The next time you send a letter or parcel, take note of the First Nation country you are sending it to.
That is the dream of Gomeroi woman Rachael McPhail who is encouraging people to include the traditional place name as part of the address on their postage.
"I would love for Australia Post and the Australian Government to make the traditional place names an official part of the address information," she said.
"Secondly, I'd love to see Aussie businesses, universities, banks, MyGov, PayPal, Star Track, Uber etcetera asking people for the traditional place name as part of the address information when people are filling in the forms or going through the online checkout."
Ms McPhail found out about her Gomeroi heritage when she was 30 and is named after her great-great-grandmother, who left Country for fear of losing her lighter-skinned child.
"Over the past few years I've been trying to think of little ways that I can make a difference or decolonise my way of thinking."
"She didn't tell anyone she was Aboriginal because she was protecting her family, so I celebrate my Aboriginal heritage for her because she wasn't able to," she said.
Inclusion of place name offers opportunity to learn
The CEO of the Nowra Local Aboriginal Land Council (LALC), Nicole Moore is supportive of the idea.
"Nowra LALC sees great potential for acknowledgement of country to act as recognition that Australia always was, always will be Aboriginal land," she said.
"We encourage the wider community to engage in genuine learning on this topic, including understanding the impacts of colonisation and past government practices and the dispossession and dislocation from country that has brought."
Joe Williams is a Wiradjuri and Wolgalu man and former professional rugby league player, boxer and now author and mental health advocate.
"I think it's brilliant," he said.
"It's just about showing respect and giving acknowledgement to a place that has existed in a documented 100,000-plus years.
"If we're doing Welcome to Country and Acknowledgement of Country, then let's acknowledge where it is officially."
Response to the idea on social media has been positive, the only criticism being that it could make delivery of the mail more complicated — a criticism Joe Williams rejects.
"Try being a kid in a remote community that is forced to learn a fifth and sixth language just because they have to go to school," he said.
"I go to communities where kids only speak English at school, and when we talk about assimilation policies, we were forced to live a different way of life and many of us had the original ways of life completely taken from us.
"To suggest that it is too difficult for Australia Post to adopt some of this reeks of privilege."
Australia Post supports the idea
Rachael McPhail is in early talks with Australia Post about how the idea can be promoted around the country.
"When it comes to the addressing of letters and parcels, customers are welcome to include the Traditional Nation name in the address," an Australia Post spokesperson said.
"We recommend the traditional name is included below the recipient's name but above the street address."
In addition, Rachael McPhail has tested her idea with success.
"I've been doing this for months now and all of my parcels have made it to me fine," she said.
"Australia Post haven't lost one single package."
