Effectiveness Of The Campaigns For Indigenous

After too many years, when the Australian government decided to grant Aboriginal people with fully rights of freedom again in their country, the number of indigenous people in Australia jumped an amazingly 33 per cent from the 1991 to 1996 census. final

The 1967 Referendum had a significant impact on the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. Prior to this event, these people had still not received some basic civil rights. The Referendum proposed to include Aboriginal people in the census and to allow the Commonwealth government to make laws for them. This change was seen as a recognition of Aboriginal people as full Australian citizens after giving them the right to vote in 1962.

Unlike in America, the Freedom Rides in Australia took place later on the 12th February 19659; when the University of Sydney students rode into the “towns in northern New South Wales which contained large Aboriginal populations”10. One of the main towns mentioned was at Moree; where they protested in swimming pools, attracting a lot of violence. The Freedom Rides also passed through Wellington, Gulargambone, Lismore, Bowraville and Kempsey. The duration of the Australian Freedom Rides occurred mainly in February 1965.

In comparison to the white people’s rights, the Aboriginals had next to little or no rights. Charles had the desire to make a change in the world and therefore created the Freedom Ride in 1965. The Freedom Ride consisted of thirty white students from university who planned to take a bus and travel New South Wales. During this journey, they intended to investigate the living conditions of Indigenous people in all aspects of life: health, education and housing. They wanted to study the different races and their interactions with each other in Australia, and the level of racism and protest against it. They travelled to the town of Dubbo, where Aboriginal people were locked up for singing in their language. In theatres in Walgett, the black people were seated in the front, while the white people had the privilege to enjoy from the top seats. If the black people were to sit in the whites’ allocated spots, they were tossed down and the police were called. In Moree, Indigenous people were restricted from using local pools and in Bowraville, segregation was the norm. While the Freedom Riders travelled to these places, they were mistreated. In Moree for example, the female students of the Freedom Ride were spat on and Charles Perkins himself had an egg thrown at him, and was punched. Despite such difficulties, they

The 1967 referendum also had many positive effects. The popular ‘yes’ vote, “was a high water mark for the relationship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people”(Behrendt). In a time of discrimination, this had a big effect on the public. They were also able to realize the harshness Aboriginals dealt with and become aware of their situation and how the government neglected the indigenous people. The Freedom Rides led by Charles Perkins and a group of university students, “brought to the attention of people in the cities the crude and racist conditions that existed in places like Walgett and Brewarrina and garnered public sympathy for Indigenous issues.” (Behrendt). By bringing Aboriginal people and non-Aboriginal people together the Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) started in 2006. Although this happened years after the Referendum, the referendum led up to organizations such as these. The RAP “These RAPs outlines practical actions the organization will take to build strong relationships and enhanced respect between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and other Australians…. RAP Program is about working with organizations across Australia to turn their good intentions into real actions”(Reconciliation Australia).

The attitudes of the white Australians also had a huge impact on change of rights and freedoms as it pressured the government into giving Aboriginals rights and freedoms. The 1967 was testament to this when a huge 90.77% of Australians agreed that Aboriginals had the right to be counted in the census. There has never been any real public objections to giving aboriginals rights, merely quiet harbored prejudices in the persons’ mind. On the other side of the case the Aboriginal rights in general have not improved with many Aboriginals being

Once the group had finished visiting these towns and had ended their journey Charles Perkins reported what had happened to a crowd of approximately two hundred at the 1965 Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginals and Torres Strait Islands conference in Canberra. The responses after this conference were mainly positive and because of Charles Perkins’ the NSW Aboriginal Welfare Board had announced they would spend sixty-five thousand pounds on more housing in Moree for the Aboriginals. The Australian Freedom Riders had caused many debates all across Australia which had then caused the 1967 Referendum which got rid of a law in the constitution that had stated ‘laws can be made for the people of any race, other than the Aboriginal race in any state, for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws’. The law was changed and removed the section ‘other than the Aboriginal race’ this was a positive change as it meant laws could be made in favour of the Aboriginals which could help protect them. Another positive aspect that came out of the

The Effectiveness of the Law in Achieving Justice for Indigenous People In relation to Australia, the term ‘Indigenous peoples’ refers to two distinct cultures of people who inhabited the land prior to European settlement – The Aboriginals and the Torres Strait Islanders. This population declined dramatically over the 19th and early 20th century due to the introduction of new diseases from European settlement, Government policies of dispersal and dispossession, the era of protection, assimilation and integration causing a cultural disruption and disintegration of the Indigenous peoples. In the 20th century the recognition and protection of Indigenous peoples land rights and human rights have been

Several key events and people influenced the journey and results of Aboriginal voting rights. Many major contributions towards the indigenous voting rights can be described as international criticism, Aboriginal Protests and Political conflicts. Male Aboriginal Australians were recognised as male people, and therefore could vote in state elections, It was expected to stay this way. However, the ‘white Australia policy’ in 1901 caused many Aboriginal Men to lose their state voting rights and banned them from enrolling in federal elections, According to (hgj) The “electoral officials had the power to decide who was an ‘Aboriginal Native’ or not.” After several years of discrimination, in 1934 Indigenous Australians took a stand in a day of mourning for indigenous rights. Another powerful argument for Aboriginal Australians was their world war efforts from 1914 to 1918. Many white Australians that fought with the Indigenous Australians believed that if “they are good enough to fight and die for their country then they are good enough to vote in elections” As a result of this effort, 1945 marked the year that all male Aboriginal war participants were granted Federal election voting rights. It is important to remember when and how the

Charles Perkins played an extremely significant role in the struggle for rights and freedom of Aboriginal people. He was born in 1936 and was an Australian Aboriginal activist, the first Australian Aboriginal to graduate from university, and he also led the freedom ride in 1965. He was a manager of the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs, an organisation that took a key role in getting a 'Yes' vote for the 1967 referendum regarding Aboriginal rights. His controversial actions allowed him to successfully reduce discrimination against aboriginals. He has also exposed the discrimination and segregation that existed in Australian society, he then tried to educate the Australian society to reduce racial discrimination and get greater equality or indigenous Australians. Perkins was later elected as the deputy chairperson of the Australia and Torres straight islander commission.

In 1901 when the Constitution was first written, Aboriginals were mentioned in it twice and Torres Strait Islander not at all. The federal government could not make laws for Aboriginals in section 57 of the Constitution. Also, Aboriginals were not counted in the Census in Section 127 of the Constitution. Life was very difficult for Aboriginals for several decades because of these two sections.

Prior to 1967 Aboriginals and Torres Straight Islanders did not have the right to vote and were not counted in the national census. On the 27th May 1967, a referendum took place in order to alter the Australian constitution. The referendum gave aboriginals and Torres straight islanders the right to be accounted for in the national census as well as pass laws regarding indigenous Australians. During the referendum a 'yes vote' took place which was to ensure social acceptance and justice for aboriginals and Torres Straight islanders. A high amount of 90% of Australians from all states voted in favour of the 'yes vote'.

Another significant event of the 20th century for the move towards civil rights for ATSI people was the 1967 Referendum and subsequent 1972 Tent Embassy. On the 27th of May 1967, the 17th prime minister, Harold Holt who represented the Liberal Government called a referendum seeking ability to include aboriginals to the Australian society. This was acts such as including aboriginal Australians in the census to improve statistical results and federals laws so they are no longer under racist state laws. One of the main aboriginal activists for this event was Faith Bandler, who was campaign director for the YES campaign supporting this movement. Faith Bandler strongly believed that both aboriginals and non-aboriginals should be able to live ‘as

On 27th May 1967, 90.77% of Australians voted in favour of changes to the Australian Constitution to improve the welfare of Indigenous signifying the end of racial discrimination . The 1967 Referendum was a practical and symbolic strategy which proposed to include Aboriginal people in the census and to allow the Commonwealth government to make laws for Indigenous Australians. The Referendum has had a significant impact on Indigenous policies as it

64, Commonwealth of Australia 2011). Policy then moved towards more assimilationist strategies in which attempts were made to convert Aboriginal Australians into ‘responsible citizens’ (Gilbert 2005, Haebich 2000). The protectionist and assimilationist policies share the core values that Aboriginal culture is inferior and on its way to an ‘evolutionary end’ (Gilbert 2005, p. 64).