Bennelong Society

The Bennelong Society was a conservative think-tank dedicated to Indigenous Australian affairs. The society was named after the Eora man Bennelong, who served as an interlocutor between the Indigenous Australian and British cultures, both in Sydney and in the United Kingdom almost from the start of British settlement of Australia in 1788.[1] It was affiliated with conservative commentators in debates on Indigenous affairs.[2][3] The society was established to:

  • promote debate and analysis of Aboriginal policy in Australia, both contemporary and historical;
  • inquire into the causes of the present appalling plight of many contemporary Aboriginal people;
  • seek to influence public opinion so that the prospects for amelioration of the condition of these people are improved;
  • encourage research into the history of the interaction between Australia's Indigenous people and the Europeans and others who settled in Australia from 1788 onwards, and of the ideas through which this interaction was interpreted by both Europeans and Aborigines;
  • make available to the Australian community, particularly through the Internet, the results of these activities.

The Bennelong Society website was officially launched by Senator the Hon. John Herron with a speech at Parliament House, Canberra on 15 May 2001.[4]

It was one of a number of groups, including the H. R. Nicholls Society, Samuel Griffith Society and Lavoisier Group, promoted by Australian business leader and political activist Ray Evans. The president was Gary Johns.

The Society was wound up in 2011[5] but its work was partly continued by a "Bennelong papers" section of the Quadrant magazine website.[6]

  1. ^ Howson, Peter (2001). "The Objectives of the Bennelong Society". Institute for Private Enterprise. Archived from the original on 19 August 2001. Retrieved 15 August 2006.
  2. ^ Altman, Jon (2005). "The Indigenous hybrid economy". 2005 Conference papers. Australian Fabian Society. Archived from the original on 23 August 2006. Retrieved 15 August 2006.
  3. ^ Graham, Chris (2006). "Teaching Indigenous culture at school". Crikey. Archived from the original on 15 July 2006. Retrieved 15 August 2006.
  4. ^ Herron, John (6 July 2001). "The Bennelong Society is dedicated to acting for Indigenous interests". On Line Opinion. Retrieved 27 January 2023.
  5. ^ Ferguson, John (22 November 2011). "Lack of interest kills Bennelong Society". The Australian. Archived from the original on 22 November 2011. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  6. ^ "Bennelong Papers". Quadrant Online. Retrieved 10 June 2022.