Dubbo Wiradjuri elder 'very inspired' by Prime Minister's call for Indigenous voice to parliament referendum

Mr Nolan, 76, was one of the prominent campaigners in the region for the newly-formed Indigenous-Aboriginal Party's candidate Derek Hardman in the May 22 federal election.

When the Australian Electoral Commission announced Hardman was taking the number one spot on the ballot paper for Parkes' nine candidates, Mr Nolan, who represented the IAP at the ballot raffle in Dubbo was nearly in tears because "we're making history".

They did, as much as four per cent of total votes in the contest for the seat of Parkes went to IAP and first-time candidate Hardman, a Baarkindji man.

The IAP is so far the only Aboriginal-led political organisation that has contested a federal election, and by far gathering memberships across the board, which included non-Indigenous Australians declaring their support, IAP convenor Owen Whyman, a senate candidate, earlier said.

"I was very inspired by what the prime minister said...it is probably the most constructive and positive wording that comes out of a prime minister in the history of Aboriginal affairs," Mr Nolan said.

Prior to retiring in 2014, Mr Nolan held various roles at the abolished Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and Aboriginal Development Corporation and as a lecturer at Charles Sturt University, and teacher at remote Indigenous schools.

Prime minister Anthony Albanese attended the Garma Festival at Arnhem Land on Friday and made it clear his government's agenda to initiate a referendum on voice to parliament, a Sydney Morning Herald report said.

His speech at the festival also hinted at the question Australians will be asked in the referendum: "Do you support an alteration to the constitution that establishes an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice?"

"It comes at the right time now," Mr Nolan said.

"It's been over 50 years since the 1967 referendum. Back then there were 11 million people in the country and now 25 million. It's a lot of different views and ideas so I think the referendum is the way to go."

"How they will work it out will be up to the government and the people to understand clearly how it works."

A campaign for the historic 1967 referendum was held over 10 years and finally, on May 27, 1967, Australians overwhelmingly agreed, or 91 per cent of voters, to grant Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people their full citizenship.

Section 51 of the old Constitution stated the Commonwealth cannot make laws for the Aboriginal people. and Section 127 excluded them from being counted in electoral boundaries while the Commonwealth Franchise Act of 1902 excluded them from voting.

"I think this referendum will set [the voice to parliament] in concrete...people can say anything but when it comes to the crunch, the people will make the decision," he said.

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IAP spokesperson and executive adviser Delephene Fraser said the creation of the Makarrata Commission at the House of Representatives' first sitting week last week was a welcome move toward a meaningful discussion on a referendum if a voice to parliament will be enshrined in the constitution.

Ms Fraser, a Ngunnawal woman and a Canberra academic who recently joined the IAP, also slammed the actions of Queensland senator Pauline Hanson who walked out of the senate chamber opening on Wednesday during the acknowledgment to country ceremony.

"I find her party very disrespectful of Aboriginal Australians and our history of migration, trade, and cultural norms you do not walk into another person's nation without welcome and acknowledgment of the business they're wanting to undertake, Ms Fraser said.

"Her actions are like someone from down the pub having a bitch.

"We need to step back and look at the results of her election in Queensland...she did not win a significant number of votes, and that means her politics is waning."

Mr Nolan said while he has not had any opportunity to meet Ms Hanson since she came into politics, he would be glad to meet her and offered some advice the Queensland senator "should be talking more often to Aboriginal people, it will probably enlighten her".