Civil Rights - Australia

Question 1

define protectionism

Answer 1

“protect” the aboriginal population which was declining and targeted.
gave the government to remove any aboriginal child from their family.

Question 2

define assimilation

Answer 2

all persons of aboriginal or mixed race in Australia will live like a white Australian does. they will receive the same rights and privileges as a white Australian.

Question 3

Self-determination

Answer 3

notions of assimilations are being questioned, and policy becomes based on “the fundamental right of Aboriginals to retain their racial identity and traditional lifestyle.”

Question 4

define reconcilliation

Answer 4

reconciliation is about strengthening relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and non-Indigenous peoples, for the benefit of all Australians.

Question 5

impact of protectionism on the ATSI people

Answer 5

1. put limits on their freedoms and economic equality. the policy restricted the movement of ATSI people, also putting regulations on them such as people they were allowed to marry, where they could work and where they could live. many were put into missions and reserves, and put to work under unfair wages and worker rights.
2. encouraged segregation. as ATSI people were kept separate from Australians, they were effectively treated as second-class citizens with their lack of rights comparably.
3. cultural breakdown and suppression, as the missions and reserves were far from their traditional ground and they were barred from taking part in their traditional practices.
4. the stolen generation. the government could forcibly remove any ATSI children from their family if they felt it was necessary for the child, which resulted in profound and lasting mental health problems such as depression.

Question 6

impact of assimilation

Answer 6

1. more aboriginal people removed from their family
2. cultural loss and breakdown; identity confusion
3. town curfews, alcohol bans, no social security, lower wages, State guardianship of all Aboriginal children. all under the guise to “teach” ATSI people of the white people’s way.

Question 7

impact of self-determination

Answer 7

1. political representation, advocating for aboriginal people to have a say in the things in parliament which affect their life
2. land rights and native title, e.g the mabo case
3. empowerment of rights and right to retain religious practices / racial identity

Question 8

impact of reconcilliation

Answer 8

improved race relations > greater equality and equity because systemic / institutionalised racism still exists.

Question 9

when did each state adopt the protectionism policy?

Answer 9

vic - 1867
wa - 1886
qld - 1897
nsw - 1909
sa + nt - 1910-11

Question 10

what are key dates in the assimilation policy?

Answer 10

1937 - Commonwealth and the States agreed on objectives of assimilation
1950s - assimilation is a widely accepted goal
1961 - the policy is defined
1960s - mechanisms of protectionism being phased out

Question 11

what are the key dates in the self-determination policy?

Answer 11

1972 – The Whitlam Government formally adopts a policy of self-determination for Aboriginal people, marking a significant change in the government’s approach. It emphasises Indigenous communities’ right to govern themselves and have a voice in matters that affect them.

1976 – The Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act is passed, one of the first laws to recognise Indigenous land rights and allow for claims to be made on traditional lands.

1992 + 1993 - Mabo decision and native title act

Question 12

what are the key dates for reconciliation?

Answer 12

1991 – The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation is established by the federal government, beginning a formal process of reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians.

1997 – The Bringing Them Home report is released, documenting the Stolen Generations.

2008 – Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivers the historic National Apology to the Stolen Generations in Parliament, acknowledging the pain and suffering caused by past policies of removal and assimilation.

2017 – The Uluru Statement from the Heart is delivered, calling for a First Nations Voice to be enshrined in the Australian Constitution.

2023 – The Voice Referendum

Question 13

when was australia colonised and who was the first british explorer to arrive here?

Answer 13

1788, James Cook

Question 14

what was the immediate impact of british people on australia?

Answer 14

*as the british expanded their settlement, it fueled conflict and hostility between british and aboriginal people
*european diseases such as bronchitis, measles, scarlet fever, chicken pox, smallpox, and whooping cough were brought upon aboriginal people, for which they had no immunity. this caused widespread death and drastic reduction of life expectancy

Question 15

what is the day of mourning

Answer 15

The Day of Mourning was a protest held by Aboriginal Australians on 26 January 1938, the 150th anniversary of the arrival of the First Fleet, which marked the beginning of the colonisation of Australia.

Question 16

who organised the day of mourning protest

Answer 16

the Aborigines Progressive Association (APA), based in New South Wales. The protest leaders also had support from the Australian Aborigines’ League (AAL), based in Victoria.

Question 17

who were the 3 key figures involved in the day of mourning?

Answer 17

Jack Patten and William Ferguson, William Cooper.

Question 18

how many people were at the day of mourning protest?

Answer 18

1,000 First Peoples and supporters

Question 19

what was the day of mourning protest about?

Answer 19

aboriginal people had been leaving under so called “protection” for roughly 70 years now, leaving them with nothing but generational trauma, continued struggle and disparity and a declining race.
The day, for aboriginal people, is only a reminder of how they were invaded and their general quality of life and population decreased rapidly.

Question 20

what is the impact of the day of mourning
(4 points)

Answer 20

*The protestors issued a statement called the “Aborigines Claim Citizen Rights”, demanding full citizenship rights, better living conditions, land rights, and access to education. These demands were not immediately met, but they set the stage for future legislative changes.
*This protest laid the groundwork for contemporary debates around whether Australia Day should be changed or recognized as a day of reflection for Indigenous suffering.
*The event led to the formation of the Aborigines Progressive Association (APA) and contributed to the strengthening of other Indigenous advocacy groups that fought for land rights, better living conditions, and legal recognition.
*public awareness

Question 21

what was the 1967 referendum

Answer 21

The 1967 Referendum sought to change two sections of the Constitution in relation to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
The two sections declared states could make laws to benefit the ATSI population as they could see fit, which involved the stolen generation, and the second section saw ATSI people were not citizens of australia.

Question 22

what was the need for change in the 1967 referendum

Answer 22

Dispossession was rampant, as was oppression and control of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ lives. The states enacted Aboriginal Protection Acts which gave them the legal right to remove children from their families. ATSI people not being recognised as the population also indirectly classed them as second-lass citizens divided the two races, allowing more room for racism to occur against them.

Question 23

what was the result of the 1967 referendum?

Answer 23

90.77% voted YES to change the constitution

Question 24

what was the impact of the 1967 referendum
(3 points)

Answer 24

*allowed the federal government to make laws and take responsibility for Indigenous issues, previously left to the states. This shift in power paved the way for national policies on Aboriginal health, education, and land rights
*The changes passed with overwhelming support—over 90% of Australians voted in favor—marking it as one of the most successful referendums in the nation’s history. The referendum was seen as a powerful symbol of the Australian people’s desire for justice and inclusion for Indigenous Australians.
*The successful referendum provided momentum for the growing Indigenous rights movement, encouraging Aboriginal activists and their allies to push for further reforms

Question 25

when was the sorry speech

Answer 25

13th feb 2008

Question 26

what was the sorry speech about

Answer 26

Kevin Rudd offered a formal apology to Australia’s Indigenous peoples, particularly the Stolen Generations, on behalf of the nation at Australian Parliament House.
It acknowledged that ‘the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments had resulted in the forcible removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families and ‘inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians’.

Question 27

what was the sorry speech impact?

Answer 27

The apology finally acknowledged cumulative years of injustices of Government policies and practices. It was a step in the right direction of reconciliation between races.

Question 28

how many people heard the sorry speech?

Answer 28

millions of australians, through live streaming, radio, public gatherings, and television viewing.