DEBATING AUSTRALIA’S FUTURE 1960-2000

Attitudes to Indigenous Rights (the 1967 referendum, and 1972 tent embassy)

Angie PollockBendigo Senior Secondary College

pollock.angela@bssc.edu.au

About Bendigo Senior Secondary College

Largest VCE provider in the state

Largely Anglo-Celtic town

Indigenous community is very diverse Few Jarra or Dja Dja Wurrung families Many in the indigenous community view

References

Goodall, H 1996, Invasion to Embassy, Allen & Unwin in association with Black Books, Sydney.

Mirams, S et al. 2006 Imagining Australia, Thomson, South Melbourne

http://www.kooriweb.org/foley/images/history/1970s/emb72/nwsdx.html

References

Message Stick 2008 Episodes 18 and 19

Film – “Fire talker: The life and times of  Charles Perkins“

Australia 100 Years: Episode 4 Unfinished Business

Attwood, B & Markus, A 1999, The Struggle for Aboriginal Rights: A Documentary History, Allen & Unwin, Sydney.

The Area of Study

“On completion of this unit the student should be able to evaluate the extent to which changing attitudes are evident in Australian’s reactions to significant social and political issues.”

Attitudes to Indigenous rights (The 1967 Referendum and The 1972 Tent Embassy in Canberra)

a range of attitudes at each point in time;

the connections between the two significant points in time;

the degree of change in attitudes between the two significant points and the reasons for any change.

2010 Examination

The Task

• identification of the attitudes reflected in the representation. Use evidence from the representation to support your comments

• evaluation of the degree to which the representation reflects attitudes about the issues that you have studied at that particular point in time

• analysis of changing attitudes in relation to this issue. To support your comments, use evidence from the other point in time that you have studied.

4 + 8 + 8 = 20 marks

The 1967 ReferendumBackground . . . Where to begin?

Faith Bandler ‘Screen Australia’

The Warburton Ranges FCAA and Land Rights Wave Hill The 1965 Freedom Rides Charles Perkins

The 1960s and 1970s Context A time of change and activism

I AM WOMAN HEAR ME

ROAR

A ‘yes’ vote to the 1967 Referendum would . . .

remove s.51 (xxvi) to the Commonwealth Government making special laws with respect to Aborigines and

remove the impediment in s.127 to counting Aboriginal people in the census.

1967 Referendum

Overwhelming support: 90.77% voted YESo The presso Both sides of politicso Church groupso Unionso Professional Associations

Possible Learning Activity

AttitudesReasons for Voting ‘YES’

AcceptanceEnd to discriminationEnd to prejudiceMore democraticAboriginal “special

needs” (Kim Beasley Snr) can be met

International Pressure (“The eyes of the world are on Australia”)

No longer relevant

‘No’ Voters

Referendum notes:

The heaviest 'no' voting came from country electorates (e.g. 18% in northern NSW).

In the WA electorate of Kalgoorlie more than 28% of votes opposed the proposal.

The 'no' vote was most dominant in states that had the largest Aboriginal population and have been criticised most for their treatment of Aboriginal people.

Ref: http://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/referendum-1967.html#referendum-results

Yes NoInformal

votes  % votes  %New South Wales 1,949,036 91.46% 182,010 8.54% 35,461

Victoria 1,525,026 94.68% 85,611 5.32% 19,957

Queensland 748,612 89.21% 85,611 10.79% 9,529

South Australia 473,440 86.26% 75,383 13.74% 12,021

Western Australia 319,823 80.95% 75,282 19.05% 10,561

Tasmania 167,176 90.21% 18,134 9.79% 3,935

Total for Commonwealth

5,183,113 90.77% 527,007 9.23% 91,464

Referendum Results

Changing Attitudes

The 1972 Tent Embassy

Compare two periods of time using ‘Message Stick’ 2008 Episodes 18 and 19

Those supporting the protesters

Labor Party Bryant Whitlam

University Students Some sections of the Press – particularly

in the Eastern States with middle class readershipThe Age and the Sydney Morning Herald

UnionsReligious Groups

Reasons for Support

Support for Land Rights A symbolic stand against injustices – stressing

“blackness” (The Australian, 26/01/1972) Concern that the McMahon announcement

occurred on Australia Day This reinforces this day as the ‘Day of

Defeat’ (The Age, 26/01/1972) for Aboriginal people

Concern about “police brutality” sanctioned by the government

Those opposed to the protest

The government (Mirams) Portrayed ‘black power’ as

frightening and divisiveSome Aboriginal activists were concerned

about the tactics used (eg Kevin Gilbert believed that many rural Aborigines were “understandable nervous about Black Power” and that urban blacks would come into town and cause trouble, leaving those behind to deal with white anger)

Some sections of the press (particularly in the WA, QLD and SA)

Key Reasons for Opposition

Prime Minister McMahon claimed that freehold ownership of land was ‘alien to Aboriginal thought and custom’

Violence and ‘Black Panther’ connotations

Concerns about Australia’s international image and reputation

Use of the term ‘embassy’

• The degree of change in attitudes between the two significant points and the reasons for anychange.

19671972

SymbolicConstitutionCensusState and C/Wealth Boundaries

Disagreement with land rightsPerceived Militancy•Black Power

Use of Parliament House