Reconciliation in Australia facts for kids
Reconciliation in Australia is a special journey that started in 1991. It's all about making things better between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and everyone else living in Australia. A group called the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR) was set up by the government for ten years. This group helped create the path for reconciliation. In 2001, they set up Reconciliation Australia, which continues this important work today.
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Why Reconciliation Started
The idea of "reconciliation" became a big topic in Australian politics after Bob Hawke became Prime Minister of Australia in 1983. Before he was elected, his campaign focused on "bringing Australia together." He talked about how Aboriginal people, the first Australians, faced many challenges like poor health, housing, and education. He believed that Australia couldn't truly be united until these issues were fixed.
Hawke's time as Prime Minister brought new ideas about Indigenous Australian self-determination (Indigenous people making their own decisions) and Indigenous land rights in Australia (Indigenous people having rights to their traditional lands).
In 1991, a big report called the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody suggested that Australia should start a reconciliation process. Some people at the time thought "reconciliation" was too soft. They felt it might stop people from working on more direct actions, like giving land back or making a treaty (a formal agreement). Others worried that the word "reconciliation" suggested that everyone used to get along perfectly, which wasn't true after European settlement.
What Reconciliation Means
Reconciliation has both practical and symbolic parts. It means recognising that Indigenous peoples are the traditional owners of all of Australia. It also means understanding that past unfair actions have caused problems for Indigenous peoples today. A big part of it is helping non-Indigenous people learn more about Aboriginal cultures and their deep connection to country (their land and heritage). It also aims to reduce racism in Australia.
On the practical side, reconciliation means working to improve health, education, and job opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.
1991–2001: The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation
Even with some concerns, many people supported the idea of reconciliation. So, in 1991, the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act was passed. This created the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR), which was meant to last for 10 years. Setting up CAR was a way to admit that past government policies had harmed Aboriginal peoples. CAR's job was to guide the country through the reconciliation process.
CAR focused on three main areas: improving jobs, health, and economic development for Aboriginal people. They also identified eight key issues for reconciliation:
- Understanding country (their land and heritage)
- Making relationships better
- Valuing different cultures
- Sharing history
- Fixing disadvantages
- Looking at custody levels of Indigenous people
- Letting Aboriginal people control their own future
- Officially writing down the reconciliation process
Pat Dodson was the first leader of CAR. During its ten years, some big events changed how CAR worked. Important court cases like the Mabo case and the Wik decision (1996) led to changes in land rights laws. These changes sometimes made it harder to get everyone to agree on reconciliation.
CAR worked hard to spread awareness. They held big events like the Australian Reconciliation Convention in 1997, which was shown live on TV. They also created materials like badges and stickers for schools and local councils. Soon, hundreds of local reconciliation groups started across the country. This showed that many ordinary people wanted to be part of the movement.
In 1995, the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Flags were officially recognised. In 1999, the federal parliament passed a Motion of Reconciliation. This was an important step, but it didn't include a full apology, which many people wanted.
Corroboree 2000
"Corroboree 2000" was a big two-day event held at the Sydney Opera House in May 2000, during CAR's last year. Many Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders met, and their discussions were shown live on TV. A major topic was whether the Australian Government should apologise to Indigenous peoples, especially the Stolen Generations. The Stolen Generations were Indigenous children who were taken from their families by past government policies. A 1997 report called Bringing Them Home had shown how much harm this caused.
Two important documents, the Australian Declaration Towards Reconciliation and the Roadmap to Reconciliation, were presented to leaders. However, when Prime Minister John Howard said that the current generation wasn't responsible for past actions, many people in the audience turned their backs. This showed how strongly people felt about the need for an apology. A special reconciliation canvas was made with the handprints of all the leaders, which was a very symbolic act.
Walk for Reconciliation
As part of Corroboree 2000, on May 28, 2000, over 250,000 people walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. This was called the Walk for Reconciliation (or Bridge Walk). People walked for almost six hours, showing their support. It was the biggest political demonstration in Australian history. An aeroplane even wrote "Sorry" in the sky. A special plaque was put up in 2004 to remember this amazing event.
Similar walks happened in other cities like Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Melbourne, and Perth. These huge turnouts showed that more and more Australians understood the need for reconciliation and a national apology.
CAR's Final Report
When CAR finished its ten years, it published a report. It said that the biggest problems for reconciliation were ongoing disadvantages, unfair treatment, and racism. The report made six recommendations, including:
- Better services from governments.
- Support for reconciliation from all levels of government.
- Changing the Constitution to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia and to stop discrimination.
- Continuing the reconciliation process, supported by a new group called Reconciliation Australia.
- Discussions for treaties or agreements.
More Public Support
A group called Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR), mostly made up of non-Indigenous people, started in 1997. They helped create the "Sea of Hands" in front of Parliament House, Canberra. This was 50,000 hands, showing support for Indigenous Australians.
Research showed that public support for reconciliation grew a lot during CAR's ten years, from 48% to 75–80% of the population. This meant more people understood and supported the idea.
Reconciliation Australia
Reconciliation Australia was set up by CAR in January 2001 to keep the reconciliation process going. It is still active today. Reconciliation Australia believes reconciliation has "five connected parts": good race relations, fairness, unity, strong institutions, and accepting history.
National Reconciliation Week
In 1993, major religious groups started a Week of Prayer for Reconciliation. This was very successful. In 1996, it grew into National Reconciliation Week (NRW). This week focuses on reconciliation activities across the country every year. It happens between two important dates: May 27, the anniversary of the 1967 referendum (when Australians voted to give the government power to make laws for Aboriginal people), and June 3, or Mabo Day, the date of the Mabo decision (a landmark court case about land rights).
National Sorry Day is on May 26. It remembers the day the Bringing Them Home report about the Stolen Generations was given to Parliament. The first Reconciliation Day as a public holiday was held in the Australian Capital Territory on May 28, 2018.
Reconciliation Today
The idea of reconciliation is now a regular part of political discussions. Groups like ANTaR continue to play a role. The goal is to achieve both rights and practical improvements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This message is for governments, businesses, other organisations, and all Australians. People still discuss what reconciliation truly means and how useful it is in making real improvements to the lives of Indigenous Australians.
Timeline
Here are some important moments and actions in the reconciliation journey:
- 2001: Reconciliation Australia is created.
- 2004: A memorial for the Stolen Generations is built at Reconciliation Place in Canberra.
- 2008: Prime Minister Kevin Rudd makes the National Apology to Indigenous peoples on behalf of the Australian Government.
- 2008: The Closing the Gap government plan to improve Indigenous health and education begins.
- 2009: Australia officially recognises the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
- 2010: Ken Wyatt becomes the first Aboriginal person in the Australian House of Representatives.
- 2012: The campaign for constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians officially starts.
- 2013: The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Act 2013 is passed, recognising Australia's Indigenous peoples as the original owners of the nation.
- 2017: The Uluru Statement from the Heart is released. It calls for an Indigenous voice to parliament (a way for Indigenous people to advise Parliament).
- 2018: Victoria passes the Advancing the Treaty Process with Aboriginal Victorians Act 2018, the first law about a treaty.
- 2020: Black Lives Matter protests happen across Australia.
- 2020: Mining company Rio Tinto is suspended from the Reconciliation Action Plan community after destroying two ancient Indigenous sites.
See also
