The idea of recognising indigenous Australians in the constitution is not new. Twenty-five years ago, it was a topic of major discussion at the constitutional convention as delegates grappled with the competing claims of symbolism and workability. How could the desire for recognition be aligned with the need to ensure necessary predictability in the nation’s constitutional arrangements?

In February 1998, 152 delegates gathered at Old Parliament House Canberra, half elected, half appointed, representatives from every state and territory and every political party and those without political affiliations.