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Period: to
The aboriginal acts against injustice
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1938 - Circulation of a document called 'Aboriginal Claim Citizen rights'. This was the fist time aboriginals held a national protest.
This was the fist time aboriginals held a national protest. The Day of Mourning was a protest held by Aboriginal Australians on 26 January 1938, the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet and the British colonisation of Australia. It was held to draw attention to the poor treatment of Aboriginal people and entrenched racial discrimination. -
1965 – Freedom Rides
A group of university students led by Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins made a bus tour through new South Wales. They protested against discrimination of aboriginals in swimming pools, bars, clubs and shops. They raised awareness about the inequalities faced by Aboriginals. -
1966 - Gurindji people demand a better deal.
200 workers walked off the wave Hill Cattle station in the Northern territory. They wanted better wages and conditions, and their traditional lands back. The Gurindji eventually reaches their conditions in 1985. -
1967 – Referendum for Aboriginal Citizenship
over 90% of Australians voted "Yes" in a referendum to change the Constitution, allowing Aboriginal people to be counted as citizens and giving the federal government power to make laws for them. -
1972 – Tent Embassy Established
Aboriginal activists set up the Aboriginal Tent Embassy outside Parliament House in Canberra, demanding land rights and political recognition. It remains an important symbol of Aboriginal resistance. -
1974 – Granting Aboriginal Land Rights
A government commission recommended that Aboriginals should get back the land where they now lived and also traditionally lived. -
1975 – Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act
The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976 was passed, allowing Aboriginal groups in the NT to claim traditional lands. But they only gave them the useless lands. other land claims were thrown off by the court. -
1993 - Native Title Act
The idea that Australia belonged to no one before British colonization. Eddie Mabo, a Torres Strait Islander, fought for his people's land rights, proving their traditional ownership. The High Court recognized native title, leading to the Native Title Act 1993. Mabo passed away before the ruling, but his case changed Australian law forever. -
1997- Raising awareness about stealing the aboriginal generations.
In 1997, the Bringing Them Home Report was released, documenting the forced removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children, known as the Stolen Generations. The report raised awareness of the deep trauma caused by these government policies and called for official recognition, reparations, and an apology. -
The march of aboriginals.
In may 2000 250 000 people walked across Sydney Harbour bridge and up to 400 000 marched in Melbourne in Dec. They carried banners critical of the Australian prime minister's refusal to apologize to the aboriginals. They showed their increased concern about things such as developing living standards of the aboriginals and give their culture more status. -
2008 – National Apology to the Stolen Generations
On February 13, 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd formally apologized to the Stolen Generations in Parliament, acknowledging the suffering caused by forced removals and government policies. This was a historic moment in Australia’s reconciliation process. -
2023 – Indigenous Voice to Parliament Referendum
On October 14, 2023, Australia held a referendum on whether to establish an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, a body that would advise the government on issues affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. However, the proposal was rejected by the majority of voters.