Australian Museum – Indigenous Module 4-3

This site provides a full spectrum of links related to Australian Indigenous peoples. For example it has an introduction of Indigenous Australian history and culture, Aboriginal flags, spirituality and an interesting page on timelines that I will highlight.

A timeline of events relating to Indigenous Australians from the time of Federation in 1901 until 1969

This page is simple in its layout in that is it merely a timeline, however, it provides a small snapshot of the government’s and people overt racism toward Aboriginal people. For example, “The Invalid and Old Age Act provides social security for all Australian – except Aboriginal people”. Similar Acts and polices were denying basic rights to Aboriginal as if they were not people.

For those of us not well versed in the discrimination practices within colonized countries this timeline provides a high level scan of the harsh discriminatory practices as well as the evolution of societal values and government policies. For example, by the 1930s a change was evident in a positive manner. In addition, Aboriginals started to exercise their rights through protests – in 1930s 150 years after European occupation. By the late 1960s policies were emerging that were intended to increase the control for Aboriginal peoples of their lives.

References used to compile timeline:
Bostock, Lester, 1990, The Greater Perspective, Special Broadcasting Service
Fraser, Bryce, (ed) 1983, The Macquarie Book of Events, Weldon,
Directorate of Special Programs, NSW Department of Education, 1982, Aboriginal Australia, a Preliminary Chronology
Jonas, Bill and Langton, Marcia, 1994, The Little Red, Yellow and Black (and Green and Blue and White) Book, AIATSIS
Horton, D (ed) 1994, Encyclopaedia of Aboriginal Australia, Aboriginal Studies Press
Butler, Kevin, Cameron, K & Percival, B., 1995, The Myth of Terra Nullius, Invasion and Resistance -the early years, Board of Studies