Indigenous Rights Movement

By daquavious pork

  • The start

    Commonwealth of Australia formed. Indigenous Australians are excluded from the census and the lawmaking powers of the Commonwealth Parliament.
  • Period: to

    Indigenous Rights Movement

  • Vote

    Australian Citizenship Act gives Indigenous Australians the vote in Commonwealth elections if they are enrolled for State elections or have served in the Armed Forces.

  • Help

    National Aborigines Day Observance Committee (NADOC) formed with support from Federal and State Governments, churches and major Indigenous organisations. Its aim is to promote Aboriginal Sunday as a day to draw community attention to Indigenous people in Australia.

  • Commonwealth Votes

    All Indigenous people are given the vote in Commonwealth elections.

  • Government Laws

    Referendum held – 90.7% of Australians vote YES to count Indigenous Australians in the census and to give the Commonwealth Government the power to make laws for them.

  • Election

    Tent Embassy established outside Parliament House. It adopts the Indigenous flag.
    Whitlam Government elected; White Australia policy abolished. Department of Aboriginal Affairs established. Self-determination adopted as policy for Indigenous people.
    Neville Bonner is elected on the Liberal Party ticket in Queensland.

  • Oil

    Indigenous people at Noonkanbah protest against an American oil company's test drilling for oil. The WA Supreme Court grants an injunction, but tests eventually go ahead.

  • Uluru

    Uluru handed back to traditional owners.

  • Marching

    Bicentenary protest sees tens of thousands march on Australia Day.
    NADOC changes its name to include Torres Strait Islanders; it is now NAIDOC

  • Life

    Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody presents report. 339 recommendations, with the final recommendation being that a formal process of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australia be undertaken.
    Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation established by Act of Parliament – to have a 10 year-lifespan.

  • Native Title Act.

    Native Title Act.

  • Home

    Bringing Them Home, the report of the inquiry into the Stolen Generations, is released. It recommends a national sorry day to commemorate the history and effects of removing children from their families.

  • Walk

    Corroboree 2000. Handover of Document for Reconciliation at Sydney Opera House, more than 300 000 join in the Bridge Walk.

  • Council

    ATSIC abolished; National Indigenous Council to replace and advise. NIC is not elected, meets four times a year.

  • Sorry

    13th February: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd says 'Sorry' to the Stolen Generations.

  • The End - Hopefully

    8th November: Prime Minister Julia Gillard announces plans to recognise Indigenous Australians in the Constitution.