The significance of the following for the civil rights of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples: 1962 right to vote federally; Flashcards
context. what happened before 1942?
When South Australia became the first place in the world to give both men and women the vote in 1895, this also applied to Aboriginal women. But, states such as Western Australia, Queensland and the Northern Territory passed special laws to deny Aboriginal people the vote in state elections. When Australia officially became a country in 1901, in 1902, the Commonwealth Franchise Act excluded Aboriginal people from voting in federal elections, unless they already had this right before 1901, and of course, this did not include men or women from three states. Very discriminatory indeed.
how could you vote if you were an aboriginal
The only way to vote was to get an Aboriginal Exemption Certificate, a humiliating act that most Aboriginal people neglected.
Key individuals and Aboriginal activist groups form to protest and demand an equal vote, many of the same people and groups that would be involved in the 1967 referendum movement. It included black and white activists such as Kath Walker, Pearl Gibbs, Doug Nichols and Faith Bandler. FCAATSI or the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders travelled around the country to interview and record people who had been denied the vote.
government response?
The government responded with the Commonwealth Electoral Act of 1962 which gave Aboriginal people the ‘option’ to enrol and vote. It was not compulsory like all other Australians. This would happen in 1984.
what was 1967
The 1967 referendum was a huge moment for Aboriginal rights and freedoms though often misunderstood in Australian history. It was a vote by the population, not about giving Aboriginal people the vote. A referendum is a major vote to change the Australian constitution and there must be a majority vote in a majority of states.
Who brought this push
The continuing discrimination and poor living conditions of Aboriginal Australians, especially highlighted after the 1965 Freedom Rides. The other big issue was the clash between state and federal governments over making laws for Aboriginal Australians. Different states treated Aboriginals very differently. Aboriginals living in Western Australia and Queensland were treated very differently. The table below demonstrates this:
