Musician returns Order Of Australia medal over Voice referendum result

Shane Howard, frontman of Australian rock group, Goanna, whose 1982 hit ‘Solid Rock, Sacred Ground’ decried the dispossession of First Peoples, has returned his Order of Australia medal, in protest over the Voice referendum result.

Howard was originally awarded the OAM in 2016 for significant service to the performing arts.

Writing to the Australian Governor-General, General David John Hurley, AC, DSC, FTSE this week, Howard spoke of his ‘deep sadness’ and noted that while he ‘respects the democratic result’ of the Referendum, he felt that ‘Australians had missed an important historical moment of destiny’.

He said: ‘At this point in history, I can’t be proud of my nation and feel honour bound to return my Order of Australia medal.

‘When I wrote the song, ‘Solid Rock, Sacred Ground’ 40 years ago, I wanted us to address the fundamental lie at the heart of our national story. I dreamt of a country respectful of our ancient history and honest about our modern history. I wanted to be proud of my country,’ Howard said.

Appearing on Goanna’s debut album Spirit of Place, and released as the lead single in September 1982, the song features lyrics such as:

‘Well, they were standin’ on the shore one day Saw the white sails in the sun Wasn’t long before they felt the sting White man, white law, white gun Don’t tell me that it’s justified ‘Cause somewhere, someone lied’

The official music video for Goanna’s 1982 hit ‘Solid Rock, Sacred Ground’.

‘Solid Rock, Sacred Ground’ went on to peak at number three on the Australian charts, and won Best Debut Single at the 1982 Countdown Music and Video Awards.

This week, Howard reflected that the Voice referendum campaign had seen ‘the rise of intentional and well-resourced disinformation networks’.

‘I’m also deeply troubled by the way our First Peoples, our brothers and sisters, our friends, have been so belittled, with such pernicious vilification, in the interests of political power. It’s neither generous nor decent,’ he said.

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Howard’s great-grandfather was arrested at the Eureka Stockade in 1854. ‘I hold sacred the democratic principles and freedoms that those Diggers defended and died for. Those democratic principles are now under threat,’ he said.

‘I love my birth country deeply but until we loose [sic] our colonial shackles, engage in Treaty-making with our First Peoples, commit to truth-telling about our history and embrace a post-colonial Republic, I cannot be proud of my nation,’ Howard concluded.