what I believe. And you don’t need to be religious for that. It’s about saying, “I want to strive to do good". And when you’re strong, you encourage other people to think about who they are and what they need to do to strengthen their own spirits. You have to want it. Once you’re strong, then you can share it.

 

A general practical thing you can do is make sure your little patch of land is OK. And one of the simple things I think should happen is that every Australian plants a tree on Australia Day – it could just be in your garden; a fruit tree. We’d have 25 million more trees! Something simple like that doesn’t need any political argument or debate.

 

Another thing: be part of your community. Get involved. Some people wander off on their own… We see ourselves as individuals. But we’re all connected in one way or another. It’s time to stop this black and white thing, and just get on with looking after our garden. We have to make sure our country and environment are protected, because it’s the only garden we have. And we’re fortunate.

 

Australia has a pretty good garden. It’s our birth place and with the right care it can give us strength – the strength we need to journey through life, and to survive for many more thousands of years.

Editor
See all articles
Lake Burley Griffin
Australia

12 summer weekends away across Australia to plan now

The weather is heating up, the days are getting longer, and the break we are all looking forward to is nearing closer. Here, 12 different ways to spend your summer weekends, from beach breaks to city stays.

Read more
26 incredible ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve
Australia

26 incredible ways to celebrate New Year’s Eve

Still don't have plans for New Year's Eve? Here are 26 ways to welcome 2026.

Read more
cold moon december
Australia

Friday’s Cold Moon is your last chance to see a supermoon in 2025 

On 5 December, a spectacular 'Cold Moon' will close out this year’s supermoon trilogy with a bang.

Read more
the ghan flinders ranges
Australia

Australia’s most iconic train journey is changing in 2027

The Ghan is extending its long-loved northbound journey with a spectacular new stop.

Read more

This luxe trawler tour is redefining Victoria’s seafood experience

    Chloe CannBy Chloe Cann
    Continue
    Victoria’s ‘mussel capital’ is the source of exceptional shellfish used by top chefs far and wide. Step aboard a beautifully refurbished trawler to see how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    A curtain is slowly winched from the placid, teal waters just off Portarlington , like a floating garland beside our boat. The ropes heave with blue mussels, the star attraction of our tour. But as we reach to pluck our own, it’s quickly clear they’re not alone; a mass of weird and wonderful creatures has colonised the ropes, turning them into a living tapestry. ‘Fairy’ oysters, jelly-like sea squirts, and tiny, wriggling skeleton shrimp all inhabit this underwater ecosystem.

    We prize our bivalve bounty from the ropes, and minutes later the mussels arrive split on a platter. The plump orange morsels are served raw, ready to be spritzed with wedges of lemon and a lick of chilli as we gaze out over the bay. They’re briny, tender and faintly sweet. “This wasn’t originally part of the tour,” explains Connie Trathen, who doubles as the boat’s cook, deckhand and guide. “But a chef [who came onboard] wanted to taste the mussels raw first, and it’s now become one of the key features.”

    A humble trawler turned Hamptons-style dreamboat

    inspecting bivalve bounty from the ropes
    Inspecting the bounty. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    It’s a crisp, calm winter’s day, and the sun is pouring down upon Valerie, a restored Huon pine workhorse that was first launched in January 1980. In a previous life she trawled the turbulent Bass Strait. These days she takes jaunts into Port Phillip Bay under the helm of Lance Wiffen, a fourth-generation Bellarine farmer, and the owner of Portarlington Mussel Tours . While Lance has been involved in the fishing industry for 30-plus years, the company’s tour boat only debuted in 2023.

    holding Portarlington mussels
    See how these plump and juicy bivalves are sustainably cultivated.

    It took more than three years to transform the former shark trawler into a dreamy, Hamptons-esque vessel, with little expense spared. Think muted green suede banquettes, white-washed walls, Breton-striped bench cushions, hardwood tables, bouquets of homegrown dahlias, and woollen blankets sourced from Waverley Mills, Australia’s oldest working textile mill. It’s intimate, too, welcoming 12 guests at most. And yet there’s nothing pretentious about the experience – just warm, down-to-earth Aussie hospitality.

    As we cruise out, we crack open a bottle of local bubbles and nibble on the most beautifully curated cheese platter, adorned with seashells and grey saltbush picked from the water’s edge that very morning. Australasian gannets soar overhead, and I’m told it’s not uncommon for guests to spot the odd seal, pod of dolphins, or even the occasional little penguin.

    The sustainable secret behind Victoria’s best mussels

    blue mussels off Portarlington
    Blue mussels sourced just off Portarlington.

    Connie and Lance both extol the virtues of mussels. They’re delicious. A lean source of protein and packed with omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin B12, iron, selenium, and zinc. They’re cooked in a flash (Connie steams our fresh harvest with cider and onion jam). And they’re also widely regarded as one of the most sustainable foods in the world.

    Portarlington mussels with lemon and chilli
    Mussels served with lemon and chilli.

    “Aquaculture is [often] seen as destructive, so a lot of our guests are really surprised about how environmentally friendly and sustainable our industry is,” Lance says. “[Our mussels] would filter 1.4 billion litres of water a day,” he adds, explaining how mussels remove excess nitrogen and phosphorus from the water. “And through biomineralisation, we lock carbon into mussel shells.”

    a hand holding a Portarlington mussel
    Mussels are a sustainable food.

    Despite their glowing list of accolades, these molluscs have long been seen as the oysters’ poorer cousins. “It was a really slow start,” explains Lance, who says that in the early days of his career, “you could not sell mussels in Victoria”.

    But word has slowly caught on. Chefs as globally acclaimed as Attica’s Ben Shewry and even René Redzepi of Noma, Denmark, have travelled to these very waters just to try the shellfish at the source, sharing only the highest praise, and using Lance’s mussels in their restaurants.

    guests sampling Portarlington mussels onboard
    Sampling the goods onboard. (Image: Visit Victoria/Hannyn Shiggins)

    According to Lance there’s one obvious reason why the cool depths of Portarlington outshine other locations for mussel farming. “The water quality is second to none,” he says, noting how other regions are frequently rocked by harvest closures due to poor water quality. “We grow, without a doubt, some of the best shellfish in the world.” And with Lance’s bold claims backed up by some of the industry’s greatest names, perhaps it won’t be much longer until more Aussies uncover the appeal of Portarlington’s mussels.