may 27, 1967 - The Referendum
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In 1967, after ten years of campaigning, a referendum was held to change the Australian Constitution. Two negative references to Aboriginal Australians were removed, giving the Commonwealth the power to legislate for them as a group. This change was seen by many as a recognition of Aboriginal people as full Australian citizens.The referendum campaign effectively focused public attention on the fact that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians were second class citizens with all sorts of limitations on their lives. This decade-long campaign to change the Constitution came to symbolise the broader struggle for justice being fought during these years.
Strong activism by individuals and both Indigenous and non-Indigenous groups greatly aided in the success of the 1967 referendum in the years leading up to the vote. Calls for Aboriginal issues to be dealt with at the Federal level began as early as 1910. Despite a failed attempt in the 1944 Referendum, minimal changes were instigated for Aboriginal rights until the 1960s, and Gurindji Strike highlighted the negative treatment of Indigenous workers in the Northern Territory. From here, the overall plight of Aboriginal Australians became a fundamental political issue which had to be solved and eventually led to the referendum.
Many Indigenous people regard the 1967 Referendum as a symbolic turning point, revealing a widespread desire for Indigenous equality in Australia.
The Referendum has had a lasting impact on Indigenous policies. It enabled the federal government to pass the Land Rights Act, which has benefited many Indigenous Australians. However, despite the assumption that the power given to the federal government by 1967 Referendum would be used only to benefit Indigenous people, in some instances, the changes have been used enact laws that have eroded Indigenous rights. For instance, the referendum enabled the Intervention, including the exclusion of Indigenous people from the protection of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. The Referendum’s failure to substantially improve conditions for Indigenous people resulted in disillusionment and a new wave of activism in the 1970’s, including the modern land rights movement. It also ensured continuing activism for further changes to the legal system to create equality and rights protection for Indigenous people.
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Australia After WWII
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