This guide highlights resources on recent campaigns for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander constitutional recognition, and the 2023 Referendum regarding a Voice to Parliament.
To find further material relevant to this topic, try searching with these subject headings in the State Library catalogue:
For more assistance, talk with staff at the State Library Information Desk or Ask Us.
The State Library has a number of eResources that are useful for finding articles relating to Aboriginal history and contemporary events. Become a State Library member to access many of these from home.
Newsbank features local, regional and national newspaper coverage, including The Advertiser and The Australian.
In July 2022, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese proposed a referendum question and constitutional amendments, as the next step in the discussion about constitutional change.
Australian Government. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice. Official Government website for the referendum.
'Yes' campaign official site.
Overview of some of the groups campaigning for a 'No' vote. SBS Australia.
Online resources relating to recent campaigns for Constitutional recognition
Calma, Tom and Langton, Marcia. Indigenous Voice Co-design Process Final Report to the Australian Government. 2021.
2017 First Nations National Constitutional Convention. Uluru statement from the heart. Statement prepared by delegates.
The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Recognition Act 2013 committed Parliament to placing before the Australian people at a referendum a proposal for constitutional recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Final report of the Referendum Council, 2017.
The website of the Joint Select Committee on Constitutional Recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples Includes, Interim, Progress and Final reports (2018), submissions to the inquiry, and media releases.
The 'Recognise' campaign was wound up in 2017 shortly after the constitutional summit that rejected the campaign's goals, and produced the Uluru Statement as its preferred model. A snapshot of their website from 2013 has been preserved on Pandora.
Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation. Recommendations on constitutional recognition, 2000.
These relate to recent campaigns for constitutional recognition and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Voice to parliament.
Material relating to earlier campaigns for political and civil rights can be found on the page relating to the 1967 Referendum.
Davis, Megan and Langton, Marcia (eds). It's our country : Indigenous arguments for meaningful constitutional recognition and reform, 2016.
Davis, Megan and Williams, George. Everything you need to know about the Uluru statement from the heart, 2021.
Freeman, Damien (ed). The forgotten people: liberal and conservative approaches to recognising indigenous peoples. 2016.
Grant, Stan. The Uluru Statement and the end of history : 21st annual Hawke Lecture. 2018.
Johns, Gary (ed.) Recognise what? : arguments to acknowledge Aborigines, but not recognise Aboriginal culture or rights, in the Australian Constitution, 2014.
Mayor, Thomas. Finding the heart of the nation : the journey of the Uluru Statement towards voice, treaty and truth. 2019. Also an eBook (membership required).
Morris, Shireen (ed.) A rightful place: a road map to recognition. 2017.
Mundine, Warren and Kurti, Peter (eds.) Beyond belief : rethinking the Voice to parliament, 2022.
Pearson, Noel. It's time for true constitutional recognition: a keynote address.... 2021.
Pearson, Noel. A rightful place : race, recognition and a more complete commonwealth, 2014.
Reynolds, Henry. Truth-telling : history, sovereignty and the Uluru Statement, 2021
