-
Federation celebrations
In January 1901 150 000 people gathered in Sydney's Centennial Park to witness the birth of the nation. There were speeches from important people and a choir of 15 000 school children sang the national anthem. -
The Aborigines protest in Sydney
The awareness of the second-class status of Indigenous Australians became even more obvious to he general public as a result of World War 2 (1939-1945). -
Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights
On Australian Day 1938 a meeting of Aboriginal people was held in Sydney. A document called 'Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights' was circulated. This declaration was the first time Aboriginal people had made a national protest. It was widely reported in the papers and white Australians now started to take notice of their plight. -
Populate or perish
First bombs ever to hit Australia fell on Darwin this morning as Japanese raiders struck their most southernly blow of the war.
- 243 dead
- 300-400 wounded
- 20 military aircraft destroyed
- 8 ships sunk -
Freedom Riders demand equal treatment
A group led by Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins made a bus tour through New South Wales. The protested about discrimination in shops, theatres, bars, clubs and swimming pools. -
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 land back. The Gurindji eventually gained ownership of the area in 1985. -
White voters demand a better deal for first Australians
After a 90% 'yes' vote the government gave Indigenous Australians the right to vote and be counted in censuses, and ended the protection policies. -
Aboriginal 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. Bobby Sykes, Aboriginal activist. -
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. -
First Aboriginal Land Rights Act.
However this Northern Territory law only gave the indigenous people some areas of arid and largely useless land. Other land claims were often thrown out by courts. -
Lost land, stolen children
In the late 18th century Britain claimed the lands of Australia because they assumed nobody owned them. Some Torres Strait Islanders, led by Eddie Mabo, challenged this. Their people had inhabited Murray Island for thousands of years and so were the rightful owners. In 1992 the High Court agreed saying that terra nullius was wrong and racist. So in 1993 Native Title Act allowed Indigenous Australians to claim the land rights. -
The Awakening
In May 2000 250 000 people walked across Sydney Harbour Bridge and up to 400 000 marched in Melbourne in December. Many Marchers carried signs and banners critical of the Prime Minister's refusal to say 'sorry' to the Indigenous Australians for past wrongs.