FREO MAYOR ATTACKS SOCIETY OVER RACISM

MAYOR Hannah Fitzhardinge accused The Fremantle Society of being racist after she was asked to ensure the port city’s bicentennial celebrations in 2029 are “positive and inclusive”.
Society president John Dowson told StreetWise he wrote to the mayor and elected members ahead of tonight’s meeting where council will discuss a First Nations-led vision for Arthur Head including Bathers Beach and Round House. Part of this vision in the City’s Walyalup Reconciliation Action Plan includes a treaty between Whadjuk Aboriginal Corporation and the City of Fremantle.
Instead of responding to Mr Dowson’s concerns in writing, the mayor decided to vent her well-known dislike of Mr Dowson in a short video on her Facebook and Instagram pages. Mr Dowson described the council item as, “probably the most divisive and disgraceful item to have been put forward to council for decades”.
Cr Fedele Camarda will introduce an amendment to include ‘local historians’ in the community engagement process: “Noting that local historians will play a vital role in providing feedback in relation to the proposed vision, purpose and guiding principles.”
Mr Dowson said the area, known officially as Arthur Head, not Manjaree, is one of the most important colonial historic sites in Australia. It also has significance for Aboriginal people, he said.
“As we head towards the State’s Bicentenary, there needs to be planning which celebrates 200 years of those many layers of history, and also acknowledges the perspectives of Aboriginal people. Your council item is focused on Aboriginal issues and reflects poorly on the Towards 2029 Working Group whose only community member was Aboriginal. This shockingly biased item should be withdrawn and redone.”
Cr Fitzhardinge says in her video there were, “straight-to-the-heart big moments at this morning’s National Reconciliation Week breakfast … including one that hit home – the need to take an active stand against racism”.
In her video shot at the venue, she said without producing Mr Dowson’s email copied here: “Interestingly I got an email yesterday from John Dowson speaking on behalf of the Fremantle Society, calling me disgraceful for including Aboriginal people in a conversation about 2029 and how we acknowledge 200 years since colonial arrival here in Fremantle. I just wanna call out that I don’t think that’s okay. I think we should be beyond the point where we make a big fuss about Aboriginal people being included. Aboriginal people should be front and centre of this conversation. They were not consulted when the Roundhouse was built at Manjaree. You know to be called disgraceful for including Aboriginal people, I’m sorry John Dowson I don’t think the Fremantle community is behind what you’re saying. I wonder whether the Fremantle Society is, perhaps they could let me know.”
At no stage in the council letter did Mr Dowson accuse the mayor or any elected member of being racist or disgraceful. He was concerned over the “shockingly biased” item.
Mr Dowson responded on the mayor’s page: “This is a shocking and defamatory attack that does not reflect the personal letter I sent you yesterday. You have totally misrepresented the complaint that was lodged with you. You need to withdraw this video and apologise, to avoid legal action.”
Cr Fitzhardinge stood by her comments and, “will not be intimidated by your threats. If you work actively against recognition of indigenous histories, seek to claim that colonial perspectives are superior or more important than indigenous ones, deny indigenous links to an area and attack indigenous led consultations then there are a very limited number of nouns to describe this approach, and it needs to be called out. Recognising indigenous voices and perspectives does not diminish or eliminate colonial ones. It is not a political act. It is simply a more accurate representation of history.”
Mr Dowson said he was staggered at the mayor’s response: “You don’t have 200 years of commemoration by talking only to one group in the community. You don’t achieve reconciliation by dividing people. She should be apologising for totally misquoting what I wrote.”