Aust indigenous teen's on-air plea for equality

Madeleine Madden says Australia's cultural gap could be closed within a generation. Photo / Supplied

SYDNEY - A 13-year-old girl has made a plea to all Australians to support indigenous people by giving them job opportunities to make their lives better.

Madeleine Madden is the daughter of Hetti Perkins and the late Lee Madden, and the granddaughter of Charles "Chikka" and Lilly Madden and Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins and his wife Eileen.

On Sunday night, she spoke to the nation for two minutes through its free-to-air television networks on behalf of GenerationOne, a movement aimed at ending the disparity between indigenous and non-indigenous Australians. Madden, from Sydney, said her address, which is estimated to have been viewed by more than 6 million viewers, was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Dressed in an orange top and dark trousers, with her hair swept back in a ponytail, Madden highlighted the need among indigenous Australians for "a job, a real job", citing the example of her paternal grandfather "Chikka" Madden.

"I've seen the difference this has made in my own family because my grandfather worked his whole life to give his kids what he never had," she said. "If a huge effort is made, the gap between my people and other Australians can be closed in one generation - that's in the next 20 years."

Madden said it would "be great" if by the time she was 30, there was equality in Australia between indigenous and non-indigenous people.

Madden was due to return to her school, St Andrews Cathedral School, yesterday.

GenerationOne is a not-for-profit organisation founded by Andrew Forrest - head of Pilbara iron ore miner Fortescue Metals - and his wife Nicola.

Its supporters include businessmen James Packer and Kerry Stokes and the Lowy and Fox families.

GenerationOne promotes education, training, mentoring and employment for indigenous Australians.

- AAP