Civil Rights – End of the 1990s: Indigenous Rights in Australia (1980s–1990s)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key Indigenous rights topics in Australia from the 1980s to the late 1990s, including landmark legal rulings, government inquiries, and reconciliation milestones.

Who delivered the Redfern Speech on what year?

PM Paul Keating delivered it on December 10, 1992

What was the main message of the Redfern Speech?

To acknowledge the injustices experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples due to European settlement and colonisation

What was the Mabo decision (1992)

Mabo overturned 'terra nullius,' recognised Native Title

What does “native title” mean under Australian law?

Legal recognition of Indigenous peoples' traditional land and water rights, based on culture and law.

What did the Native Title Act change

It created a legal process for Indigenous land claims, recognizing them as original owners, challenging discrimination.

What were some of the limitations of the Native Title Act?

• Not full ownership,

• hard to prove,

• long legal processes,

• doesn't give mineral rights,

• can be overridden,

• no veto power.

What was the Wik Case?

The case revolved around the question of whether native title rights, as recognized in the Mabo decision, could survive the grant of pastoral leases

What did the High Court decide in the Wik decision?

Native Title could coexist with leases, but pastoral rights usually prevailed in conflicts.

What was the purpose of the Bringing Them Home Report?

To investigate:

• forced child removals,

• document experiences,

• assess impacts,

• recommend reparations