First Nations culturally and historically important dates

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January

1 Jan 1994 Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) commenced

25 Jan 2014 Adam Goodes named Australian of the Year

26 Jan 1838 Waterloo Creek massacre(Kamilaroi people, NSW)

26 Jan 1938 William Cooper organises Day of Mourning

26 Jan 1972 Aboriginal Tent Embassy established in Canberra

26 Jan 1988 Bicentennial Protest – 40,000 march in Sydney

26 Jan Survival Day, Invasion Day, Australia Day, Yabun Festival

February

5 Feb 1972 Tent Embassy Petition to Parliament

12 Feb 1965 Freedom Ride bus leaves Sydney

13 Feb 2008 National Apology to the Stolen Generations

14 Feb 2004 TJ Hickey dies sparking Redfern riots

26 Feb 1968 Lional Rose wins World Bantamweight Title

March

21 Mar National Close the Gap Day (3rd Thursday of March)

21 Mar International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

21 Mar 1829Aboriginal warrior Windradyne dies (Bathurst, NSW)

April

1 Apr 1897 Aboriginal resistance leader Jandamarra killed (WA)

15 Apr 1991 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody final report

17 Apr 1816 Appin Massacre of men, women and children (Dharawal people)

May

1 May 1838 Slaughterhouse Creek massacre(Kamilaroi people)

24 May 2020 Destruction of Juukan Gorge rock shelters by Rio Tinto

26 May 1997 Bringing them home report tabled in Federal Parliament

26 May National Sorry Day

26 May 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart issued

27 May 1967 Referendum

27 May – 3 JunNational Reconciliation Week

28 May 2000 Reconciliation Walk over Harbour Bridge (250,000 attend)

29 May 1992 Torres Strait Flag Islander launched

June

3 Jun Mabo Day (High Court Mabo Decision 1992)

5 Jun 1831 Resistance warrior Tarenorerer (Walyer) dies (Tas)

10 Jun 1838 Myall Creek Massacre

10 Jun 1957 Palm Island Strike

11 Jun 1975 Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (Cth) enacted

12 Jun 1988 Burunga Statement presented toPrime Minister Hawke

July

1 Jul The Coming of the Light festival(Torres Strait Islands)

2 Jul 1971Evonne Goolagong-Cawley wins Wimbledon

2-9 Jul 2024 NAIDOC Week

9 Jul 1971 Aboriginal flag first flown in Adelaide

August

4 Aug National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children’s Day

9 Aug International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples

14 & 28 Aug 1963 Yirrkala Bark Petitions presented to Parliament

14 Aug – 18 Oct 1928 Coniston Massacre on Warlpiri/Anmatyerr/Kaytetye lands

15 Aug 1971 Neville Bonner becomes first Aboriginal Member of Parliament

16 Aug 1975 Return of Gurindji land to the traditional owners (NT)

23 Aug 1966 Wave Hill Walk-Off (Gurindji Strike)

September

4 Sep Indigenous Literacy Day 2024

13 Sep 2007 Anniversary of the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People

25 Sep 2000 Cathy Freeman wins gold in 400m

28 Sep 1983 John Pat dies in custody, prompting campaign for 1987 Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody

October

14 Oct 2023 Voice to Parliament referendum

26 Oct 1985 Uluru-Kata Tjuta title deeds returned to the Anangu people

28 Oct 1834 Pinjarra Massacre (WA)

31 Oct 1975 Proclamation of the Racial Discrimination Act

November

19 Nov 2004 Cameron Doomadgee dies in custody (Palm Island)

28 Nov 2023 Senator Pat Dodson (“Father of Reconciliation”) retires from Parliament

December

1 Dec 1976 Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls appointed Governor of South Australia

4 Dec 2000 Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Final Report released

10 Dec 1992 Redfern Park Speech delivered by Prime Minister Paul Keating

16 Dec 1976 Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act passed

23 Dec 1996 High Court handed down Wik Peoples v Queensland decision

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