Plugging those potholes

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty and Member for Wyong, David Harris, has urged Central Coast residents to stop and reflect during Reconciliation Week (May 27-June 3).

The dates of Reconciliation Week mark the successful 1967 referendum on May 27 and the historic 1992 High Court Mabo decision on Native Title on June 3.

The 1967 Referendum was to determine whether two references in the Australian Constitution, which discriminated against Aboriginal people, should be removed.

It saw the highest Yes vote ever recorded in a Federal referendum, with 90.77 per cent voting for change.

‘It is interesting to note that because the majority of parliamentarians supported the proposed amendment, a No case was never formulated for presentation as part of the referendum campaign,” Harris said.

The Constitution was changed, giving formal effect to the referendum result, on August 10, 1967.

The theme for this year’s Reconciliation Week is Be a Voice for Generations, challenging Australians to find ways to support reconciliation in their everyday lives.

Reconciliation Australia outlines tangible ways you can promote reconciliation including incorporating Acknowledgment of Country into meetings, gathering or events, supporting First Nations businesses and learning more about our rich Indigenous history.

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