As referendum anniversary nears, rugby legend Mark Ella remembers early days

Mark Ella will go down in Rugby history as one of the great exponents of the game. He was also the first Indigenous man to lead an Australian sporting team, something he did 10 times. Image: Mark Ella, left, with rugby-playing brothers Glen and Gary in a 2001 photo (AAP)

Ella was a young boy when the 1967 Referendum changed the law to include all Aboriginal Australians on the census and empower the Federal Government to legislate for them.

Now, as the 50th anniversary of the referendum approaches on 27 May, Ella reflects on his career, the impact he has had on Indigenous affairs and his hopes for the future.