Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum

27 May

The anniversary of the 1967 Referendum marks the vote held on 27 May 1967 to change two provisions of the Australian Constitution relating to Aboriginal people. The result removed section 127 and changed section 51(xxvi), enabling the Commonwealth Parliament to make laws for Aboriginal people and removing the constitutional exclusion from population counts.

The referendum recorded a 90.77 per cent Yes vote and carried in every state. It followed decades of advocacy led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their allies. The referendum did not grant voting rights, citizenship or equal wages, and it did not itself end discrimination. Remembering the date includes recognising both the achievement and the work that remained.

Ways to mark the date

• Learn about the First Nations campaigners and organisations whose sustained advocacy helped build support for constitutional change.
• Explore what sections 51(xxvi) and 127 said before 1967, what changed after the vote and what the referendum did not change.
• Use First Nations-led accounts and local Community perspectives when planning learning or commemorative activities.

Sources and further reading

This section is under development. More information, sources and further reading will be added as this page grows.

• AIATSIS, The 1967 Referendum
• National Archives of Australia, The 1967 Referendum
• Australian Electoral Commission, Referendum dates and results

Related products and resources

We are developing carefully selected products and learning resources for this date. This page will be updated as suitable items become available.