Timeline
1966
Wave-Hill Walk-Off
1965
White Australia Policy
CAUSE: Fear of non-European immigration and desire to maintain a racially pure society
EFFECT: Institutionalised racial exclusion and shaped migration for decades.
Landing of the First Fleet
CAUSE: Britain needed to establish a penal colony after losing American colonies.
EFFECT: Began British colonisation, leading to dispossession and long-term impacts on First Nations.
Multiculturalism
A government policy and societal approach that recognises, respects, and values the cultural diversity of the population. It supports the idea that people from different cultural, ethnic, and religious backgrounds can maintain their heritage while fully participating in Australian society.
1938
First Day of Mourning and Protest
1973
Abolishment of the White Australia Policy
Populate or Perish
CAUSE: Post-WWII fear of invasion and need to grow population
EFFECT: Encouraged mass European immigration; shifted Australia toward multiculturalism.
Australian Gold Rush
CAUSE: Discovery of gold in NSW and Victoria.
EFFECT: Attracted global migrants and challenged the idea of a “white” Australia.
Assimilation
Assimilation was a former Australian government policy that aimed to absorb people from different backgrounds and expected minority groups to abandon their cultural practices and languages to adopt the dominant British-Australian way of life.
1851
Australian Gold Rush
1975
Asylum seekers from Vietnam War
Aboriginal Australians arrive
CAUSE:Aboriginal people migrated to Australia via land bridges and sea travel.
EFFECT: Established the world’s oldest continuous culture, with deep connections to Country.
Abolishment of White Australia Policy
CAUSE: Growing international and domestic pressure for racial equality.
EFFECT: Opened immigration to non-Europeans; reinforced move toward multicultural Australia.
Reconciliation
The process of strengthening relationships between First Nations peoples and non-Indigenous Australians. It involves recognising past injustices (such as dispossession and the Stolen Generations), promoting truth-telling, achieving justice and equality, and building a more inclusive and respectful nation.
1901
White Australia Policy
2001
Offshore detention centres
CAUSE: War in Vietnam forced many to flee
EFFECT: Australia accepted refugees, reinforcing multicultural commitment.
CAUSE: Rise in asylum seekers arriving by boat and political pressure.
EFFECT: Created controversy over Australia’s treatment of refugees and human rights concerns.
Civil Rights
Civil rights refers to the rights of individuals to receive equal treatment under the law, including the right to vote, access to education, fair employment, and protection from discrimination.
1945-65
Populate or Perish
2013
Operation Soverign Borders
CAUSE: Government response to stop asylum seeker boats and reduce deaths at sea.
EFFECT: Strict border policy; further debate over ethics, security, and immigration.
Multiculturalism adopted as policy
CAUSE: Recognition of the failure and injustice of assimilation policies.
EFFECT: Shifted national identity; promoted acceptance of cultural diversity.
Aboriginal Protection Board
A government institution established in the late 19th and early 20th centuries to manage the lives of Aboriginal people. It controlled where they lived, worked, and whom they married. These boards were responsible for policies that led to the Stolen Generations, where children were forcibly removed from their families.