A Dubbo audience has taken the chance to quiz an indigenous leader about constitutional recognition during a visit to the city that was part of his earlier political career.
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About 90 people turned out for the launch of Nyunggai Warren Mundine’s memoir Warren Mundine in Black + White on Thursday night.
The former deputy mayor of Dubbo who went on to be an advisor to five Australian prime ministers recounted stories with passion and humour.
Macquarie Regional Library manager John Bayliss said it was a wonderful conclusion to their program of events for 2017.
Mr Mundine had spoken about his family life - he was one of eleven children in a poor Catholic family - and the inspiration he drew from that, Mr Bayliss said.
“He was very big on the message of education and family and taking opportunities and exploring what’s there,” he said.
Audience members took the chance to ask Mr Mundine, a former national president of the Labor party, about his views about some current issues and some events from the past.
“Yes, there were some interesting questions about the Uluru [summit] and the constitution issue in terms of his take on that,” Mr Bayliss said.
“Things around his time here when Tony McGrane was elected to Parliament.”
“And really spoke about the things that have affected him in his life, and what he’s been involved in, which has been many things, from his involvement in politics with both Labor and Liberal, working with prime ministers of the day.
“So that story of someone who’s done well, whoever they are, just had and still has a really interesting and successful life.
“He spoke very naturally, very good raconteur, easy to listen to, told his story well.
“A lot of humour in his story as well, which was great.”
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Afterwards a queue of people lined up to have Mr Mundine sign their copy of his memoir.
“People were buying it for themselves and perhaps for Christmas gifts as well,” Mr Bayliss said.
The library has a number of copies of the memoir that people can borrow.