For a kid who grew up never imagining such a day could come, Ken Wyatt believes his achievements in life rather than his upbringing have led him to become the first Aborigine elected to the House of Representatives.
The Liberals claimed the West Australian seat after counting on Saturday gave Mr Wyatt a nearly 1000-vote lead over sitting Labor MP Sharryn Jackson, with less than that number of votes to be counted.
Mr Wyatt will become the first indigenous member elected to the House of Representatives, following in footsteps of Neville Bonner, the first Aborigine to take a seat in the Senate.
The former director of Aboriginal health in WA and NSW said it was a historic result, since it showed most people were able to look past the colour of his skin and elect him on his own achievements.
"In 50 years' time historians and people will be analysing why Hasluck chose an indigenous candidate," he said in Perth on Sunday.
"What they'll discover is that they didn't choose an indigenous candidate because I was indigenous. They chose a person who they believed would represent the interests of everybody within Hasluck.
"They chose someone who had the skills in education, health and the bureaucracy and understands the system. Who will speak fiercely. Who will stand up and deliver."
But on a day that should have been filled with celebration, reports that the 58-year-old had received hate mail added a discordant note.
Mr Wyatt said his office had received about 50 hate-filled emails and postings on websites, including comments by some voters who said they would not have voted for him had they known he was Aboriginal.
He said he was disappointed by the fact that after all the work done by Reconciliation Australia, strong elements of racism remained in the community.
But for him it was nothing new.
"I've had that all my life as an Aboriginal kid in the `60s, `70s and `80s ... but we've certainly moved forward as a country," Mr Wyatt said.
"There will be people who have difference of opinion which I don't mind in terms of political differences but when it gets down to very pointed comments, then that hurts.
"Because it means there are others who are also reading those comments and are feeling equal pain because again they thought things have moved on."
Deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop praised Mr Wyatt's win in Hasluck, saying it was a historic moment in Australian history.
Ms Bishop said Mr Wyatt has lived an extraordinary life, one befitting the values, beliefs and principles of the Liberal Party.
"We're a party that believes in freedom of the individual. We believe in self-reliance, taking personal responsibility, hard work and reward for effort and that's what Ken Wyatt's life has been," she said.
The Labor Party is yet to concede defeat but Mr Wyatt paid tribute to Ms Jackson's contribution to public life and the "pain" she would be feeling in losing Hasluck for the second time.
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