The 1967 referendum was hugely significant because it changed the Australian Constitution so that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were counted in the national population and the Commonwealth government could make laws specifically for them. It became a powerful symbol of nationwide support for First Nations rights and a turning point in the struggle for recognition and equality.

What was the significance of the 1967 referendum for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

Quick Scoop

The 1967 referendum did not instantly fix injustice, but it removed two discriminatory clauses from the Constitution and opened the door for national action on Indigenous rights. It is remembered as a landmark moment when over 90% of voters said “Yes” to recognising Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as full members of the Australian nation.

Before 1967: what was the problem?

Before the referendum, the Constitution effectively treated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as outside the national community in two key ways.

• They were excluded from the population count for certain federal purposes (Section 127), which symbolically marked them as less than other Australians.

• The Commonwealth was barred from making laws for them (Section 51(xxvi)), leaving their lives largely controlled by state “protection” laws that enabled dispossession, surveillance and removal of children.

This meant state governments could set their own harsh policies, while the national government had no clear power to step in to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

What exactly changed in 1967?

On 27 May 1967, about 90.77% of Australians voted “Yes” to change the Constitution—one of the strongest results in Australian referendum history. Two major changes followed:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were now counted in the national census and population figures.

• The Commonwealth gained the power to make laws about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, alongside the states.

These changes did not create equality overnight, but they recognised First Nations peoples as part of the Australian people in the Constitution and allowed federal governments to design national policies for them.

Why was it significant for First Nations people?

For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, the referendum was significant on several levels: legal, political and emotional.

• Symbolic recognition : Being counted as part of the population was a public acknowledgement of their place in the nation, after decades of being treated as “second-class citizens.”

• New federal power : The Commonwealth could now pass laws and provide funding to address housing, health, education and welfare needs of Indigenous communities.

• Momentum for reform : The scale of the Yes vote validated years of campaigning by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activists and allies and encouraged further civil rights efforts.

Soon after, the federal government created bodies like the Council for Aboriginal Affairs and later a Commonwealth department focused on Aboriginal affairs, signalling a shift to national responsibility.

What it did NOT do (common myths)

There are important misconceptions about the referendum’s impact.

• It did not give Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people the right to vote; that had been progressively granted earlier, and federally from 1962.

• It did not automatically end discrimination, poverty or racist laws; states still held significant power, and many discriminatory practices continued.

• It did not create full legal equality overnight; rather, it provided a constitutional framework for future action that still depended on political will.

In other words, it opened a door, but people still had to push through it, decade after decade, to secure practical change.

Lasting legacy and ongoing debates

The 1967 referendum is often remembered as a benchmark for how strongly Australians can unite behind Indigenous justice. It shows that sustained grassroots campaigning by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders can move the whole country, even when the legal change looks technical on paper.

Today, discussions about constitutional recognition, treaties and a Voice to Parliament are partly framed against 1967 as an earlier moment of broad support and as a reminder that symbolic and structural reforms must work together. Many First Nations people still describe 1967 as a vital “first step” rather than the destination in the struggle for land rights, self‑determination and true equality.

Key effects in a nutshell (HTML table)

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Aspect	Before 1967	After 1967	Significance for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
Population count	Excluded from national population figures for federal purposes.	Counted as part of the Australian population in the census.	Symbolic recognition as part of the nation; end of formal exclusion from the population count.
Power to make laws	Commonwealth could not legislate specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples; states controlled most policies.	Commonwealth gained power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples nationwide.	Enabled national programs and reforms aimed at addressing inequality and disadvantage.
Public attitude	Widespread discrimination, limited recognition, and state-based control systems.	Overwhelming “Yes” vote signalled strong public support for change.	Boosted morale of activists, validated demands for rights, and energised the civil rights movement.
Government structures	No dedicated national department for Aboriginal affairs; fragmented responsibilities.	Creation of bodies such as the Council for Aboriginal Affairs and a federal department to focus on Indigenous issues.	More consistent national attention and funding for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
Everyday discrimination	Ongoing legal and social discrimination in housing, employment, and services.	Referendum did not automatically end discrimination, but provided tools to challenge it through law and policy.	Marked a shift towards addressing inequalities, though much work remained and still remains.

Mini takeaways

• The referendum removed constitutional discrimination and allowed the federal government to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

• It did not give the right to vote or end racism, but it gave new tools and national recognition.

• It became a powerful symbol of unity and a starting point for later struggles over land rights, self‑determination and constitutional recognition.

TL;DR: The 1967 referendum mattered because it finally recognised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the Constitution, empowered the Commonwealth to act on their behalf, and signalled overwhelming public backing for their rights—while still leaving the deeper work of justice to future generations.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.