I acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live, study and work. I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and honour their continuing connection to Country.

I came to Australia from elsewhere, and I often carry a quiet sense of distance from my own ancestral land and culture. This feeling of exile makes me more attentive to what it means for First Nations peoples to remain so strongly grounded in Country, even in the face of histories of dispossession.

For me, Country is both a grounding and a guide. It reminds me that even in distance there is the possibility of relationship, respect and care. I stand here with gratitude for this land, for its custodians, and for the ongoing chance to learn how to live responsibly upon it.