The 1967 Referendum

Topic: History, Civics and Citizenship, Society and Environment, Indigenous Studies, English, Media Studies
Type: Curriculum materials
Years: 8–12

Key Curriculum Links: Time, Continuity and Change; Culture; Natural and Social Systems; Investigation, Communication and Participation, Thinking Processes and Communication

Main purpose and content of the unit of work
In May 2007 the National Museum of Australia, in association with Monash University, produced a very substantial website, Collaborating for Indigenous Rights, with a particular focus on the 1967 Referendum.

This unit of work helps students to interrogate the website (as well as three other educational resources available from the National Museum) and in doing so to come to a better understanding of this important event. In completing the unit, the students will decide whether the 1967 Referendum was a major turning point in the achievement of Indigenous citizenship rights in Australia, or whether it achieved very little and was more 'show than substance'.

In order to come to a judgement about this important historical event, students will explore a wide range of primary source materials including petitions, Hansard speeches, Cabinet documents, newspaper articles, posters, museum exhibition displays and so on.

Attachments
Full versions of the 1967 Referendum studies unit are available as follows:

> The 1967 Referendum Studies Unit: full version, colour (PDF 11527 kb)

> The 1967 Referendum Studies Unit: full version, black & white (PDF 1404kb)

The individual student activities are also available as follows:

> Activity 1: Making rules in my classroom – Understanding the concept of citizenship rights (PDF 2107kb)

> Activity 2: What citizenship rights existed in Australia by 1967? (PDF 1672kb)

> Activity 3: 'Your petitioners humbly pray ...' – What attempts were made to change the Constitution by petitions? (PDF 3870kb)

> Activity 4: Changing the law – What was the role of Commonwealth Cabinet and Parliament? (PDF 1638kb)

> Activity 5: Changing the Constitution – What were the roles of people, groups and ideas in the referendum campaign? (PDF 1014kb)

> Activity 6: What was the result of the Referendum vote? (PDF 57kb)

> Activity 7: What have been the impacts of this result? (PDF 911kb)

> Activity 8: How has the National Museum of Australia represented this event in its display? (PDF 507kb)

If you are unable to download the above resources, please contact the Education section at education@nma.gov.au.