Author: Jessica Chen

Biographical Timeline | Leadership Qualities | Mauna Kea | References

Pioneering

Although Bonner had many valiant and praiseworthy traits, one which truly

stands out is that he was a pioneer for his people. Despite being an Aboriginal man during a time of great adversity, Bonner stayed true to his morals in order to become the first person of Aboriginal descent to enter the Australian parliament. The number of ‘firsts’ that Neville Bonner accomplished on behalf of his people is both astonishing and highly commendable; including starting a business and becoming the first aboriginal to be elected to Australia’s senate. Despite little education and no political background, Bonner served as a bulldozer for advancing the rights of his fellow Aboriginal community members. Therefore, it is only appropriate that Bonner should be considered a pioneer of his time.

Because of Neville Bonner, Aboriginal Australians all over the country have one more influential leader to look up and aspire to. Furthermore, Aboriginals are recognized by their country’s constitution, they have laws that safeguard their land and communities, and Australia now protects, rather than rejects them. Like a pioneer, Bonner ventured into uncharted territory and dared to do the unexpected, with little support from the world around him. Today, he is a highly regarded and respected Aboriginal man, who deserves every ounce of recognition for his pioneering of laws that protect indigenous people and land.

Resilient

Coming from an Aboriginal descent, Neville Bonner was not accepted by the white community. As a result, he was not able to receive the education he deserved. He lived in a discriminatory world in which he was not recognized by his own country’s constitution. Even so, Bonner continued to work hard in order to provide himself and his family a better path than the one society fabricated for them. He worked as a carpenter, managed a dairy farm, and even created his own boomerang manufacturing business before beginning his political career.

As an Aboriginal politician in the Commonwealth parliament, Neville Bonner was resilient in promoting Aboriginal rights and welfare during a time when the rest of the parliament was not willing to help Aboriginal communities. During his time in parliament, other politicians never considered Bonner his equal, often leaving him alone and rarely befriending him. Nonetheless, he was never afraid to express his Aboriginality to his colleagues, even if it meant that he had to vote against his party- something Bonner did over 30 times throughout his political career.

Bonner’s retirement from politics did not prevent him from advocating and speaking for Aboriginal issues. He was never ashamed of his Aboriginal culture, and hoped to remain true to his Aboriginal voice when speaking for his people. Bonner’s legacy continues to inspire Aboriginals today to rise above the stereotypes forced upon them by the government and contribute to the advancement of society.

Adaptable

From a young age, Neville Bonner had the ability to excel in any field or job he

was tasked with. Bonner faced a frequent changing of schooling situations during his youth. The first school Bonner attended was the South Lismore School. He and his siblings were sent home the first day by the Head Schoolmaster because the white families kept their children home. After the death of Neville’s mother, his grandmother moved the family to Queensland where they attended the Beaudesert School. At this school, Neville was able to skip three grades in one year, proving that he was highly adaptable in any situation, so long as he had the right tools.

The trait of adaptability followed Bonner in virtually every job he had acquired. One of Neville’s first jobs was working on a cattle station. He started roughly the time that his wife became pregnant and by the time his son was born he had already become the Head Stockman. Eventually, his son became ill and the three moved to Palm Island. Bonner was forced to find another job on the island and became the Health officer on the island. Despite this completely different occupation, he was able to adapt extraordinarily well. The superintendent of the island tasked Bonner to make bricks to rebuild the infrastructure, or lack thereof. Again, granted the opportunity, Bonner made the best of his situation and was able to build a house for himself out of the bricks. Bonner was always adapting to positions of leadership in every field naturally. The adaptability that Bonner displayed in his various jobs and schooling led him excel in his career as a politician.