The 1967 Referendum was a milestone in the struggle for Indigenous rights.
Prior to this date, Indigenous people in Australia were not even counted in the census. They were classified with the fauna & flora
From the 1930s onwards, Indigenous people and their supporters had campaigned for recognition of Indigenous people, and this campaigning gained momentum with the launching of a Petition campaign in the Sydney Town Hall in 1957.(see 1957 Petition Story)
Following the presentation of this petition to the Prime Minister, he agreed to hold a referendum in 1967 to ask the people of Australia to give powers to the Commonwealth to legislate for the benefit of Aboriginal people. Up till then, responsibility for Aboriginal people had rested solely with State governments.
Indigenous people and organisations with support from many non-Indigenous Australians campaigned vigourously for a YES vote at the referendum.
Both major political parties also supported the YES vote, so the result was a resounding YES - 91% of voters voted YES.(see Role of Women in Campaign)
This shifting of responsibility for Indigenous affairs to the Commonwealth opened up new opportunities for advancement of Indigenous issues e.g. in 1975 the then Prime Minister, Gough Whitlam returned the title to their land to the Gurindji people in the Northern Territory. And the following year, in 1976, the Fraser Government passed the NT Land Rights Act, opening the way for traditional landowners to again regain control of their traditional lands across large areas of what had been Commonwealth land or pastoral leases.
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