10HY: 1967 Referendum

When did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (TSI) people first obtain the right to vote in federal elections?

1962

What were the two legal changes that the 1967 referendum brought about?

• Aboriginal people were finally to be included in the national census

• The federal government could make laws for the Aboriginal People

What was the nation forced to become aware of by including aboriginal and TSI on the census?

• Aboriginal health risks were prolific

• Life expectancy was among the lowest for Indigenous peoples globally

• Infant mortality rates were among the highest in the world

What were some of the reasons that made the 1967 referendum successful?

• Years of campaigning by Aboriginal, TSI and non-indigenous peoples alike, which began 30 years prior to the referendum

• Events and organisations that educated the broader Australian community about the conditions that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were living in and the treatment they were subjected to.

Who were some significant figures leading up to the 1967 referendum?

• William Cooper

• John Pattern

• William (Bill) Ferguson

• Charlie Perkins

• Pearl Gibbs

• Joyce Clague

• Faith Bandler

Some events/organisations that influenced the referendum were:

• The bark petitions; considered the ‘founding documents’ of Australian democracy and were catalyst for a long process of legislative and constitutional reform to recognise the rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

• The establishment of the Australian Aboriginal League (AAL)

• The establishment of the Aboriginal Progressive Association (APA)

• The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI); focused on equal citizenship rights and specific rights for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. As early as 1958 FCAATSI officially decided to push for a referendum

• Coinciding with the civil rights movement in the United States; the freedom riders led by Charlie Perkins travelled across regional NSW towns drawing public attention to the treatment of Aboriginal people in 1965

• In March 1962 the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1962 (Cth) provided for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the right to vote in federal elections.

• The Aboriginal Australian Fellowship (AAF) was a broad coalition. One of the AAF's key activities was to campaign for changes to the Constitution.

• The Vote Yes Campaign was launched on 2 April 1957. The campaign was led by Indigenous activists including Pearl Gibbs and Joyce Clague and non­ Indigenous activists including Faith Bandier and Lady Jessie Street: The ten year campaign involved rallies and demonstrations across Australia.

Prior to the referendum: According to section 51 of the Constitution, who had the power to make laws for the Indigenous Australians?

• The Commonwealth Government was denied the power to make laws for Aboriginal people except for Aboriginal people (except those in the territories), and gave the power to state governments.

• This meant that Aboriginal people could have different rights in different states, and that state governments didn’t allocate the resources necessary to provide for the health, education and housing needs of Aboriginal people.

Prior to the referendum: Section 127 shows that Indigenous people were not included in the census. Why is that a problem?

This treated them as non-persons and meant that the Commonwealth Government lacked the information required to address their needs.

Prior to the referendum: Which states/territories were the most restrictive of the Australian Indigenous people?

Qld, NT, WA were the most restrictive, not giving the Indigenous people any rights.

Which states/territories still enabled the Stolen Generation to take place?

• South Australia

• Western Australia

• Northern Territory

• Queensland

During the referendum: For a referendum to be successful, the majority of votes in the majority of states has to be 'yes'. Was this referendum successful?

Yes

During the referendum: Which was the highest state of the 'no' vote? Do you think this reflects the laws that were in place? Why/Why not?

• Western Australia

• Yes I do think the laws were reflected by the vote, because they had the highest percentage of no votes overall, by a staggering 6% more than the state with the 2nd highest no vote (WA - 19% no, SA - 13% no)