Hearn is known for comments he made in 1988 about the
Australian Bicentenary celebrations. In his address to the 54th synod of the Anglican Diocese of Rockhampton, he described the celebrations as an "historical absurdity". Hearn said aspects of Australian life had become blurred amid the hype of the bicentenary which he said failed to recognise 40,000 years of
Aboriginal culture, which was why there had been
protests about the event. He remarked: "Any celebration which fails to recognise 40,000 years of Aboriginal life and culture in Australia is, of course, an historical absurdity... It is no wonder that this cumulative injustice dating from the time of European settlement until now should have occasioned a militant response among some of the
Aboriginal community... There is a
racism that lurks within the Australian consciousness and is fuelled by an uneasy conscience caused by our treatment of Aborigines in the past and our fear for the future." ==References==