Reconciliation South Australia Inc
"a united Australia which respects this land of ours; values the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage; and provides justice and equity for all"
National Reconciliation Week: 27 May to 3 June
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Reconciliation - South Australia Inc is proudly supported by:
Reconciliation Week 2009 |
Each year National Reconciliation Week celebrates the rich culture and history of the first Australians. It’s the ideal time for all of us to join the reconciliation conversation and to think about how we can help turn around the disadvantage experienced by many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
Reconciliation Week is held every year between 27 May and 3 June. These two dates are significant to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples particularly.
On 27 May 1967 the Federal Government held a referendum to change the Australian Constitution. For the first time Indigenous Australians were to be counted as citizens in the census and the Commonwealth would be able to make laws on their behalf. Ove 90% of Australia voters said 'Yes' to the referendum.
On 3 June 1992 the High Court of Australia passed judgement in the Mabo case. The High Court found the Merriam people of Torres Strait were 'entitled as against the whole world to possession, occupation, use and enjoyment of the lands in the Murray Islands'. The historic judgement overturned the legal basis of Australia as 'terra nullius' (a land belonging to no one) at the time of collonisation. These were two important steps towards reconciliation and there have been many others but reconciliation is still mainly unfinished business.