The 1967 referendum was an important part of Aboriginal history as it finally allowed them to be acknowledged as Australians, and demonstrated that the majority of Australian people accepted Aborigines in society. This event is historically significant as it is recognised to be one of the largest ‘yes’ votes ever recorded in a federal referendum and is therefore seen as a momentous occasion in Australian history. This referendum helped to demonstrate to the government and the white population that they were ready to accept social and political change throughout society by accepting Aborigines as equal human beings.
The 1967 Referendum was held on the 27th May 1967 and is the day that Aboriginal people were finally allowed to be counted as …show more content…
This is clearly observed from the results of the referendum, as almost the entire voting population believed that Aborigines should be counted as Australians. In the lead up to the referendum there was a large amount of support from both indigenous and non-indigenous people to encourage the proposed changes to the laws. Jessie Street who was a seventy-eight year old white woman played a key role in petitioning for the referendum and leading to its success. She is an excellent example of how many white people supported Aborigines at the time of the referendum. The perspectives of Aborigines though are often overlooked. Charles Dixon who is the manager of the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs explained how majority of the Aboriginal population felt about the event. He stated that they felt acceptance as people, and that they were finally going to get special laws and more funding to benefit their community. From these two perspectives it can be seen that both races had a positive outlook on the referendum and felt that it was a necessary change for …show more content…
However when these changes did occur and the Australia government started making special laws exclusively for Aboriginal people the effects substantially improved their lives. Some of the laws that were passed included those in relation to land rights, anti-discrimination, financial assistance and in particular there were laws passed to ensure the preservation of the cultural heritage of indigenous Australians. As well as this, the government could now put large amounts of money into initiatives for areas such as indigenous housing, emergency accommodation and loans. Although it took many years for these major changes to take place their overall results were extremely advantageous for all indigenous
The 1967 Referendum was held on the 27th May 1967 and is the day that Aboriginal people were finally allowed to be counted as …show more content…
This is clearly observed from the results of the referendum, as almost the entire voting population believed that Aborigines should be counted as Australians. In the lead up to the referendum there was a large amount of support from both indigenous and non-indigenous people to encourage the proposed changes to the laws. Jessie Street who was a seventy-eight year old white woman played a key role in petitioning for the referendum and leading to its success. She is an excellent example of how many white people supported Aborigines at the time of the referendum. The perspectives of Aborigines though are often overlooked. Charles Dixon who is the manager of the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs explained how majority of the Aboriginal population felt about the event. He stated that they felt acceptance as people, and that they were finally going to get special laws and more funding to benefit their community. From these two perspectives it can be seen that both races had a positive outlook on the referendum and felt that it was a necessary change for …show more content…
However when these changes did occur and the Australia government started making special laws exclusively for Aboriginal people the effects substantially improved their lives. Some of the laws that were passed included those in relation to land rights, anti-discrimination, financial assistance and in particular there were laws passed to ensure the preservation of the cultural heritage of indigenous Australians. As well as this, the government could now put large amounts of money into initiatives for areas such as indigenous housing, emergency accommodation and loans. Although it took many years for these major changes to take place their overall results were extremely advantageous for all indigenous