50 years Aboriginal Embassy has been standing
Danny Eastwood
In 2022 the Aboriginal Tent Embassy celebrated its 50th anniversary. On 26 January 1972 four men from Redfern in Sydney – Michael Anderson, Billy Cragie, Bert Williams and Tony Coorey – sat down under a beach umbrella on the lawns opposite what is now Old Parliament House and declared the spot to be an ‘Aboriginal embassy’. They issued a list of demands to the Australian Government that focused on land rights, mining rights, and compensation. In 1995 the embassy was listed on the Register of the National Estate.
You may also be interested in...
Behind the lines
Explore political cartoons in Behind the Lines exhibitions online.
Stories
Deep dive into stories about Old Parliament House, Australian history and democracy.
Democracy
How it works, why it matters and the power of your role in it.
1946: Social Services referendum
The 1946 referendum led to the pharmaceutical benefits scheme and the beginnings of universal healthcare.
Collection
Our collection captures the ideas, movements, people and events of Australian democracy.
1951: Communists and communism referendum
In the 1951 referendum, Australia voted no on banning Communist ideology by the barest of margins.