Fees have been waived for new adult and concession Reconciliation Queensland memberships to celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Walk for Reconciliation across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the William Jolly Bridge walk in Brisbane.

The Walk for Reconciliation and subsequent similar events around Australia followed Corroboree 2000, a meeting of dozens of high-profile Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders at the Sydney Opera House on 27 May 2000.

This meeting was described as ‘a ceremonial gathering of Australians to exchange commitments in the lead up to the centenary of Federation in 2001’.

Conceived by the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, which itself had been created through an act of parliament in 1991 to guide the reconciliation process over the next decade, the bridge walk initially faced low expectations among the organisers.

One organiser, Shelley Reys, said later, ‘It happened at a time of political turmoil and we thought it could go either way. I thought at least we’d get a few hundred [people]’.

In the end around 250,000 Indigenous and non-Indigenous people turned out, walking across the Sydney Harbour Bridge on 28 May 2000 for nearly six hours, making it the biggest demonstration of public support for a cause that has ever taken place in Australia.

A week later, on 4 June 2000, around 60,000 people completed the William Jolly Bridge walk in Brisbane.

Click here to read more about this defining moment in our Nation’s history.

Join Reconciliation Queensland for free

To celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the William Jolly Bridge walk, new adult or concession Reconciliation Queensland memberships taken out between 1 January 2020 and 30 June 2020 will be free of charge.

If you ever needed a better reason to join our vibrant association, then this is definitely it.

Your ‘Ordinary Adult’ or ‘Ordinary Concession’ membership with Reconciliation Queensland entitles you to:

• Attend a range of events, forums and our AGM
• Vote and stand for election on Reconciliation Queensland’s Management Committee
• Access to member resources
• Networking and collaboration

You will also be supporting our work as an advocate on issues concerning the human rights of Indigenous Australians and the role of Reconciliation within Queensland today.

We also seek representation on committees and working groups providing strategic input or advocacy to the tourism and business industry, health, community and cultural development, housing and education at state and national levels.

Join now

Notes about free membership

As you might expect, this great offer comes with a few terms and conditions:

• There is a limit of one Reconciliation Queensland membership per person.
• Free membership is only available for a limited time and only open to new applications for ‘Ordinary Adult’ or ‘Ordinary Concession’ memberships.
• Standard rates will continue to apply to membership renewals and new Group or Corporate memberships.
• On expiry, free memberships can be renewed at our standard rates ($20 Adult, $5 Concession).
• Membership corresponds to the financial year: 1 July – 30 June

We look forward to welcoming all new members to Reconciliation Queensland.

Image credit: Photos used in this story have been sourced from ‘A People’s Movement: Reconciliation in Queensland’ by Charmaine Foley and Ian Watson (2001), available from Keeaira Press.