Paul Keating's Redfern speech

Feb 13, 2025

Explore the groundbreaking 1992 speech by Australia's Prime Minister in Redfern, a pivotal moment acknowledging historical injustices faced by Indigenous Australians. Hear insights from the speechwriter about its spontaneous development and profound impact. Discover themes of empathy and responsibility essential for understanding Indigenous experiences. Reflect on the speech's mixed outcomes in reconciliation efforts and its lasting legacy, highlighting the resilience of Indigenous culture and the ongoing journey towards acknowledgment in society.

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ANECDOTE

Underestimated Impact

Don Watson, Keating's speechwriter, didn't initially realize the speech's significance.
He viewed it as a standard historical address, given his background in academia.

ANECDOTE

Keating's Concern

Keating's concern for Indigenous Australians was evident before the speech.
He prioritized reconciliation after an inquiry revealed their disproportionate arrest rates.

ANECDOTE

Last-Minute Creation

The Redfern speech was written the night before its delivery.
Watson wrote it in his office, considering it a routine task due to his historical expertise.

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On 10 December 1992, Australia’s Prime Minister, Paul Keating, addressed a crowd in a Sydney suburb called Redfern, to mark the UN’s International Year of the World’s Indigenous People. What started as a low-key affair, is remembered as one of the most powerful speeches in Australian history. It was the first time an Australian Prime Minister took moral responsibility for the horrors committed against Indigenous Australians.

The speech received significant backlash, but it’s often credited with paving the way for a later Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, to issue a formal apology to Indigenous Australians. In 2007, ABC radio listeners voted it the third most unforgettable speech in history behind Martin Luther King’s 'I have a dream' speech and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.

Don Watson wrote the speech. He speaks to Ben Henderson.

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(Audio of Redfern speech: National Archives of Australia)

(Photo: Prime Minister Paul Keating at Redfern. Credit: Pickett/The Sydney Morning Herald/Fairfax Media via Getty Images)