40th anniversary of the 1967 referendum

Today, Sunday 27 May 2007, marked the 40th anniversary of Australia’s most successful referendum and a defining event in Australian history.

The 1967 referendum saw more than 90 per cent of eligible Australians vote YES to count Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians in the national census of the population and to give the Commonwealth Government power to make specific laws in respect of Indigenous people.

One of the questions in that referendum was to decide whether two references in the Australian Constitution, which discriminated against Aboriginal people, should be removed.

The sections of the Constitution under scrutiny were:

51. The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to:-

(xxvi) The people of any race, other than the aboriginal people in any State, for whom it is necessary to make special laws.

127. In reckoning the numbers of the people of the Commonwealth, or of a State or other part of the Commonwealth, aboriginal natives should not be counted.

The removal of the words ‘… other than the aboriginal people in any State…' in section 51(xxvi) and the whole of section 127 were considered by many to be representative of the prevailing movement for political change within Indigenous affairs. As a result of the political climate, this referendum saw the highest YES vote ever recorded in a Federal referendum, with 90.77 per cent voting for change.

As the majority of parliamentarians supported the proposed amendment, a NO case was never formulated for presentation as part of the referendum campaign.

The 1967 referendum did not give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples the right to vote. This right had been legislated for Commonwealth elections in 1962, with the last State to provide Indigenous enfranchisement being Queensland in 1965. It was not about citizenship either (despite widespread reporting through Associated Press), but about citizenship rights.

One of the posters that asked people to vote 'yes' in the 1967 referendum. © DAA Collection, A/V Archives, AIATSIS

Of course, before the referendum process, a lot of work was done by Indignenous civil rights workers to petition the Australian Parliament. Women played a major role in the campaign.

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What a weekend! I arrived in Brisbane after midday and was met by my brother Thomas and his wife Sarah. We had lunch at Wagamama, which was pretty ordinary before visiting their house which was bought last year.

In the afternoon, I met up with fellow footy fanatics and followers of my team, at The Lions Den at Chalk Hotel. It was great (they are wonderful people), and we headed to the game together.

We met up at half time to exchange notes, and also returned to The Den for a few drinks afterwards.

Unfortunately, this morning was not as fun. I missed the train. It was on the platform and while I was asking the train driver if it went to the airport, he closed the doors. So I had to catch a taxi to the airport, after already having paid for a train fare. This was still a better option than missing the flight and having to pay full fare for a later flight.

Arriving back in Canberra just before midday, I discovered that I had lost my prescription sunglasses. Another unexpected expense.

Anyway, Emily and I went to the game this afternoon at Manuka Oval, between Sydney Swans and Western Bulldogs. It was very much one-sided in favour of the Swans.