AustLit

In 1967 we were counted, in 2017 we seek to be heard.

We, gathered at the 2017 National Constitutional Convention, coming from all points of the southern sky, make this statement from the heart:

Our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tribes were the first sovereign Nations of the Australian continent and its adjacent islands, and possessed it under our own laws and customs. This our ancestors did, according to the reckoning of our culture, from the Creation, according to the common law from ‘time immemorial’, and according to science more than 60,000 years ago.

Click here to read the full statement from the First Nations National Constitutional Convention at Uluru, May, 2017.

The ABC has published an amazing online resource and exhibition that explores the history and effects of the 1967 referendum.

Click here to learn more.

Works about the Referendum

This link takes you to some works that have the 1967 referendum as a subject.

Right To Be Counted

Award-winning Melbourne photographer Tobias Titz and the Wangka Maya Pilbara Aboriginal Language Centre have collaborated with Indigenous community members from communities including Port Hedland, Yandeyarra, Carnarvon and Warralong, to create a body of photographs that articulate the communities’ thoughts, opinions and experiences regarding the 1967 referendum.

AustLit record: Right to Be Counted : A Photographic Exhibition

Go directly to the site.

This research guide highlights some of the significant collections held by the National Library of Australia which relate to the 1967 Referendum, including ephemera, manuscripts, newspapers, oral history, and pictures.

Go directly to the research guide.

A 'digibook' by ABC Splash, designed to introduce the referendum and its significance to younger students. Contains video and archival material, as well as a succinct overview of the referendum itself.

Click here to access the resource.

Creative Spirits is an information website devoted to providing clear, accessible information on Aboriginal culture and issues. This resource on the referendum includes video, tables and other infographics, and archival material.

Click here to view the resource.

A visually beautiful meditation on the Convention at Uluru, May 2017.

Sydney Morning Herald, May 31, 2017.

This resource is aligned with the Australian Curriculum: History for Year 10 students. It adopts an inquiry learning approach that develops students’ skills as historians.

The resource engages students with a rich selection of sources and challenges them to draw their own conclusions about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ struggle for civil rights in Australia.

In June 2017, BlackWords collaborator Dr Anita Heiss wrote a powerful blog piece on the 50th anniversary of the 1967 Referendum  

50 moments in 50 years to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum.

It's a great snap shot of what has been achieved, and what is still to be achieved.