I acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the land on which I live and work — the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nation — and pay my deepest respects to their Elders, past, present, and emerging. I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across Australia, whose living cultures are the oldest continuous cultures on earth.

I make this acknowledgement not as a formality, but as a genuine expression of gratitude and wonder. I came to Australia from Brazil — a country of extraordinary richness and biodiversity, a land I love deeply. But when I arrived here, I encountered something that stopped me in my tracks: the quiet, ancient authority of a country that has been cared for, understood, and called home for over 65,000 years. Australia is the oldest piece of earth on the planet. And the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are its first and most enduring story.