Communities across the country — from as far north as Marrara in the Northern Territory, to Tasmania’s capital Hobart in the south — have rallied in support of Indigenous constitutional recognition through a Voice to Parliament.
Key points:
- Rallies were held around Australia by campaigners advocating for a Voice to Parliament
- Thousands turned out to listen to speakers state their case
- The date of the referendum hasn’t been set but rival sides are amplifying their message
Tens of thousands of Australians participated in more than 30 family-friendly community events organised by the Yes23 campaign on Sunday, including speeches, workshops, and live music and dance.
The referendum will ask the Australian people whether they support a change to the constitution to create a body — the Voice — to make representations to parliament and the government on matters relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.
The vote is widely expected to be held in October but could fall anytime after August 19.
While many came out in support of an Indigenous Voice to Parliament, polling shows the No campaign is gaining momentum.
Despite the negative swing, Rachel Perkins, co-chair of Australians for Indigenous Constitutional Recognition, is confident that the Yes camp will prevail.
“What the polls don’t really accommodate is this huge growing movement of the Australian people,” she said.
“You don’t see it necessarily on television, you don’t see it in newspapers, but there’s conversations happening round kitchen tables, in sporting clubs, in workplaces across the country. And that’s just going to grow.”
Prominent critic of the Voice, Independent senator Lidia Thorpe told an eco-socialism conference in Melbourne that a Yes vote would mean nothing.
“To think that we’ve got so many do-gooding white people out there with their hands on their heart that think this is the right thing for us,” Ms Thorpe said.
“It’s a real slap in the face for all of those warriors that have fought, who died, to think that we’re looking at a powerless voice that may give advice.”
Sydney
Organisers handed out free T-shirts to Sydneysiders who turned up to the “Come Together For Yes” rally in Prince Alfred Park.
Ms Perkins said crowds were rolling in before the event started, basking in the opportunity to “get informed, connect with each other, get inspired and just enjoy the sunshine”.
She said it was a great way to kick off NAIDOC Week, with a belief “the ripples are just going to start spreading across the country about this referendum”.
At the event, Minister for Climate Change Penny Sharpe said a fire had been lit across the country.
“Everyone is having the [conversation] about how we step forward with Aboriginal people in Australia,” she said.
“We need to do this and we finally have the chance to.”
Brisbane
Hundreds gathered in Brisbane’s Roma Street Parkland for the city’s Yes event.
The large crowd — many holding “Vote Yes” signs — listened closely as community leaders gave speeches, calling for the Indigenous Voice to Parliament as the referendum approaches.
Among those in attendance was Minister for Indigenous Australians Linda Burney, who asked the country to be “on the right side of history” and vote to amend the referendum.
“This is about moving Australia forward for everyone, this will be a moment for unity and a change that we can all be proud of,” Minister Burney told the crowd.
Melbourne
Hundreds of people gathered in light rain and cold temperatures in Melbourne to hear Indigenous leaders encourage a Yes vote outside the city’s Trades Hall.
Yorta Yorta man Ian Hamm told crowds the referendum was not about ceding sovereignty, High Court challenges, or costs and budgets.
Instead, he said, the Voice is about letting Indigenous people speak to the issues that impact them.
“It will give ordinary Aboriginal people the chance to speak,” he said.
“The opportunity to express our hopes our dreams our ideas.”
Canberra
Around 250 people gathered at Haig Park in Canberra’s city centre to hear from local Indigenous leaders including Ngunnawal elder Aunty Violet Sheridan, who urged all Australians to “walk with us”.
“It’s very hard to get a referendum across the line and we can’t do it alone. We need to work together,” she said.
“First Nations people want non-Indigenous people to walk with us. Not in front of us, not behind us, but beside us, and vote Yes in this referendum.”
Wiradjuri woman and Canberra Citizen of the Year Katrina Fanning said local events like Sunday’s played an important role in the lead up to the referendum.
“It’s all gotta be local, this is a grassroots movement. The Uluru Statement from the Heart was a grassroots movement,” she said.
“Our people have been doing this at kitchen tables and in parks for a hundred years now, asking for this.”
Hobart
Several hundred people went to Hobart’s waterfront to hear from prominent First Nations speakers, including Uncle Rodney Dillon, Alison Overeem and Fiona Hughes.
The heritage Goods Shed, in the city’s Macquarie Point precinct, hosted a series of workshops on traditional palawa twining, clapstick crafting, ochre grinding and torch making.
Mr Dillon said the day was about making sure Tasmanian Aboriginal voices were being heard and recognised.
“This is about us existing, this is about us coming to the table, and having our hands up and being visible,” he said.
“That’s the crux of this — to make sure we’re visible in the constitution, to make sure we’re visible about decision making about us and for us.”
Perth
At the Perth rally, Professor Fiona Stanley said “colonisation had been the pathway” to all the problems faced by Indigenous people in Australia.
She said “decades of neglecting and rejecting” Aboriginal voices had resulted in devastating outcomes.
Professor Stanley listed health services and programs that were initiated by Indigenous people, which resulted in positive results.
Martu woman Olivia Wilson, from the Western Desert, said “nothing about us without us”.
She told the crowd there needed to be input into health, education and economic development policies and the Voice was an “opportunity to bring our nation together”.
Adelaide
Hundreds of people of all ages gathered in Adelaide to show their support for the Yes campaign, including Jakirah Telfer who performed a Welcome to Country alongside her father Karl.
Ms Telfer said today carried a strong significance for her.
“I’ve always grown up with culture and around culture, and it’s important as a young person, being at the front and having my voice heard,” she said.
She’s hopeful the event showed others the value of voting Yes.
“The turnout has been amazing, really getting everyone together to have a celebration and really activate and engage everyone about what could happen next,” Ms Telfer said.
The Australian Education Union’s (AEU) South Australia Branch was among a few organisations who set up a stall in solidarity with the event.
AEU president Andrew Gohl said his team completely backed the Yes campaign.
“A Voice to Parliament is an important pathway to a treaty, it’s an important step in getting a voice and recognition that Aboriginal people so deserve,” Mr Gohl said.
Australian Tamil Arts kept crowd entertained with a performance.
Darwin
Supporters of the Voice referendum gathered at Darwin’s Territory Rugby League Stadium today.
The Yes23 campaign were a major sponsor of the Deadly Cup Carnival, a festival with a special focus on Indigenous health.
Before the matches began, players were introduced with a smoking ceremony, and then formed a Yes on the field.
Yes campaigners were present at the event, advocating that better health outcomes for First Nations peoples will arise if the Voice is enshrined.
Regional Australia
Meanwhile, a small crowd at Geelong evolved into a convoy to Torquay.
From there, about 400 people could be seen moving from Elephant Walk to Cosy Corner Beach where they then spelt a giant Yes in human form.
Further north, in Townsville, a small forum was held to mark Come Together For Yes.
Around 40 people, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Elders, attended the event at Saint Teresa’s Church.
Yes advocate Thomas Mayo told the crowd misinformation on the Voice has been circulating in the community, particularly on social media.
“It’s really important to help people see through the misinformation that is out there, that this is a unifying proposal. This is something that can improve a whole lot of things about our country,” he said.
“The Elders talked about the need for this change, when we talk about policies that have failed and they’re talking about their grandchildren … they really bring that wisdom to the discussion.”
“It doesn’t take away from local decision making, but actually links up issues that are common across the entire continent, issues around justice and programs to heal our families and to see less crime.”