Changing Rights and Freedoms for Indigenous Australians

Changing Rights and Freedoms for Indigenous Australians

The concept of the struggle for full Indigenous citizenship rights is a significant aspect of Australia’s history and one which has spanned over a century and it is what set Australia onto the path of equality and fairness as portrayed by the various historical figures, legislation and sources below.

1956

1967

2008

1901

On February 13, 2008 the former Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, declared an apology to the Indigenous peoples of Australia in the Parliament of Australia House of Representatives.

On 23 December 1901, the Immigration Restriction Act was established and the Commonwealth of Australia was formed. However, the Indigenous Australians are excluded from the census and the lawmaking powers of the Commonwealth Parliament due to racial discrimination and white supremacy.

The purpose of the legislation was to allow only people of British/white descent to migrate to Australia but deport people who were considered ‘undesirable’ and anyone who had settled in any Australian colony prior to federation. The Immigration Restriction Act was just the beginning of what would lead to the eventual establishment of the ‘White Australia policy’- the policy of securing a ‘white Australia’.

Primary Source: This video features an excerpt of Kevin Rudd's apology to the families and victims of the Stolen Generation.

In 1967, after ten years of campaigning for Indigenous people rights, a referendum was held to change the Australian Constitution where 90% of Australians voted 'yes' to changing the constitution. This allowed Indigenous people the right to be included in Australia's census, and gave the federal government the power to make laws for Indigenous Australians.

In 1956 the Aboriginal Australia Fellowship (AAF) was formed by Pearl Gibbs and Faith Bandler. It functioned as a partnership between non-Aboriginal and Aboriginal people as they believed support needed to come from both sides; White and the Aboriginal people to progress towards victory. The purpose of the organisation was to campaign for indigenous rights, with the intention of:

• Changing the NSW Aborigines Protection Board
• Achieving equal pay
• Full citizenship

The decision to collaborate with non-indigenous Australians was as a result of needing to reach influential people to effectively educate the wider community about the complications faced by the Aboriginal people.

Primary Source: A photograph of an Aboriginal referendum march on 1967 prior to the vote to promote voting YES amongst the public

Primary Source: A White Australia Policy campaign badge made in brass and aluminium was utilised to promote a 'white' Australia.

2010

1900

1938

1997

1962

"I do not believe as a matter of principle that one generation can accept responsibility for the acts of earlier generation," he said. "In some cases, children were wrongly removed, in other cases they were removed for good reason, in other cases they were given up and in other cases, the judgement on the removal is obscure or difficult to make."

All Aboriginal people; the native and traditional custodians of Australia were given the right to enroll and vote under the Commonwealth Electoral Act (1962). Although, enrollment was voluntary, if you had enrolled already voting was compulsory.

On the 26th of January 1938 the first significant protest led by Indigenous Australians was the Day of Mourning held by the Aborigines League and the Aborigines Progressive Association. It was described as the '150th anniversary of the whitemen's seizure of our country'. They protested against the cruel mistreatment of Aboriginal people by the 'whitemen' and protested for the right to education, new laws supporting the Aboriginal Australians and citizenship status for Aboriginal Australians.

The report 'Bringing Them Home' concerning the Stolen Generations is released. A National Sorry Day was suggested within the report to acknowledge the history and the lasting impacts of the children whom were stolen away from their families.

The prime minister John Howard voiced a personal apology to the Stolen Generations, but refused to make an official apology on behalf of Australia.

Secondary Source: Excerpt of previous PM Howard's view on the apology made by Kevin Rudd and his reasons for not apologising to the Stolen Generations in an article by The Age.

Primary Source: The Commonwealth Electoral Act(1962) citing the voting rights of all Aboriginal people

Primary Source: The flyer/poster advertising the Day of Mourning in Sydney marking the 150th year of British settlement

By Akschana Selvananthan