Anniversary of the 1988 Bicentenary Protest

26 January 1988

Content note: This page discusses racism, dispossession or injustice and may be distressing. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that it may name people who have died. Please choose whether and when to continue.

On 26 January 1988, First Nations people and supporters gathered in Sydney for a major protest during the Australian Bicentenary. The anniversary recognises collective organising, survival and demands for land rights and justice.

A national gathering for rights and survival

Museums Victoria records the march on that date and the participation of people who travelled from across the country. Estimates of attendance vary between accounts; the significance should not depend on presenting a disputed crowd figure as exact.

A distinct event on a shared date

The protest was a particular historical mobilisation, separate from the 1938 Day of Mourning, the establishment of the Tent Embassy in 1972 and Burnum Burnum’s action in England in 1988.

These events can be connected in a timeline without being collapsed into one generic January entry. The march’s organising, journeys and shared public action deserve their own account, including the work that made participation possible.

The anniversary also offers an opportunity to examine how public celebrations and protests tell different accounts of national history. First Nations perspectives were not uniform, but the gathering made dispossession, rights and survival visible during a heavily promoted national celebration.

Reflecting and learning

Compare a record of the protest with a Bicentenary celebration broadcast. What histories were foregrounded, which were challenged and who had the opportunity to speak?

Start with the sources below and distinguish the original event from later interpretations and commemorations. When using this date in a classroom or workplace, allow time for questions and further reading. First Nations peoples have diverse histories and perspectives; this brief introduction does not speak for every community.

Sources and further reading

• Indigenous Protest, Australian Bicentenary, 1988 — Museums Victoria
• 1988: Bicentenary Protest — Steve Kinnane, Australian Dictionary of Biography

Our related products and resources

We do not currently offer products or learning resources specifically for this date. The reading links above are provided for background and further learning. Suitable items from our range will be added here as they become available.