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1967 Essay

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The 1967 referendum that was called upon by the Holt government on the 27th of May 1967 (Wikipedia, 2015), is controversially the most significant turning point for Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders alike in regards to civil and electoral rights. It was a decade’s effort (National Museum Australia, 2014) to successfully conduct the campaign and achieve the extremely high “yes” vote the FCAATSI and thousands of other activists were hoping for. The referendum that succeeded was not the first to appear before the public however it was the only one for the indigenous that provided a positive impact for many. Previous to this referendum, the Australian constitution controlled their rights of voting, marriage, moving, owning property and legally …show more content…

The first act established was a council for the affairs; a minister from all states and territories who were bought together to discuss issues related to these people and recommend actions to be taken by the government (Reconciliation of Australia, 2015). In the five years following the referendum (Red Apple Education Ltd, 2015), many laws were subject to change such as the discriminatory clauses being removed from the Commonwealth laws as well as by the end of 1967, all states except Western Australia and Queensland no longer lived by civil rights that had previously been adjusted negatively by state laws. Not only this but the definition of an Aboriginal had changed to a more acceptable version and laws were passed in relation to land rights, anti-discrimination, financial assistance and what is deemed most important by many, preserving the cultural heritage of the Aboriginals (Red Apple Education Ltd, 2015). The massive yes vote signified community acceptance for many of the Indigenous people and aided in the loss of their inferiority complex, as stated by an FCAATSI committee member (National Museum Australia,

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The Mabo decision of the high court in 1992 is vastly significant as it marks history as the victory of indigenous Australian land rights against the federal government, who had colonised their land and refused to acknowledge that Australia was originally owned by the ATSI people but became a terra nullius land due to the European colonists. The events that have occurred before 1992 such as the The Aboriginal Land Rights Act (NT) of 1976 and the bark petition is deemed less significant than the Mabo decision. I firmly believe that the Mabo case is an extraordinary achievement. it started in 1982 when Eddie Mabo brought up a case against the supreme court of Queensland that Indigenous Australians should have land rights. After almost a whole

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On 27 May 1967 a Federal referendum was held. The 1967 referendum did not give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the right to vote. That right had been legislated for Commonwealth elections in 1962, with the last State to provide Indigenous enfranchisement being Queensland in 1965. Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islanders have had multiple campaigns to try and uphold the same rights as white people. The 1967 referendum was a public vote to determine the public 's opinions of two aspects of the Australian constitution (a written statement which outlines the country 's rules and regulations) that related directly to Indigenous Australians.

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Australia had signed up to the International Covenant on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination in 1966, but the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 was the first time that anti-discrimination legislation was laid down in the Federal parliament. The legislation meant that any previous discriminatory laws were automatically overturned and that that no restrictions, exclusions or distinctions could be made in Australian society on the basis of race, colour, nationality or descent. Whitlam saw it as a victory over bigotry and prejudice, and not just solely aimed at improving the lives of the Indigenous peoples. Many people also saw the events of 1975 as another milestone on the road towards equality for the Aboriginal

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In the 1980’s, national campaigns for land rights laws began and Eddie spoke at a 1981 land rights conference on land rights in the Torres Straits. On hearing his speech, Lawyer, H. C. ‘Nugget’ Coombs, encouraged Eddie and other Meriam people to establish ownership of their lands through the High Court of Australia, and on 20 May 1982, Koiki and four other Meriam Men began their fight for ownership of their lands on Murray and Dauar Islands through the Australian High Court. Koiki was named the first plaintiff, so the case became known as the Mabo Case. Research grants from AIATSIS helped out with the case, but the Queensland Government introduced a sneaky new law in 1985 to crush their chances for native title. Koiki and his colleagues challenged this new law and won, as the High Court found in 1988, this new Queensland law breached Australian racial discrimination laws—Mabo v. Queensland [No. 1].

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This was all through the persistency of the protesting and riots. It as was stated by the Australian government “The Aboriginal Land Rights Act. The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 was the first attempt by an Australian government to legally recognize the Aboriginal system of land ownership and put into law the concept of inalienable freehold title. The Land Rights Act is a fundamental piece of social reform.” (History Of Land Rights Acts , n.d.)

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The first women in Australian that were able to vote were in South Australia, in 1895 , and quickly, other states and territories followed. This leap in women’s rights changed Australia into a nation of equality, and moved the nation into the next stage of cultural independence. Vida Goldstein was a Victorian citizen who followed in her mother’s footsteps in becoming a social reformer and a suffragist. She was firmly encouraged by her parents to become educated and independent, and this led her to become the leader in Victoria for women’s equality. She was an excellent public speaker, and this enabled her to grasp her audience and effect and change their opinions on women’s equality.

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As stated in the handout given in class, “The referendum provided a vehicle for change by empowering the Commonwealth to protectionism and assimilation.” Before the referendum, the States of Australia made laws which discriminated against and denied basic human rights such as being free to live where they wish, having access to education, receiving the same wages as non-Aboriginal people, etc. to Aboriginal people. The referendum did not guarantee such change — For the first five years after the referendum the Australian Government did not make any significant changes, as the referendum did not actually give the government full responsibility to make positive changes for Aboriginal people, it simply “opened the door for Australian Government involvement” as put by the Australian Constitution and 1967 Referendum Fact Sheet. The ongoing political commitment would be the only way to make sure the changes stayed in place; Something that fell short 50 years

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When looking at these direct factors of why the protest started, it is necissary to understand that more then 100 years of injustices had also lead to this turning point. On the 26th of January 1972 (Australia Day) former prime minister Billy Mcmahan announced that his government would never grant Aboriginal land rights (Tan, 2016). Mcmahon had chosen the most provocative day possible to announce this as many Aboriginal people consider this to be invasion day. In doing so it can Aboriginal activists were forced to make some sort of stand, they chose to do this in the form of a non-violent protest on the lawns parliament house in Canberra. Four activists from Redfern went there and sat on the front lawn in with, at the start, only a beach umbrella (Tan, 2016).

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During the 20th Century Indigenous Australians were faced with different laws and treatment depending on which state they lived in. They had next to no rights when compared to the white people. This all changed in 1967 when the referendum was introduced that allowed the Commonwealth Government to take all the power and created equal rights and laws for both Indigenous Australians and white people. The Federal Government apposed this referendum due to the success of the inspiration that the Freedom Rides had on people to change how the rightful owners of the land were being treated. The 1965 freedom ride was held by a group of university students from Sydney.

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