Rights and freedoms (1945 – the present) - History Guides

Task Instructions

You are to conduct an independent investigation that will allow you to write an essay explaining the significance of ONE of the following events in advancing the rights and freedoms of First Nations People. In your answer you should also consider the roles played by important individuals/groups in the event.

Choose ONE event and the corresponding individual or group from the list in the table below.

Date	Event	Important individual/group associated with the event
1965	The Freedom Ride	Charles Perkins
1967	The 1967 Referendum	Faith Bandler FCAATSI
1992	The Mabo Decision	Eddie Mabo
1991	The Reconciliation Movement	Patrick Dodson
1997	The Bringing them Home Report	National Inquiry into the Separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children from their Families led by Sir Ronald Wilson and Mick Dodson

Do some research that will allow you to locate a range of primary and secondary sources about the event and individual/group chosen. Use the Libguide provided to help you get started.

Use evidence from the sources that you have located to plan and write an essay in response to the following question –

Explain the significance of the chosen event in advancing the rights and freedoms of First Nations People.

In your answer you should –

Explain the historical context of the event
Analyse the causes of the event and the role played by important individuals/groups in the event, their aims, and tactics
Analyse the outcomes of the event
Explain how important the event was in advancing the rights and freedoms of First Nations Peoples.

Books

Indigenous rights by Justin Healey
Call Number: 346.940432 NAT

ISBN: 9781922084323

Publication Date: 2014
Fighting for rights by Trish Albert
Call Number: 323.119915 ALB

ISBN: 9780731274055
Aboriginal Australia: Towards Reconciliation by Robert Hillman
Call Number: 305.89915 HIL

ISBN: 9781863912655
Recognition and rights of indigenous peoples by Sue Gordon
Call Number: 323.119915 GOR

ISBN: 9780170244039

Publication Date: 2014
Aboriginal Reconciliation by Justin Healey
Call Number: 305.89915 ABL

ISBN: 9781920801441

Publication Date: 2006
The 1967 Referendum by Bain Attwood; Andrew Markus
ISBN: 9780855755553

Publication Date: 2007-05-01

Effective Research

Research is pretty easy – type your question into Google, visit a website or two, find some quotes and your assessment task is well on its way, right?

That's true, but if you put in a little bit more effort, you'll find better information faster and hand in a more thorough, polished final product. This guide will show you how to design good research questions and find reliable, relevant and accurate information.

Websites

Freedom Ride
Fifty years on from the time a bunch of Sydney university students made history by travelling around New South Wales on a bus to protest against racial discrimination, Behind the News reports on Charles Perkins and the Freedom Ride campaign for Aboriginal civil rights. Rights and freedoms.
Collaborating for Indigenous Rights 1957-1973
This website tells the stories of the Aboriginal and white Australians seeking to redress the injustices suffered by dispossessed peoples in the building of the Australian site, and includes the fight for civil rights and the struggle for land rights. Rights and freedoms (1945 - the present).
Yes! the 1967 referendum
This overview of the history of the 1967 Referendum outlines the Aboriginal civil rights background from the Constitution of 1901 to the referendum campaign of 1967. Rights and freedoms (1945 - the present).
Freedom Riders
In this ABC article Ann Curthoys and Brian Aarons reflect on the 1965 Freedom Ride, which aimed to combat discrimination against Aboriginal people in country New South Wales.
The Mabo Decision
The Mabo decision was named after Eddie Mabo, the man who challenged the Australian legal system and fought for recognition of the rights of
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional owners of their land.
Mabo Decision
On 3 June 1992 the High Court of Australia recognised that a group of Torres Strait Islanders, led by Eddie Mabo, held ownership of Mer (Murray Island).
The 1967 Referendum
'Right wrongs, write Yes' : what was the 1967 referendum all about?

Trove

Trove
Search for digital copies of newspapers, Government Gazettes, maps, magazines and newsletters. Or books, pictures, photographs, archived websites, music and interviews. Even information about famous Australians, including copies of letters, diaries and personal archives.

History Guides: Rights and freedoms (1945 – the present)

Task Instructions

Books

Effective Research

Websites

Trove

Clips and documentaries