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Protection policy - Victoria
The protection policy was put in place by the Australian government to 'protect' Indigenous Australians from abuse and to provide them with rations, blankets and medicine. However, it became increasingly extreme, by isolating full blood Aboriginals on reserves and restricting contact with outsiders, as well as limiting their civil rights, including the right the marry and the governments right to take away children from their families. -
Segregation policy
The policy was created by Archibald Meston, whom urged that Indigenous Australians were to be segregated from white society by being placed on missions and reserved away from 'non-indigenous society'. This act was then replaced in 1939 with an updated version, which allowed government officials to have the legal right to remove Aboriginal children from their families. Government officials also had the legal right to remove Aboriginal children from their families and placed to white families. -
Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association (APA)
The AAPA campaigned for Indigenous rights to land ownership, citizenship, personal rights and to end the practise of removing Aboriginal children from their families. The groups main focus was to gain an equal citizenship for Aboriginal people to white people and to ensure that Aboriginal culture was protected, along with their identity, -
Assimilation policy
The commonwealth government agreed that Aboriginal people 'of not full blood' were to be absorbed into the white culture. The aim was to make the Indigenous Australians to become extinct, which was done by not allowing them to practise their customs and having to start at a young age work in the wider community, with boys learning about agriculture to become farmers, and girls learning home chores to become house maids -
Aboriginal Day of Mourning
The first Aboriginal Day of Mourning was held in 1939, the 150th anniversary of the first fleet. It was held by the Indigenous people to protest against the prejudice and discrimination which they faced on a daily basis. -
Freedom rides
The freedom rides consisted of students from the University of Sydney who drew international attention of the shocking living conditions of Aboriginal people and the racism that they faced. They took a 15 day bus journey through regional New South Wales and would protest outside the front of racist companies, such as an RSL, who wouldn't allow Indigenous people into their establishment -
Wave Hill Walk Off
200 Gurindji stockmen, labourers and their families took strike action against Wave Hill Station due to the poor living conditions they were faced with in daily life. After a 7 year dispute, this led to the return of a portion of their traditional land and the passing of the first legislation that allowed for First Nations people to own land in 1974. -
Paul Keating Redfern Speech
Paul Keating was the first Australian Prime Minister to acknowledge negative impact that the British colonisation had on Indigenous Australians. This address held significant influence for Aboriginal people as it was an acknowledgment by the government they are sorry for past politicians actions, which caused for Indigenous people to lose their culture, and family. -
Cathy Freeman wins gold
Cathy's win held significant historical impact in not only Australia but internationally, as she was the first Indigenous Australian to win an individual gold medal at the Olympics. After her win, she carried both the Aboriginal and Australian flag, representing a whole of a nation and representing her people as well, which caused controversy from the Australian population -
Rabbit Proof Fence
The Rabbit Proof Fence provided significant influence on the way Indigenous families were impacted by the policies introduced to 'legally' take Aboriginal children away from their families. This movie demonstrated the Stolen Generations response to the segregation and protection policy put in place, which unfortunately, faced controversy by audiences due to this portrayal.