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Britain claimed the lands of Australia
In the last 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 inhabited Murray Island for thousands of years and so were the rightful owners -
Aborigines claim citizen rights
On Australia day a meeting of Aboriginal people was held, a document call 'Aborigines claim citizen rights' was circulated. -
Freedom Riders demand equal treatment
A group led by Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins made a bus tour through New South Wales. They protested about discrimination in shops, theatres, bars, clubs and swimming pools. -
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. -
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 gained ownership of the area in 1985. -
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, heath, police victimization, 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 the courts. -
The Bulletin
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 Minster's refusal to say 'sorry' to indigenous Australians for past wrongs.