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In 1967, the Australian people voted in a referendum to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Constitution. This was a monumental moment in history, as it recognised the first peoples of Australia and paved the way for greater Indigenous rights and representation.
The purpose of the 1967 referendum was to stop the discrimination against the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders in the constitutions (William, 2007). The aim of the referendum was to make changes in section 51 (xxvi) which was an exclusion text stating: ‘other than Aboriginal race in the state’ (Houston, 2020).
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- So What Was Achieved?
- How Was The Campaign Run?
- A Symbolic Win
Constitutionally, the 1967 referendum secured the amendment of Section 51 (xxvi) and the deletion of Section 127. The former section specified the federal parliament could make laws with respect to the: The words “other than the Aboriginal race in any state” were deleted. The latter section stipulated that in: Neither section prevented Aboriginal p...
Campaigners for a “Yes” vote, however, told a different story. They insisted constitutional change was a necessary precondition for Aboriginal equality. Yet the campaigners’ ambitions went beyond legal equality. They sought the inclusion of Aboriginal peopleas respected members of the national community. This had been a principal goal of Aboriginal...
The triumph of the “Yes” vote was primarily a symbolic victory. It did not win rights for Aborigines, and the government of the day did not utilise the extension of Commonwealth powers secured by amendment of Section 51 (xxvi). Nor did Gough Whitlam’s government after it came to power in 1972. Whitlam did, however, invoke the resounding “Yes” vote ...
- Russell Mcgregor
- Indigenous Australians were formally acknowledged as part of our nation’s population. Until the 1967 referendum, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were not included in the census and therefore weren’t considered members of the Australian population.
- Changes were made to Section 51 of the Constitution. The 1967 referendum changed Section 51 of the Constitution to allow the parliament to “make laws for peace, order and good government” for all Australians, where previously Aboriginal people had been specifically excluded.
- The Freedom Ride of 1965 led by Charles Perkins is credited for influencing the outcome. In 1965, Charles Perkins, the first Aboriginal man to graduate from an Australian university (the University of Sydney), led a Freedom Ride through towns in western NSW to raise awareness of the poor state of Aboriginal health, education and housing.
- It was the most successful Australian referendum. The 1967 referendum was the most successful in Australia’s history. There have been 44 referenda since 1901 and only eight of those have returned a ‘yes’ vote.
Feb 16, 2023 · Being party to the most overwhelming referendum victory in the history of the Commonwealth of Australia demanded self-congratulation and the bestowal of bouquets upon all.
- Jon Piccini
a short commentary about the history up to 1967 and the nature of the challenges, demands and associated campaign for national constitutional reform on Aboriginal issues. my personal recollection and perspective on the impact of the successful 1967 referendum.
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May 1, 2007 · An overwhelming majority of electors voted in a national referendum to amend clauses of the Australian Constitution concerning Aboriginal people. Today it is commonly regarded as a turning point in the history of relations between Indigenous and white Australians.
