The 1967 Referendum and The Freedom Ride in Australia Essay Example

The 1967 Referendum and the Freedom Rides contributed to low ses, impacts of dispossession and marginalisation in the improvement in both the treatment of Indigenous Australians, as well as their struggle for freedom and rights. A substantial amount of political and social events in Australia gave rise to a greater awareness of discrimination, segregation, and racism to an extent, resulting in greater protest movements for the Australian constitution and liberty. 

On 23 May 1967, the referendum sought to change two vital sections of the constitution concerning Aboriginal people, primarily being racial driscrimination. It resulted in Aboriginlaal people being treated with inequality as well as mistreatment. 99.77% of Australians voted ‘Yes’ to the change. Moreover, this change will ensure the Australian Parliament which made laws for the first Australians to make fair treatment for Aboriginal people. Moreover, at midnight on the 12th of February 1965, Charles Perkins was on a mission to shine a light on the marginalisation of Aboriginal people in New South Wales towns. The Walgett RSl allowed Aboriginal people after WW2 for one day to be allowed inside. The next day the majority of the Aboriginal community was banned for good. They were specifically not allowed in any of the hotels and they had to get their beer and were sold cheap plonk through the back windows at three times the price, through sly-grogging operations. Subsequently, the SAFA took banners and stood in front of Walgett RSL. They stood for hours holding signs up stating to ‘end colour bar’, despite standing there while white residents would laugh or spit at them.

The 1967 Referendum began after 10 years of campaigning to change the Australian Constitution. Two negative references to Aboriginal Australians were removed, giving the Commonwealth the power to legislate for them as a group. Simultaneously this change was seen by many as a recognition of Aboriginal people as full Australian citizens. Section 51 gave the commonwealth the ability to create laws for "people of any race, other than the Aboriginal race in any other state," but section 127 stipulated that Aboriginal people would not be counted a part of the population. Meanwhile, a bus tour of western and coastal New South Wales towns was organised by a group of University of Sydney students (Student Action for Aborigines) in February 1965.The students planned to draw public attention to the poor state of Aboriginal health, education, and housing. They hoped expose and help to lessen the socially discriminatory barriers which existed between Aboriginal and white residents. Furthermore, they also wished to encourage and support Aboriginal people in objection towards discrimination. These two important events set out to reveal to the public how Aboriginal people were racially discriminated against both verbally and politically. In particular, Aboriginal people were not allowed to swim at local pools while white residents were there, so they waited hours until sunset just to go for a swim. When the management refused to let the six Aboriginal children in, they displayed their signs and banners. They let the boys in after 25 minutes. This suggests that the manager did not want any attention. 

The long term benefits of these protest movements increased the SES status of Aborignal people on their health, employment, education and income. However, Charles Perkin was disappointed that the changes he anticipated and hoped for have not eventuated. Young people's power to conduct direct action and influence public debate on social justice concerns was proved by the Freedom Ride and the ensuing referendum. After the petition on May 27, 1967, Australians went to the polls. In the end, 90 percent voted 'yes' to changing the constitution. 

The protest movements for both significant events raised awareness across Australia from the harsh treatment of Indigenous people. The Freedom Rides was organised to raise awareness about (campaign) the terrible situation of Aboriginal health, education, and housing in New South Wales' country towns. They sought to draw attention to and help alleviate the social barriers that prevented Indigenous people elevating their SES, education and opportunities, as well as the relationship between Aboriginal and white citizens. They equally important wanted to promote and support Aboriginal people in their efforts to overcome discrimination. Additionally, the 1967 referendum achieved it’s vote in Australia from the years of social discrimination, dispossession and segregation. This crucial protest was essentially an important part for Aborignal people as it would determine their social status and social justice. 

The 1967 Referendum and The Freedom Rides were critically important in raising awareness, policies and funding to the Australian public about the significant issues in social justice and human rights discrimination against Aboriginal people. Aboriginal peoples' protesting was crucial in changing the future generation of Indigenous people's inequality of discrimination and civil rights. These events caused positive results for Aboriginal people which put pressure on governments and the voters to make the legislative changes that finally led to real improvements in SES for them and to give more freedom to those who suffered devastating treatment. The short-term effect would still have Aboriginal people continue to face racial discrimination and rights violations. However, the long-term effects allowed Aboriginal people to take ownership of land and freedom. The success of these events indicated to Aboriginal people that improvements could be made through legislation and action.