Held on 27 May 1967.
Australians voted overwhelmingly (90.77% YES) to amend the Constitution.
Two key changes:
Aboriginal people were now to be counted in the national census.
The federal government gained the power to make laws for Aboriginal people (previously, only states had this authority).
This referendum did not grant voting rights (these were progressively granted earlier, from 1962 at the federal level), but it was a landmark in recognition and equality.
Significance: It was a moral victory, showing popular support for Aboriginal rights, and it laid the foundation for later land rights and equality movements.
2. The 2023 Voice Referendum
Held on 14 October 2023.
Proposed to amend the Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia and create a Voice to Parliament (an advisory body).
Result: Defeated (about 60% voted NO nationally).
Reasons for rejection included debates over constitutional change, lack of bipartisan support, and concerns about legal or political implications.
Significance: Showed ongoing division in how Australia addresses reconciliation and Indigenous representation in governance.
3. Legal Importance of Referendums in Australia
Under Section 128 of the Australian Constitution, any constitutional change must be approved by a referendum.
To succeed, a referendum needs a double majority:
A majority of voters nationwide, and
A majority in at least four of the six states.
This makes constitutional change in Australia very difficult — only 8 out of 45 referendums have succeeded since Federation in 1901.
References (Harvard Style):
Attwood, B. & Markus, A. (2007). The 1967 Referendum: Race, Power and the Australian Constitution. 2nd ed. Canberra: Aboriginal Studies Press.
Williams, G. & Hume, D. (2020). People Power: The History and Future of the Referendum in Australia. Sydney: UNSW Press.
Australian Electoral Commission (2023). Referendums. [Online] Available at: https://www.aec.gov.au
