Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs (AIMA) is established to raise awareness of cultural diversity and promote social cohesion. Over 200,000 Indo-Chinese refugees in camps throughout Asia lead to the United Nations International Refugee Conference. Australia agrees to accept some 36,000
Aboriginal Development Commission is established. Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Ordinance is passed, instituting prosecution for trespass and desecration of Aboriginal sites. The Ranger (uranium mining) Agreement is signed by the Northern Land Council and the Commonwealth of Australia. Aboriginal communities
Report of the Review of Post-Arrival Migrant Programs and Services (Galbally Report) is released, with 3 aims: maintenance of cultural identity; promotion of equality of opportunity; and preservation of social cohesion. Report recommends $5 million for multicultural education. Australian Ethnic
First Vietnamese ‘boat people’ arrive in Darwin. Commonwealth Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act implements the main recommendations of the Woodward Report. The most significant land rights legislation in Australia, the act transfers reserve land to Aboriginal ownership and administration to Land Councils.
Commonwealth Racial Discrimination Act is passed, prohibiting discrimination on the grounds of race, colour, descent or ethnic origin. A mass anti-Chinese meeting is held in Hyde Park, Sydney. Coalition Government is elected – retains non-discriminatory immigration policy and begins to raise
Second Report of the Aboriginal Land Commission (the Woodward Report) is tabled, acknowledging Aboriginal people’s link with the land; ‘to deny Aborigines the right to prevent mining on their land is to deny the reality of their land rights‘. Occupational
Minister for Immigration, Al Grassby, delivers the ‘Family of the Nation’ speech, introducing the term ‘multicultural’ and linking it with social justice. A policy of multiculturalism begins to develop. Federal Labor Government announces that future migration policy will be non-discriminatory
Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra is set up as focus for land rights movement on Australia Day, 26 January. Commonwealth Department of Aboriginal Affairs is established. Policy of self-determination for Aboriginal people is adopted by Federal Government, replacing earlier policies
Nations International Year for Action to Combat Racism is held Aboriginal flag is flown for the first time in Victoria Square, Adelaide. Aboriginal people are counted in the Census for the first time. Senator Neville Bonner becomes the first Aboriginal Member of
Increasing diversity of population occurs throughout the 1970s with migration of new groups of refugees from South and Central America and Africa and increasing numbers of Lebanese escaping civil war in Lebanon. Limited land lease rights are given to Aboriginal