Walk along with us, we'll travel through the years together
The First Fleet in 1788 marked the beginning of major disruption for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Land cared for over thousands of years was declared “terra nullius”, empty land, ignoring their sovereignty and stripping them of recognition.
When the Swan River Colony was established in 1829, these impacts deepened. First Nations peoples faced violence, displacement, and strict laws that denied their rights and freedom.
A turning point came with the 1967 Referendum, when Australians voted to include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the census and give the Federal Government power to make laws for them. This was a step towards recognition and equality.
Each year on 26 May, National Sorry Day remembers the Stolen Generations, children taken from their families under government policies. On 13 February 2008, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd delivered a formal Apology in Parliament, acknowledging this suffering and a call for healing. From the First Fleet to the Apology, the journey shows a slow but powerful shift from dispossession to recognition, and towards ongoing justice and equality for First Nations peoples.
First Fleet
1788
Swan River Colony
1829
1967 Referendum
1967
Sorry Day
2008
Learn about the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 and how it marked the beginning of dispossession for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples through the idea of terra nullius
Explore the establishment of the Swan River Colony in 1829 and how expansion brought violence, displacement, and laws that restricted the rights and freedoms of First Nations peoples.
Discover how the 1967 Referendum became a turning point, with Australians voting to recognise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the census and allow the Federal Government to make laws for them.
Reflect on the history of the Stolen Generations, the significance of National Sorry Day, and Kevin Rudd’s 2008 Apology in Parliament, which acknowledged past wrongs and called for reconciliation.
