A Question of Custom

Abstract

The political landscape of Australia changed fundamentally with the federation of the colonies in 1901. The resulting Commonwealth of Australia was founded on a constitution that left the management of Indigenous affairs in the hands of the former colonies, now states of the Commonwealth. Until 1967 (when altered by referendum), the Constitution also omitted from national census-taking the Aborigines of the states, or at least those who were considered as wards of the states under a range of legislation for their governance (the protection regimes). In 1911, however, the Commonwealth assumed responsibility for the Northern Territory of South Australia. The region composed a large land-mass, ..