In 1970, a year after Egan wrote the track Gurindji Blues with land rights leader Vincent Lingiari, Egan was sent to Sydney to attend the annual general meeting of the Commonwealth Council of NADOC (National Aborigines’ Day Observance Committee).

The purpose of the National Aborigines Day Observance Committee was to “create and promote an informed public opinion on the status and needs of the Aborigines”.

The committee had been set up back in 1957, two years after the National Missionary Council of Australia (NMCA) had asked the federal government to establish a National Aborigines Day.

In 1969, the NADOC Federal Executive was made up of Rev Frank Engel (chairman), Rev Robert Denham (secretary), Rev Richard Udy (treasurer) and committee members: Rev Robert Brown (SA), Rev James Sweet (Qld), Rev G Night (NSW), Mr Ken Colbung, Mrs S Dunn (NSW), Rev E Newman (NSW) and Pastor Schultz (NSW).

A turning point

“The members of the outgoing committee seemed anxious to replace some of the church officials on the Executive with Aboriginals and this is an encouraging sign,” he wrote.

Egan recommended that NADOC should be a national committee made up entirely of Indigenous representatives.

Moy endorsed his observation about the lack of Aboriginal people on the National Executive.

“Mr Phillip Roberts would be an ideal choice for the Northern Territory and perhaps one of our liaison officers for the ACT. Could it be suggested to NADOC that an Aboriginal be appointed in each State, NT and ACT?”

From National Aborigines Day to NAIDOC Week

“I know at present in the Northern Territory little is done towards the observance of National Aborigines Day because it is considered to be a day on which a few ‘compensation neurotics’ do a bit of stirring in Sydney,” he wrote.

Ken Colbung would again sit as National Chairman in 1971 with Pastor Frank Roberts, Kath Walker and Dulcie Flower joining him on the National Executive.