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Federation
The Commonwealth Constitution states "in reckoning the numbers of people… Aboriginal natives shall not be counted". It also states that the Commonwealth would legislate for any race except Aboriginal people. This leaves the power over Aboriginal Affairs with the states.
Aboriginal people are excluded from the vote, pensions, employment in post offices, enlistment in armed forces and maternity allowance. -
NSW Aborigines Protection Act
The NSW Aborigines Protection Act is introduced following crises in public schools.
Aboriginal schools are established in NSW. Exclusion of Aboriginal children from public schools followed requests by the white community. In NSW there are 22 Aboriginal schools in 1910, 35 in 1920 and 40 in 1940. The syllabus stresses manual activities and the teacher is usually the reserve manager’s untrained wife. -
The South Australian Aborigines Act
The South Australian Aborigines Act makes the Chief Protector the legal guardian of every Aboriginal and ‘half-caste’ child under 21 years old. The Chief Protector also has control of where the child lives. The Chief Protector is replaced by the Aborigines Protection Board in 1939 and guardianship power is repealed in 1962. -
Aboriginal people serve in the war
Aboriginal people serve in the war despite the Defence Act 1909 which prohibits any person not of ‘substantially European’ origin from serving. Aboriginal soldiers are among Australian troops at Gallipoli. -
Conniston Massacre in the Northern Territory.
Conniston Massacre in the Northern Territory. Europeans shoot 32 Aboriginal people after a European dingo trapper and a station owner are attacked by them.
A court of inquiry rules the Europeans’ action ‘justified’. Aboriginal people are refused legal aid by the federal government. -
Aborigines Act
Under the Aborigines Act, Aboriginal people can apply to ‘cease being Aboriginal’ and have access to the same rights as ‘whites’. -
Assimilation policy
21-23 April: Aboriginal Welfare - Conference of Commonwealth and State Authorities called by the federal government, decides that the official policy for some Aboriginal people is assimilation policy. Aboriginal people of mixed descent are to be assimilated into white society whether they want to be or not, those not living tribally are to be educated and all others are to stay on reserves. -
Day of Mourning
150 years after European occupation the Aboriginal Progressive Association declares a Day of Mourning. An Aboriginal conference is held in Sydney. These are the first of many Aboriginal protests against inequality, injustice, dispossession of land and protectionist policies. -
Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines
Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines is established. The title is changed in 1964 to Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. -
Integration policy
Integration policy is introduced, supposedly to give Aboriginal people more control over their lives and society. -
Aboriginal Medical Service formed in Redfern.
Some people from Maningrida in the Northern Territory, left and went back to a preferred way of life on their home estates. These estates were called ‘outstations’ and later ‘homeland centres’. By 1972 many people had moved back to their traditional homelands. -
Self-determination (self-management) policy
January - July: The ‘Aboriginal Tent Embassy’ is pitched outside Parliament House in Canberra, demonstrating for land rights. 14 July: National Aborigines Day there are Australia wide strikes and marches by Aboriginal people. 23 August: NSW Director-General of Education approved the removal of the section of the teachers’ handbook that allowed school principals the right to refuse enrolment to Aboriginal children because of home conditions or substantial opposition from the community. A -
Aboriginal Land Rights Act
Aboriginal Land Rights Act (NSW) recognises dispossesssion and dislocation of NSW Aboriginal people, sets up local-regional-State land council network with land tax funding as compensation. The Aboriginal Child Placement Principle, developed principally due to the efforts of Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agencies (AICCAs) during the 1970s, is incorporated in NT welfare legislation to ensure that Indigenous children are placed with Indigenous families when adoption or fostering is necessa -
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) is established as main Commonwealth agency in Indigenous affairs. -
Reconciliation policy
March: Hamersley Iron and the Gumala Aboriginal Corporation finalise a unique regional land use agreement making the way of the $500 million Yandicoogina iron ore mine in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. The agreement was the result of 20 months of consultation and negotiation. 10 March: Alcan South Pacific Pty Ltd enters into a detailed Heads of Agreement with the Aboriginal community in Weipa, Cape York, for a proposed bauxite mining and shipping operation from Alspac’s existing min -
Sorry Books campaign
Sorry Books campaign where Australians can sign who want to do something in response to the federal government’s refusal to make a formal apology to the Stolen Generations. -
Shared responsibility policy
The government starts using Shared Responsibility Agreements (SRAs), voluntary written agreements, which set out what outcomes are to be achieved, and the agreed roles and responsibilities of governments and Aboriginal communities in relation to particular projects or activities.
