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The Day Of Mourning
The Day of Mourning was a protest on the 150th anniversary of Australia Day by Indigenous people against injustices by the Australian Government. It was the first of many protests to try and get citizenship rights for the Aborigines. -
The 1939 Protest
200 Indigenous people walked off a NSW Aboriginal reserve in protest to starvation and maltreatment. -
The 1946 Strike
600 Aboriginal stockmen in WA went on strike and 12 months later they won the minimum wage. -
Voting rights for some Aborigines
Aboriginal people were given the right to vote in commonwealth elections if they were enrolled for State elections. -
Citizenship Rights
Aborigines were awarded Australian Citizenship, but still did not have the same rights as whites. -
The 1958 FCAA Campaign
The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines started a 10-year campaign to end constitutional discrimination. -
The Right to Vote
All Aboriginal people were given the right to vote in all Australian elections. -
The Australian Freedom Rides
University students travelled by bus to country towns to prove discrimination against Aborigines. -
The Wave Hill Walk-off
The Gurindji people of NT went on strike against injustice and low pay, & began a 7 year fight for land rights. -
The 1976 Referendum
91% of Australians voted yes in a referendum for rights. This meant Aborigines were to be included in the Census, and gave the Government the power to make laws to help Indigenous people. -
End to Removing Children
All States decided to stop removing Aboriginal children from their families. -
The Aboriginal Flag
The Aboriginal flag was designed and flown for first time in Adelaide. -
The Developement of the Tent Embassy
Aboriginal protesters set up a Tent Embassy outside Parliament House in Canberra as a signal of protest for land rights. -
The 1972 Strike and Protest
On the 14th of July Aborigines went on strike around the country and had protest marches against discrimination. -
Gurindji Land Rights
The Gurindji people received land rights from Prime Minister Gough Whitlam. -
The 1975 Racial Discrimination Act
The Commonwealth Parliament created the Racial Discrimination Act, which means racism was illegal. -
1976 Land Rights Act
The Fraser government passed The Aboriginal Land Rights Act and returned sacred Aboriginal lands to the Aboriginal Lands Trust. -
The Returning of Uluru
The Government returned Uluru to the original owners, the Aboriginal People. -
Australia Day Protest
On Australia Day, tens of thousands of people marched through the streets, protesting to increase awareness of Aboriginal issues. -
'Terra Nullius' Discarded
Australia’s High Court discarded the idea that Australia was ‘terra nullius’ when the British first landed. -
The 1993 Native Title Act
The Commonwealth Parliament passed the Native Title Act and set up the National Native Title Tribunal to resolve Aboriginal land rights. -
Sorry Day
On the 26th of May, the first National Sorry Day was organized and thousands of white and black Australians marched around Australia, demanding an apology from the Government for the Stolen Generation. -
Apologies to the Stolen Generation
Multiple states and the Northern Territory made formal apologies to the Stolen Generation, but John Howard, the Prime Minister at that time, stated “Australians of this generation should not be required to accept guilt and blame for past actions and policies.” -
Cathy Freeman
An Aboriginal athlete, Cathy Freeman, won a gold medal in the 400m, and caused political controversy by running a lap around the arena while carrying the Aboriginal flag. -
Sorry Speech
On the 13th of February, Kevin Rudd made a speech apologising to the Stolen Generation on behalf of all of Australia.