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.
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.
Mark Ella is enshrined in the Wallabies Hall of Fame.
He played for Australia 25 times, even though he stunned the Rugby world when, at the height of his powers, he retired from playing at age 25.
He may have left the game on top of the world, but he still remembers, in his early days as an emerging player, the racial abuse he faced.
And more than 30 years after stepping away from the game, Ella is able to look at the evolution of how he dealt with it.
"We probably responded by fighting, but, after a little while, we realised that we were leading by 50 points, that that hurt more than throwing a few punches."
To this day, Ella remains the only Wallaby to have scored a try in every match of a Grand Slam Tour of Britain and Ireland.
He says the 1967 Referendum was a step in the right direction but, now, he would like to see the journey end in full recognition of Indigenous people.
"It's amazing. I mean, we are recognised, obviously, as the first Australians, one of the oldest cultures in the world, but the mere fact that we can't take that ... what appears to be a simple step, which it's obviously not, to the next level is beyond me. There's been a lot of controversy, a lot of talk, a lot of discussions, between, I guess, all Australians about being recognised, and, hopefully, it will be dealt with soon."
Ella spent five years living in Italy, where he played for Milan for a season before going on to coach the side for three seasons, winning two national titles.
During his time in Europe, he says, he took every opportunity to raise awareness of his culture.
"I did live in Milan, in Italy, for about five years, and that was great. It's unique when you're overseas and people come up and speak to you and say, 'You're an Australian, but you're not Australian!' And I'd say, 'No, I am Australian. I'm Indigenous Australian, Aboriginal.' And they'd go, 'Oooohhhh, yeah, I do remember reading something about Aboriginals.' 'Well,' I said, you're talking to the dinky di person here.'"
Ella had not yet turned eight years old when the 1967 Referendum was held.
Now, he says, he is ready to hand over to the younger generation to steer and promote the Indigenous cause.
"I guess I'm waiting for the next ... or wanting the next generation to take over. I can't ... it's unfortunate, you can't be a leader forever. Sooner or later, you've got to step down and let the more knowledgeable and the younger people take over."
Ella is now head of sport at NITV, National Indigenous Television, but, despite being used to the spotlight, he admits to being shy away from the cameras.
"I'm a little bit shy. When you're in the limelight, you're representing your country and being captain, I mean, you're out there, and you can't escape it. But in my own time, I'm probably pretty shy, and I don't like doing interviews, I don't like being in newspapers. But it's something you have to deal with day to day. It's normal now."
He has come to accept parts of his life are public.
In his case, his family gained fame, too, one more thing he jokes he has had to accept, although there is no denying how important it is to him.
"Family is (important). I've got five sisters and six brothers, and, as much as I try, you can never get away from them!"
And while younger generations may find new Indigenous sporting heroes, his mark as the first Indigenous Australian to captain a national sporting team, likewise, will never go away.
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