2008

1. 24 July Northern Territory Intervention

   The Rudd government announces a BasicsCard to manage the income of all Aboriginal Centrelink recipients in the NT.

2. 31 July Land & land rights

   The High Court hands down its Blue Mud Bay decision which says that the Northern Territory government could not grant commercial fishing operators licenses for areas within the boundaries of the Aboriginal Land Rights (NT) Act. This affects 80% of the NT’s coast and tidal rivers where revenues of licenses flow now to Aboriginal people instead of the white government.

2009

1. July Land & land rights

   After months of pressure Tangentyere Council reluctantly agrees to hand over Aboriginal community land to the Australian government for 40 years, in return for A$100m to upgrade housing and services in town camps in Alice Springs.

2. 3 July Northern Territory Intervention

   With regards to the NT intervention, the Australian Productivity Commission report reiterates two key points: the need for reliable statistics measuring the effects of government measures, and the importance of community ownership of projects and close consultation between community and government.

   The things that work generally work because of co-operative approaches between government and communities.

   — Australian Productivity Commissioner

3. 14 July Northern Territory Intervention

   When their community’s sewerage system fails and raw sewage floods the street many members of the Ampilatwatja people walk off to camp in the desert during the Australian winter. They also protest against the NT intervention, ensuring they are no longer subject to the NTER legislation. In August they seek refugee status from the UN as people displaced from their country. ⇒ Aboriginal houses

2010

1. July Remains repatriation

   The National Museum of Natural History, Washington DC, USA returns Aboriginal remains taken from their burial places during the 1948 American-Australian Scientific Expedition to Arnhem Land (Northern Territory) ^[1].

2. 29 July Prison

   The West Australian government approves $3.2 million, one of the largest ex-gratia (voluntary) payments ever made in Australia to the family of an Aboriginal Elder who died of heatstroke in the back of a prison van in 2008. ⇒ Aboriginal deaths in custody

2011

1. 5 July Arts Stamps

   

   As part of its Living Australian issue Australia Post issues a stamp with the image of a young Aboriginal boy. The photo is titled Little Man's Business and was taken by Suzanne Wilson of New South Wales.

2012

1. July Stolen Generations

   Second progress scorecard of the Stolen Generations Working Partnership.

2. July Northern Territory Intervention

   The government extends income management to five new trial locations: Bankstown (NSW), Shepparton (VIC), Playford (SA) and Logan and Rockhampton (QLD).

2013

1. 1 July Northern Territory Intervention

   The government expands compulsory income management in the five trial sites and the Northern Territory.

2. 19 July Arts Stamps

   Australia Post honours five “eminent” Aboriginal people in a stamp issue: Shirley Smith AM, Neville Bonner AO, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Eddie “Koiki” Mabo and Charles Perkins AO.

   

3. 23 July Politics

   The Victorian Government appoints Aboriginal man Andrew Jackomos as Victoria’s - and Australia’s - first Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Youth. The appointment of an Aboriginal children’s commissioner was one of the recommendations arising out of the Protecting Victoria’s Vulnerable Children Inquiry.

2014

1. 14 July Remains repatriation

   The Charité Medical Museum returns 14 skulls of Aboriginal people to representatives of the Goemulgal, Lag Mabuyag and Wajarri Yamatji peoples. It also repatriated remains to Namibia (2011 and 2014) and to Paraguay (2012).

2015

1. July Sport

   After more than 12 months of ongoing racism by booing fans of opposing teams Adam Goodes withdraws from playing AFL for a week. In support of Adam some media start an “I Stand With Adam” campaign. 150 organisations join together to call for renewed efforts to stamp out racism in sport and everyday life. Goodes quits for good in September after 18 years of professional football.

2. July Stolen wages

   The Western Australia Aboriginal Legal Service prepares a legal challenge to the Western Australian government's limited compensation offer for stolen wages.

2016

1. July Treaty

   The Victorian government commences the Treaty Interim Working Group to "provide advice on the process and timing for treaty, guidance on community engagement and examining options for a permanent Victorian Aboriginal representative body". ^[2] It has 5 Aboriginal representatives and 6 people appointed by the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs.

2. 2 July Politics

   A record number of 13 Aboriginal candidates run for the federal election: Linda Burney (electorate: Barton, NSW), Ken Canning (Sydney, NSW), Pat Dodson, Jacqui Lambie (TAS), Sharlene Leroy-Dyer (Senate, NSW), Kerryanne Liddle (Senate, SA), Joanna Lindgren, Carol Martin, Malarndirri McCarthy (NT), Kado Muir, Tammy Solonec (Swan, WA), Shea Taylor (Senate, QLD), Ken Wyatt (Hasluck, WA).

3. 3 July Politics

   Linda Burney becomes the first female Aboriginal MP in Australia’s history after claiming the Federal seat of Barton. She is the first female Aboriginal MP in the House of Representatives.

4. 25 July Prison

   ABC’s Four Corners broadcasts Australia’s Shame, a documentary on abuse of children in NT detention centres, sparking shock nationally and internationally. Within a day the Prime Minister forms the Royal Commission into the Child Protection and Youth Detention Systems of the Northern Territory.

• 1
• 2
• 3

References