Anniversary
Australia Day / Survival Day
2021 Australia Day Reflection from the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Catholic Council "We find ourselves pondering whether Australia will ever be the same after COVID-19? It might be more useful to ask whether it should be the same after the pandemic. Australia can continue to learn from the challenges of the virus and embrace the… Read More »Australia Day / Survival Day
1939 Cumeragunja Mission Walk-off
In 1939 the Aboriginal people walked off Cumeragunja Mission in New South Wales in protest at living conditions and restrictions.
1973: Woodward Royal Commission into Land Rights
On this day in 1973 the Woodward Royal Commission into Land Rights in the Northern Territory was established. The Central Land Council situate this event in its historical context here.
1965: Freedom Ride in Australia Begins
A group of Sydney University students organised a bus tour through western and coastal New South Wales towns in 1965. As the National Museum of Australia website explains: Their purpose was threefold. The students planned to draw public attention to the poor state of Aboriginal health, education and housing. They hoped to point out and… Read More »1965: Freedom Ride in Australia Begins
2008: Apology to the Stolen Generation by the Australian Government
On this day Prime Minister Kevin Rudd apologized to Indigenous Australians, and especially the Stolen Generation, for past government policies of removing First Nations children from their families. The National Museum of Australia explains here how the journey to a national apology began with the Bringing Them Home Report. Watch the apology in the video… Read More »2008: Apology to the Stolen Generation by the Australian Government
2015: Death of Faith Bandler AC
Faith Bandler AC, activist for Indigenous and South Sea Islander rights, passed away on this day in 2005. An obituary in the Sydney Morning Herald highlighted her achievements: Faith Bandler changed people's hearts and minds in support of human rights and social justice. Her smile, no doubt, helped. The National Trust listed her as a… Read More »2015: Death of Faith Bandler AC