Good evening.
I’d like to begin by acknowledging the traditional custodians of the land we are gathered on today – the Ngunnawal people – and pay my respects to elders past and present.
I'm delighted to welcome you to Parliament House. And I’m honoured to introduce this year’s Wang Gungwu lecture.
As we enter the Chinese New Year period, this special annual event provides a space for recognition. For reflection. And for dialogue around the contributions of Chinese Australians.
It also highlights the shared values that bind us together as a multicultural democracy.
Australia’s story of multiculturalism begins with the rich and enduring cultures of our first nations peoples – our first cultures.
Since before the gold rush era of the nineteenth century, Chinese Australians have lived alongside first nations Australians.
These two distinct cultures shared labour, knowledge and community on pearling grounds, in the goldfields, and in market gardens across the country.
The story of Chinese Australians is not one that is written in the margins of our history books. But it is foundational to our story.
It reminds us that Australia’s diversity has deep roots.
Today, Chinese Australians are the largest ethnic and cultural group in our country.
They span many generations, languages and origins – and contribute to every aspect of Australian society.
Whether in business, science, medicine, education, the arts, sports or public service – the legacies of Chinese Australian’s continue to endure and evolve.
And we are proud that, for generations, Chinese Australians have chosen to call Australia home. Much like my family did.
One such Australian is professor Wang Gungwu – in whose honour this lecture is named.
Professor Wang’s scholarship has profoundly shaped our understanding of Chinese history, the experience of Chinese diaspora communities, and their extraordinary contributions to our nation.
Professor, it is a pleasure to welcome you here tonight.
Multiculturism is part of our nations' character. It is part of our identity.
Our country is home to people of more than 300 ancestries, speaking hundreds of languages, and practising many faiths alongside the world’s oldest continuing culture.
Our national story weaves ancient songlines and migrant journeys.
And people like our speaker today – Professor Kelvin Kong AM – bring that story to life.
Professor Kong is a trailblazing E.N.T surgeon.
He is recognised as Australia’s first Indigenous surgeon, and a leading advocate for health equity.
As a Worimi man of Malaysian Chinese heritage, he embodies the intersection of histories that have shaped this country. It is an intersection which has made our country stronger.
Because today, in a world marked by geopolitical uncertainty and social fragmentation, Australia’s diversity is a major national asset.
It builds our resilience and underpins our economic and social bridges to the rest of the world.
A key question, then, is how do we embed multiculturalism into the structures and institutions of our democracy?
As the minister for multicultural affairs, this is something I take personally.
Because like many Australians, my own story is shaped by migration and identity.
I know that multiculturalism is not just about where we come from, but also about belonging. It is about ensuring that every Australian can participate fully in our shared civic life.
Which is why I’m proud that Australia’s modern multicultural policy, introduced in 1973 by the Whitlam Labor government, marked a profound turning point in our nation’s history.
Not only did it remove the last vestiges of the white Australia policy.
But it heralded a new era in Australia and sent a clear message to migrants: that they belonged here. And that and their contributions mattered.
Today, we are building on this work.
For the first time, Australia has a stand-alone minister for multicultural affairs in cabinet.
This elevation – a deliberate act by the Prime Minister – reflects a simple truth.
That multiculturalism is not peripheral to Australia’s future.
It is essential to our future. And to the health of our democracy.
That is why events like this lecture matter.
They elevate understanding, trust and a shared purpose across our many diverse communities.
They remind us that our differences are not divisions. But instead that our diversity is integral to who we are as Australians.
I would like to thank the national foundation for Australia China relations for convening this event for another year.
I thank Professor Kong for sharing his story, his perspective and his faith in Australia’s future.
And I thank everyone listening to this lecture for your engagement in this important dialogue.
I hope you enjoy tonight’s Wang Gungwu lecture.
Thank you.