The first Aboriginal MP

A warning for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander listeners - this programme contains the names and voices of people who have died.

In 1971, Neville Bonner became the first Aboriginal person to become a member of the Australian Parliament.

In 1979, he was named Australian of the Year in recognition of his work fighting for the rights of indigenous Australians - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

His great niece Joanna Lindgren shares her memories of 'Uncle Neville' with Vicky Farncombe.

"He was gentle, he was a terrific listener. It didn't matter that you were 13 years old, you never felt that he was not interested in what you had to say," she says.

Eye-witness accounts brought to life by archive. Witness History is for those fascinated by the past. We take you to the events that have shaped our world through the eyes of the people who were there. For nine minutes every day, we take you back in time and all over the world, to examine wars, coups, scientific discoveries, cultural moments and much more.

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(Photo: Old Parliament House, in Canberra. Credit: Getty Images)