Reconciliation in Australia

Guugu Yimithirr and James Cook The first act of reconciliation between Indigenous Australians and non-Indigenous people followed Lieutenant James Cook's 1770 landing at the site of modern Cooktown. Cook and his crew had developed a friendly relationship with the local people, recording more than 130 words of their language. However, after the crew refused to share 12 green turtles which they had caught, thus violating local customs, the locals became angry. A Guugu Yimithirr elder stepped in, presenting Cook with a broken-tipped spear as a peace offering, thus preventing an escalation which could have ended in bloodshed. The event has been re-enacted every year since 1959 with the support and participation of many of the local Guugu Yimithirr people. Modern day The term first entered the language of politics after the election of Bob Hawke as Prime Minister of Australia in 1983. In opposition before his election, his election campaign had focused on a "national reconciliation, national recovery and national reconstruction", under the slogan "Bringing Australia Together". His speech launching Labor's campaign explained what the concept might mean for Australia: Hawke's time in office brought a policy shift around Indigenous Australian self-determination and Indigenous land rights in Australia. The final report of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody was published in April 1991, with one of its recommendations the initiation of a process of reconciliation between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. At the time, there was some criticism of the term and concept as a "politically soft option", a replacement for pursuing more concrete aims for justice for Indigenous peoples, such as land rights and a treaty. Another criticism was that the term implies that there was once a state of peaceful co-existence between settlers and Indigenous peoples which would be restored by re-conciliation. ==The concept==

The concept of reconciliation includes both practical and symbolic features. It involves recognising and acknowledging that Indigenous peoples are the traditional owners of the whole of Australia, and that past injustices that have led to present-day consequences for Indigenous peoples, as well as increasing understanding by non-Indigenous people of Aboriginal peoples' cultures and attachment to country and working to reduce racism in Australia. Practical matters include improving health, education and employment prospects for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. ==1991–2001: Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation==

However, there was general support for the move towards reconciliation, and the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation Act 1991 was passed on 2 September 1991, to establish the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation (CAR), The establishment of the council was an acknowledgement of past policies which had done harm to Aboriginal peoples, and its purpose was to guide the process of reconciliation in the nation over the coming decade, which would end with the celebration of centenary since the Federation of Australia. Several external events influenced the three terms of CAR during its decade of existence. The Mabo case, followed by the Wik decision (1996) led to pastoralists feeling threatened by the possible granting of native title over their land, and lobbied the by then more receptive Howard government to amend the Native Title Act 1993. The resulting "Wik amendments", along with a huge reduction in funding to ATSIC, damaged cross-party agreement on reconciliation. Corroboree 2000 "Corroboree 2000" was a two-day event at the Sydney Opera House held in CAR's final year of existence, taking place from 27 to 28 May 2000. On the first day, a meeting of dozens of Indigenous and non-Indigenous leaders at the Sydney Opera House was again broadcast live on TV, and was covered by around 500 media outlets.), streaming across the bridge from the northern to the southern end for nearly six hours. and had been planned since 1995. Among the Indigenous walkers were Faith Bandler and Bonita Mabo, widow of land rights campaigner Eddie Mabo, and many members of the Stolen Generations. and in Hobart they crossed the Tasman Bridge. Although the walks were organised by Aboriginal people, they were attended by Australians representing all sectors of society and ethnicities. The huge attendances showed that there was increasing public awareness of the need for reconciliation and for a national apology. CAR's final report At the close of CAR's decade of existence, after noting that the biggest obstacles to reconciliation were entrenched disadvantage, discrimination and racism, it published a report containing six recommendations, relating to: • Improved service delivery by governments; • Support of the reconciliation by all levels of government; • Constitutional change to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the First Peoples of Australia, and to prohibit discrimination; • The continuation of the process of reconciliation, supported by an ongoing body called Reconciliation Australia; and • Negotiations for a treaties or agreements (two recommendations). ==Growth of public support==

Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR), a mostly non-Indigenous organisation, was founded in 1997. With support from Australian Artists Against Racism, the "Sea of Hands" was created on the lawns in front of Parliament House, Canberra: 50,000 hands, symbolising support for Indigenous Australians against the Wik amendments. Social research showed that public support for the process of reconciliation had risen from 48% to 75–80% of the population over the decade of CAR's existence, although attitudes remained mixed on other issues, and among Indigenous people there was some scepticism that reconciliation could be of any practical value to improving their lives. ==Government response==

Within a few years of the dissolution of CAR, the federal government was criticised for undermining the process of reconciliation by removing support structures and aiming to turn public support against reconciliation. It ignored the more controversial recommendations, such as Constitutional recognition of Indigenous Australians, recognition of Indigenous rights, and setting up structured negotiating processes, instead focusing on the practical aspects, ==Reconciliation Australia==

The peak body to oversee the continuing process of reconciliation, Reconciliation Australia, was established by CAR in January 2001. It remains active, although operates without the statutory framework and resources enjoyed by CAR. Reconciliation Australia's vision of the concept of reconciliation is based on "five inter-related dimensions,: race relations, equality and equity, unity, institutional integrity and historical acceptance". ==National Reconciliation Week==

Major religious communities in Australia commenced the practice of a Week of Prayer for Reconciliation in 1993, National Sorry Day, on 26 May, remembers the anniversary of the day that the Bringing Them Home report was tabled in Parliament. The first Reconciliation Day as a public holiday was held in the Australian Capital Territory on 28 May 2018. ==21st century ==

The reconciliation process had struggled to be accepted into political discourse. The dual target of rights and practical measures were a message aimed not only at governments but also the corporate sector and all kinds of institutions, as well as ordinary members of the public. The interpretation of the concept no longer warrants to be debated, and its usefulness in making real improvements to the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people historically reviewed. is passed, recognising Australia's Indigenous peoples as the original owners of the nation • 2015: Referendum Council established • 2016: The governments of South Australia, Victoria and the Northern Territory announce that they will begin discussions of treaty • 2017: Uluru Statement from the Heart, a unified statement issued after the National Constitutional Convention at Uluru, calling for an Indigenous voice to parliament; rejected by the Turnbull government • 2018: Advancing the Treaty Process with Aboriginal Victorians Act 2018 (VIC) – the first piece of legislation relating to treaty • 2020: Black Lives Matter protests in Australia: marches across the nation • 2020: After destroying two ancient and significant sites at Juukan Gorge, mining company Rio Tinto is suspended from the Reconciliation Action Plan community • 2022: Newly elected Prime Minister Anthony Albanese promises to progress the Uluru Statement. This includes holding a referendum to amend the Australian Constitution to recognise Indigenous Australians via the creation of the Indigenous Voice To Parliament. • 2023: The referendum for a Voice to Parliament is rejected both nationally and by a majority in every state. Its failure was seen as a major setback for reconciliation and viewed by some as the death of Reconciliation altogether. Despite the referendum's failure, the Federal government has stated it remains committed to Reconciliation. A report following the referendum concluded that the results had emboldened racism towards Indigenous Australians. • 2023: South Australia became the first jurisdiction in Australia to establish a First Nations Voice to Parliament with the passing of the First Nations Voice Act 2023. • 2025: The Statewide Treaty Act 2025 was passed by the Victorian Parliament in October 2025 and was signed and granted royal assent on 13 November 2025. This is the first treaty between a government and First Peoples in Australia and makes the First Peoples' Assembly of Victoria a permanent voice body. ==See also==