Home Civil Rights Land Rights People Organisations Timeline Map Resources

Documents - The Referendum, 1957-67

Flyer advertising the meeting in the Sydney Town Hall at which the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship's petition was launched.

New Deal for Aborigines, flyer

Faith Bandler and Len Fox, The Time Was Ripe: A History of the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship (1956-1969), Alternative Publishing Co-operative, Chippendale, 1983

More info on New Deal for Aborigines,...

Petition, Aboriginal Australian Fellowship, 1957

Women's International League for Peace and Freedom, MS 9377, State Library of Victoria

More info on Petition, Aboriginal Australian Fellowship,...

This was the first of many petitions which the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement ran to press for a referendum to get the Federal Government to accept responsibility in Aboriginal affairs.

Petition for a referendum, Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement, 1958

Barry Christophers Papers, MS 7992, box 16, National Library of Australia, Canberra

More info on Petition for a referendum,...

This form was circulated throughout the country during 1962-1963.

National petition form, entitled 'Towards equal citizenship for Aborigines', 1962

Box 16, 'Petition referendum', Barry Christopher Papers, 1951-1981, MS7992/8, National Library of Australia

More info on National petition form, entitled...

The National Petition for a referendum to change the constitution was launched in October 1962.

The Age reports a goal of 250,000 signatures for the referendum petition

The Age, 2 October 1962

More info on The Age reports a...

Page 1 of 2 Gordon Bryant, writing here as the President of the Aborigines Advancement League, Victoria, points out that Aboriginal people are beset with a more complicated set of laws than other Australians.

Gordon Bryant, arguments for a referendum, 1962

Smoke Signals, October 1962

More info on Gordon Bryant, arguments for...

Page 1 of 2 Shirley Andrews, FCAA research officer, prepared this leaflet for the 1962 national petition campaign.

This leaflet sets out the arguments for amending section 51(xxvi) and deleting section 127

Council for Aboriginal Rights, MS 12913/11/3, State Library of Victoria

More info on This leaflet sets out...

The 1962-63 National Petition campaign aimed to collect 250,000 signatures nation wide. The actual count was approximately 103,000 signatures. This Victorian National Petition Campaign Committee petition argued the case for the referendum.

The case for federal responsibility for Aboriginal affairs

Box 16, 'Petition referendum', Barry Christophers Papers, 1951-1981, MS7992/8, National Library of Australia, Canberra

More info on The case for federal...

Parliamentary debate, Constitution Alteration (Aborigines) Bill 1964

Hansard, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 14 May 1964, pp. 1902-1918

More info on Parliamentary debate, Constitution Alteration...

Page 1 of 18 (note pages 19-21 are related documents) Confidential for Cabinet, Submission no. 660 Constitutional amendments: sections 24 to 27, 51 (xxvi), 127 Attorney-General Bill Snedden puts the case for the amendment of section 51 (xxvi) and the repeal of section 127 and for these changes to be put at referendum with proposed changes to the number of parliamentarians.

Cabinet Submission 660, 22 February 1965

National Archives of Australia, A5827/1, vol. 20

More info on Cabinet Submission 660, 22...

Page 1 of 13 (note pages 14-16 are related documents) Confidential for Cabinet, Submission no. 1009 Constitutional amendments: sections 24-27, 127 and 51 (xxvi) Attorney-General Bill Snedden sets out the case for amendment of section 51 (xxvi) of the Australian Constitution.

Cabinet Submission 1009, 23 August 1965

National Archives of Australia, A5827/1, vol. 31

More info on Cabinet Submission 1009, 23...

Page 1 of 8 Frank Engel, General Secretary of the Australian Council of Churches, set out the main arguments for land rights in this pamphlet.

Land Rights of Australian Aborigines, Frank Engel, 1965

Box 11, Folder 12, Gordon Bryant Papers, MS 8256, National Library of Australia

More info on Land Rights of Australian...

Page 1 of 6 Parliamentary debates, Constitution Alteration Bill (Parliament) 1965 and Constitution Alteration Bill (Repeal of Section 127) Bill 1965. Robert Menzies, Second Reading speech, House of Representatives, 11 November 1965.

Parliamentary debates, two Constitution Alteration Bills 1965

Hansard, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 11 November 1965, pp. 2635-2640

More info on Parliamentary debates, two Constitution...

Page 1 of 9 Parliamentary debates, Constitution Alteration (Aborigines) Bill 1966. William Wentworth, Second Reading Speech, House of Representatives, 10 March 1966.

Parliamentary debate, Constitution Alteration (Aborigines) Bill 1966

Hansard, Parliamentary Debates, House of Representatives, 10 March 1966

More info on Parliamentary debate, Constitution Alteration...

This petition was prepared by the Legislative Reform Committee of FCAATSI. It shows the hopes which this committee had for greater Commonwealth involvement in Aboriginal affairs.

Referendum petition, FCAATSI 1966

Barrie Pittock personal papers

More info on Referendum petition, FCAATSI 1966

Page 1 of 8 (note pages 9-10 is a related document) Confidential for Cabinet, Submission no. 46 Constitutional amendment: Aborigines Attorney-General Nigel Bowen recommends that the government hold a referendum to 'seek legislative power for the Commonwealth with respect to aborigines' by omitting the words 'other than the aboriginal race in any State' from Section 51 (xxvi) of the Constitution.

Cabinet Submission No. 46, January 1967

National Archives of Australia, A5842/2, vol. 1, submission 46, decision 1979

More info on Cabinet Submission No. 46,...

Page 1 of 2 This is the official government argument for a YES vote for the <em>Constitutional Alteration (Aboriginals) Bill 1967</em>.

The government case for YES

A463, 1965/5445, Constitution alteration bills - Procedure in Parliament and referendum, 1967, National Archives of Australia, Canberra

More info on The government case for...

Gaining the public support of the churches was crucial at a time when many Australians were influenced by the views of the clergy.

Australian bishops say YES, 1967

Gordon Bryant papers, MS 8256, National Library of Australia

More info on Australian bishops say...

Political commentator explained that a 'No' vote would be understood overseas as meaning that Australians were opposed to advancing the welfare of Aboriginal people.

'What a "No" vote would mean' by Bruce Grant

The Age, 7 April 1967

More info on 'What a "No" vote...

Letters to the Editor

More info on Letters to the Editor

Page 1 of 4 Letter to the Prime Minister from the Public Relations Director, Harold Blair Aboriginal Children's Project, urging him to publicly support the vote YES campaign, 10 May 1967.

Letter to the Prime Minister, 10 May 1967

National Archives of Australia

More info on Letter to the Prime...

Faith Bandler spoke to Melbourne University students urging them to vote for the Aboriginal referendum.

Faith Bandler, New South Wales director of the 'Vote YES for Aborigines' campaign

Courtesy The Sun (Melbourne), 19 May 1967

More info on Faith Bandler, New South...

Ruby Hammond working to win the support of Adelaide politician, Andrew Jones, for a YES vote on the Aboriginal question.

Aboriginal campaigner, Ruby Hammond, 1967

Series 11, Folder 11 (Box 175), Gordon Bryant Papers, MS 8256, National Library of Australia, Canberra

More info on Aboriginal campaigner, Ruby Hammond,...

Well known and respected Aboriginal leaders such as Bill Onus helped to create positive support for the referendum.

Bill Onus campaigning for a YES vote at the 1967 Referendum

Courtesy Herald and Weekly Times, May 1967

More info on Bill Onus campaigning for...

Produced by the Australian Council of Salaried and Professional Associations, a FCAATSI affiliate.

'The rights of the Australian Aborigines AND YOU'

Source: Papers of Gordon Bryant, MS 8256, Box 175, National Library of Australia http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-234748811

More info on 'The rights of the...

This Vote YES poster was authorised by Joe McGinness, President of the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders.

Vote YES poster, 1967

Gordon Bryant Papers, 1917-1991, MS 8256/11, Box 175, National Library of Australia

More info on Vote YES poster, 1967

Images of babies and children were frequently used in the referendum campaign.

Pamphlet, 'Right Wrongs Write YES for Aborigines on May 27'

Box 175, Gordon Bryant Papers, 1917-1991, MS8256/11, National Library of Australia

More info on Pamphlet, 'Right Wrongs Write...

Page 1 of 2 Images of children - one white, one black - were commonly used in the pamphlets produced by activist organisations to put the case for a YES vote on the Aboriginal question.

Vote 'YES' for Aborigines

Gordon Bryant Papers, 1917-1991, MS8256/11, Box 175, in folder 'Campaign material - referendum regarding Aboriginal affairs 27.5.67', National Library of Australia

More info on Vote 'YES' for Aborigines