We have used historical terms; however, ‘Aborigine’* is no longer used or accepted when referring to Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Campaigning for Constitutional change started well before the 1967 Referendum that brought about legislative change for Aboriginal people in Australia (you can read more about the 1967 Referendum in this section).
In 1956, close to 100,000 people signed a petition in support of changing the Constitution. The Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines* (FCAA) was formed in 1958 and began advocating for constitutional changes by highlighting the treatment of Aboriginal Australians. Kath Walker (who later called herself Oodgeroo Noonuccal) was the FCAA’s campaign coordinator and toured the country to raise awareness and lobby for much-needed legislative change.
In 1962, the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 was amended so that Aboriginal people could enroll to vote in federal elections. However, it did not make enrolment compulsory, which it was for other Australians, meaning the change did not achieve true voting equality. This was reached in 1984, when the Commonwealth Electoral Legislation Amendment Act 1983 was changed to make enrolment compulsory for Aboriginal people.