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1901
150000 people gathered in Sydney's Centennial Park to witness the birth of a nation. -
1938
on Australia day 1938 a meeting of Aboriginal people was held in Sydney. A document called 'Aborigines claim citizens rights' was circulated. -
1939-1945
the awareness of the second class status of Indigenous Australians became even more obvious to the general public as a result of world war 2. Many aborigines served in the armed forces and thousands moved into the towns to work in the wartime industries. -
1965
freedom riders demand equal treatment. A group led by Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins made a bus tour through New South Wales. They protested about discrimination in shops, theatres, bars, clubs and swimming pools. -
1966
Gurindji people demand better deal. 200 workers walked off the Wave Hill cattle station in the Northern Territory. They wanted better wages and conditions, and there traditional lands back. The Gurindji eventually gained ownership of the area in 1985 -
1967
White voter demand a better deal for first Australians. After a 90% 'yes' vote the government gave Indigenous people the right to vote and be counted in censuses, and ended the protection policies. -
1972
Aborginal tent embassy set up in Canberra. The Embassy said that blacks were now going to get up and fight back on the issues of education, health, police victimisation, locking people up. -
1974
Land rights to be granted to first Australians. A government commission recommended that Aboriginals should get back the land where they now lived and had traditionally lived. -
1975
First Aboriginal land rights act. However the Northern Territory law only gave the indigenous people some areas of arid and largely useless land. Other land claims were often thrown out by the courts. -
2000
In May 2000, 250,000 people walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge and up to 4000000 marched in Melbourne in December. Many marchers carried signs and banners critical of the Prime Ministers refusal to say 'sorry' to indigenous Australians for past wrongs.