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Flame of reconciliation ends its trek to Sydney

By MELISSA FYFE

4 September 2000 - The Olympic torch is not the only flame that has traversed New South Wales. The alternative flame is a humble glow - it was not accompanied by a convoy of shiny vehicles, you can't buy it, and famous people are not queueing to run with it.

It's a small flame, flickering on a piece of old wood cradled to the chest of Kevin "Uncle Kev" Buzzacott, a South Australian Arabunna elder.

Mr Buzzacott has walked with this flame for 3050 kilometres, for 86 days, from the inland sea of Lake Eyre. Yesterday he arrived on his peace walk at Sydney's growing Aboriginal tent embassy which - established in an inner city park - has become the heart of the Aboriginal community's peaceful Olympic protest.

Mr Buzzacott wept as he embraced the embassy's leader, Isabell Coe. With the international media and about 200 supporters looking on, he placed sticks from the flame into the embassy's ceremonial fire.

"We are the old fire," said Mr Buzzacott, a long-time Aboriginal activist who has fought legal battles against mining on his traditional land. "We are the old torch. The new kid on the block should come and see the old kid on the block."

Mr Buzzacott, weary from his long trek, implored Australians to "come down, sit around our fire and listen to what we're talking about".

He was joined in that plea by Peter Furness, Deputy Mayor of South Sydney. In an act of reconciliation, and following a tense beginning when the council wanted the tents to move, Mr Furness asked people to come to the embassy and talk with the Aboriginal representatives.

Mr Buzzacott was joined on his trek by about 50 walkers who talked to towns and communities about reconciliation.

"We've walked the old country where our ancestors have walked and it was so good and so beautiful," he said.

Mr Buzzacott said he would ask SOCOG if he could bless the Olympic stadium and the athletes with his flame.

This article is from the Age

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