We have witnessed an overwhelming outpouring of grief this week after the senseless death of 15-year-old Cassius Turvey. This young Noongar teenager was doing what all teens have the freedom to do – walking along the street, with his friends – going home after school.  

This tragedy has had a big impact on his family and on the wider Indigenous Community. This is evidenced in the number of gatherings and rallies paying tribute to Cassius, expressing grief and despair.

In Perth Cassius’ mother called for ‘change in the name of Cassius’.

The depth of pain experienced and being revealed in these more than 40 gatherings is also connected to the pain that Australia’s first peoples live with. It is not only a narrative of dispossession and dislocation, it is a narrative of grief and a lack of justice.  Family stories of identity are disrupted with much trauma – stolen generations, family breakdown, suicide, imprisonment and the list goes on.  Such depths of inter-generational trauma are hard to comprehend.

Sometimes it seems that the wider Australian Community has become tone deaf to this reality and fails to reflect on this shared narrative of sadness. None of us can tell the story of Australia without including the experience of our first peoples in it. To reflect on our national identity with depth means we must include this trauma as part of it.

It was such an understanding that led netballer Donell Wallam, a Noongar woman, to take a stand against a past racist narrative, and with the support of the Australian Diamonds netball team, end a sponsorship. This was a courageous and important action.

We as the Australian Christian community following in the footsteps of Jesus are called to be sensitive, courageous and prophetic. This leads us into listening without judgement, compassion without limit and confession for the pain and trauma so many live with. 

Together we pray for real change and maybe we need a response to the  Statement from the Heart that says we hear, we care and we want deep and lasting change. 

Rev John Gilmore

NCCA President