Typically, Daniel Bourke is a knockabout, happy-go-lucky Aussie bloke. But 10 months ago, Daniel went into a deep hole.
"I was heartbroken."
Daniel was a passionate, outspoken supporter of the Illawarra’s campaign for the ‘Yes’ vote in the October 2023 referendum.
The 48-year-old Mangerton man said the night he watched "in disbelief" as the votes rolled in across Australia, condemning the referendum to a comprehensive defeat, took him to an all time low.
"At that moment, I felt gutted. It was catastrophic," he said.
Since that night, which Daniel shared with other disappointed ‘Yes’ campaigners, he’s spent time reflecting. And like so many of his fellow ‘Yes’ campaigners, wondering what to do, and what comes next.
"This has troubled me deeply, as has my relative silence since the majority of the population decided to act with ignorance, as opposed to love and care," Daniel said.
"Wollongong was one of the rare areas around the country that was able to muster a slim ‘Yes’ majority, and it's this effort by so many black and white community members that has driven an initiative to create a Friends of Woolyungah Indigenous Centre (WIC) at the University of Wollongong.
"Despite the disappointment of the national vote, many of us felt the strong alliance and mutual respect created in the Illawarra has the potential to deliver many positive outcomes which will benefit both Indigenous and non-Indigenous community members."
Determined to turn the referendum negative into a positive, Daniel has signed on to run the Sydney Marathon on 15 September. Some will remember him joining another marathon man, Pat Farmer, jogging together into Wollongong as part of the nationwide run to spread the word about the referendum and the importance of voting Yes to give our First Nations people a Voice.
With running in his blood, Daniel is training daily, and can often be seen churning out the 32km from Coniston to Sandon Point and back. He’s shed 10kg to make sure he’s in peak condition for the run.
Daniel has set himself an ambitious $10,000 goal through a GoFundMe fundraiser.
"As part of my training, I’m helping raise awareness of why Woolyungah is important, introducing some of the excellent staff and people involved. All of the money raised will support the work Woolyungah does in communities right around Australia.
"Despite the referendum campaign being over, we still have much to do to bring the full truth of how this country came to be where it is today, and highlight how much positivity can come from engaging with First Nations People to create a better future for us all."