Our Yes campaign story is more than a book, it's 'an artefact, a piece of living history'

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To loud chants of "YES", an Australian-first book documenting the 2023 Voice referendum campaign through the eyes of a local community has just been launched.

We Voted YES: The Wollongong Voice Referendum Story was 12 months in the making and was launched by First Nations activist Thomas Mayo at UOW's Woolyungah Indigenous Centre on Friday. Its timing is deliberately aligned with the second anniversary of the Voice referendum, October 14.

The pull-no-punches book takes the reader on a roller-coaster journey, from the Wollongong Yes campaign launch attended by 400 people at UOW to the multitude of events and activities, the highs and the lows, and the fateful night when the national vote was declared. The book also provides very personal reflections from those on the front-line of the campaign, in their own words. Several contributors described the at-times bruising campaign as one of the most challenging and rewarding times of their life.

The 2024 Wollongong Citizen of the Year, Aunty Barb Nicholson, who wrote the foreword for the book, delivered a stirring Welcome to Country at the launch. Two years on, Aunty Barb is still feeling the impact of the referendum defeat. "It cannot be called anything but a national tragedy," she said.

Something to be proud of

In launching the book, Thomas Mayo congratulated the Wollongong community for supporting the Yes vote, and for bringing together "what was an incredible journey, something to be proud of".

Also speaking at the launch, Yes23 Wollongong coordinator John Corker gave his thanks to the committee and postcode coordinators who helped pull together a powerful grassroots campaign.

The 2023 Wollongong Citizen of the Year, Sally Stevenson, spoke about the huge impact the campaign had on the hundreds of volunteers.

Aunty Barbara Nicholson signing the 'YES' Book.

For the record, in the Federal seat of Cunningham, 55,620 people voted Yes. The local Yes vote in Wollongong was 10 per cent higher than the NSW average, 11 per cent higher than the national Yes vote, and 15 per cent higher than the neighbouring seat of Throsby.

WE Voted YES: The Wollongong Voice Referendum Story is for sale ($34.99) at the UOW UniShop and Collins Booksellers Thirroul.

The original article was written by Jeremy Lasek and published in The Illawarra Flame.