Kangaroo Island Council Mayor Michael Pengilly refuses to give Acknowledgment of Country, labels it ‘divisive’

The high-profile SA leader has caused a stir by refusing to give the formal recognition of Indigenous history at the start of a council meeting.

A high-profile South Australian council mayor has refused to have an Acknowledgement of Country reading at the start of a meeting, later labelling it a “divisive” issue.

Kangaroo Island Councillors had previously discussed a formal Acknowledgement of Country, in recognition of Indigenous history, at the start of every meeting.

But council records show Mayor and former state Liberal MP Michael Pengilly, refused to have it read at its meeting on Tuesday morning.

The statement is seen as a gesture of respect to Indigenous culture and to First Nations Peoples’ relationship with the land. The council minutes, published on its website, state that Mr Pengilly overruled attempts to read it and rejected a formal objection from his colleague, Councillor Bob Teasdale.

Kangaroo Island mayor Michael Pengilly and wife Jan on their property at Emu Bay. Picture: Brad Fleet

Instead he opened the meeting referencing the 2020 bushfires on KI.

“Mayor Pengilly overruled the point of order stating that the matter of the acknowledgement of country should have been discussed at an information briefing session prior to being considered by council,” it states.

“It is (also) not a policy of Council and therefore it will not be read out.”

Mr Teasdale, who has been in Aboriginal education for more than 60 years, then tried to formally have it read out “but the Mayor again refused to accept his proposal”, records state.

Minutes of a December 6 KI council meeting show Mr Teasdale had received the full support of colleagues that the statement be “read with dignity” at the start of each council meeting.

This, his statement says, acknowledges the “deep spiritual significance” to many Indigenous Australian nations.

Mr Pengilly, who was first elected mayor in 2003 before he entered parliament in 2006, said he had not read the minutes but there was no formal council policy on the “divisive” issue.

“There’s been no policy discussion on this and so there’s no policy in place,” he said.

“It is up to council – I don’t get a vote.

“I can’t stop someone if they want to do it. My view is I don’t do it but I’ve no problem with people who want to. It’s not my view – it’s really up to them.

“I think it’s divisive and I think it’s been overdone by everyone.”

Mr Pengilly, who was elected mayor again in 2018 and 2022, said he was being “set up”.

Kangaroo Island elected council members. Picture: KI Council

He said the island had unique Aboriginal history, which included Indigenous people having left more than 10,000 years ago. Second term councillor Mr Teasdale, who would later read an acknowledgement at Tuesday’s meeting, said there had been a “small collision” with the mayor.

“I think most of us on council were appalled,” he said.

“It’s a simple, non-controversial Acknowledgement of Country.”

Colleague Sam Mumford said he wanted a statement that reflected “all race and creed”. Last year a “proud” Premier Peter Malinauskas successfully ordered a change to rules to formally acknowledge Aboriginal history, with unanimous support from MPs.