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Day of Mourning and Protest
This event shows 2 things primarily. The first being that Indigenous people are forming groups and planning out large events, such as creating their own associations and organising this protest. The second thing being is that they are pushing back against the White Australians traditions, that being protesting against the white settlement in Australia and their celebration of the day in Australia day. -
Petition for Aboriginal advancements
In the lead up to the referendum groups such as the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement were gaining support around Australia and to get the ball rolling petitions were sent with tens of thousands of people’s signatures to parliament. This was to make amendments to the constitution. This was an important step towards the referendum as it was forcing the parliament to take action. -
Electoral Act amended
The Electoral act amendment allowed Indigenous Australians to enrol to vote but unlike White Australians enrolment was not mandatory. This meant that Indigenous Australians then had the power to vote on a federal level. Although this idea that they weren't chased down if they didn't vote brings into question whether or not Indigenous Australians primarily living However Voting was not given to Indigenous Australians on a state level. -
Martin Luther King Speech
"I Have a Dream" is a public speech delivered by American civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom on August 28, 1963, in which he calls for an end to racism in the United States and called for civil and economic rights. Delivered to over 250,000 civil rights supporters. -
Freedom Ride
The freedom ride was a protest done by the University of Sydney students going around NSW to see how indigenous people lived. They were all white students except for one indigenous boy Charlie Perkins. Whilst they were going around they realised how poorly indigenous people were living and then went on a protest for better living conditions for the indigenous people. -
VOTING RIGHTS ACT OF 1965
Lyndon Johnson addressed a joint session of Congress, calling for federal legislation to ensure protection of the voting rights of African Americans. The result was the Voting Rights Act, which Congress passed in August 1965. The Voting Rights Act sought to overcome the legal barriers that still existed at the state and local level preventing blacks from exercising the right to vote. -
Equal wages
Indigenous had been campaigning for equal wages on pastoral lands for many years and they were finally awarded them by the Arbitration commission. These fair wages were however not going to be put into place for another 3 years this caused mass walkouts and protests with the Indigenous people asking for ‘equal wages NOW’. The walkouts however were not just about wages but also the awful living conditions, bad food a d abuse of their women from white workers on many stations. -
Referendum
The referendum in 1967 was proposed for the aboriginals to have better rights and that aboriginal people are counted in the Australian population. The referendum needed the majority of the states votes and the “yes” vote one outright with over 90% saying yes. This then changed the constitution and aboriginals were now counted as Australians.
