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takara milaythina lutruwita nika paywuta
...walked this country forever

Rights, reforms and recognition
1962–1967

Support for civil rights reform grew in the 1960s, with demonstrations across Australia backing Aboriginal people’s calls for recognition.

On 27 May 1967, Australia recorded its largest ever ‘Yes’ vote in a referendum — 90.77% — to alter the Australian Constitution in support of Aboriginal rights. This enabled Aboriginal people to be counted in the national census and be subject to Commonwealth laws. Many Aboriginal people considered this change essential in gaining formal recognition of their existence as a people in their own country.

Earlier in 1962 the federal government amended the Commonwealth Electoral Act to enable Aboriginal adults to vote.

Through the 1970s, reforms continued. The Whitlam government established the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and in 1974 an office was opened in Hobart.

During this period, the University of Tasmania backed an Aboriginal scholarship scheme by holding a conference in Launceston to support Tasmanian Aborigines in their education endeavours.

Education, as we know, is directly linked to health.

Image: Land rights protest at Australian Labor Party conference, Hobart, 1986
Courtesy of Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales and SEARCH Foundation

The emergence of Tasmania’s Aboriginal people

The 1970s in Tasmania saw a growing movement and unity of Tasmanian Aboriginal people. It saw the creation of the Aboriginal Information Service, which later became the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre. In 2016 it officially became the Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation (TAC).

In the ensuing years, several smaller regional organisations such as Flinders Island Aboriginal Association Inc., Cape Barren Island Aboriginal Association Inc., Six Rivers Aboriginal Corporation and the South East Tasmanian Aboriginal Corporation emerged to represent their communities. The TAC has developed into one of the more powerful organisations representing Aboriginal people in Australia, giving it a significant and influential role in the health and broader wellbeing of Aboriginal people.

Image: Invasion Day Rally, Hobart, 2017, Jillian Mundy Courtesy of Jillian Mundy

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We acknowledge the Palawa and Gadigal people, the Traditional Custodians of the land upon which we live and work. We honour their enduring culture and knowledges as vital to the self-determination, wellbeing and resilience of their communities.

Authorised by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Health. © 2 June 2022 University of Tasmania, Australia. ABN 30 764 374 782. CRICOS Provider Code 00586B