The history of Australia began long before the arrival of Captain Cook in 1770.

Australia has a long history of human occupation - at least 40,000 years and, as archaeological discovery is telling us, undoubtedly more.

Until recently, our history books told only the latest part of the story of Australia, and only from the point of view of Anglo-European settlers. We ignored the history of tens of thousands of years which was abruptly and permanently altered in 1788 with the arrival of the First Fleet. As a result, generations of Australians have grown up not knowing the real dynamics of our history.

Today many indigenous people are telling their own stories and historians are recognising the evolution of indigenous cultures, lifestyles and politics since before the arrival of the First Fleet.

On 26 May 1998, thousands of people acknowledged a tragic part of Australia's history - the separation of Aboriginal children from their families and took part in Australia's first National Sorry Day. Politicians, celebrities and community and sector groups listened to the sad stories of the stolen generation, now adults, many of them with their own families. In response, people across the nation apologised for this cruel government policy that tore at the threads of hundreds of indigenous families.

Sharing history takes time. Most of us will have been through a school system that taught little of Australia's indigenous people and history, or their role in our shared history after British colonisation. This is slowly changing, with many educational institutions offering courses on indigenous affairs, prepared and often presented by indigenous people.

The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation is also playing a part in educating Australians through such initiatives as Learning Circles and producing education kits for students in both primary and high schools.

It is important that all Australians recognise that we, as a nation, have a shared history. To share history involves changing the way the story of Australia is told and understood. It involves people from the wider community identifying with aspects of indigenous peoples' cultures and histories. It also involves indigenous people sharing their knowledge and perspective of history with their non-indigenous fellow citizens.