Taking civil rights seriously

Abstract

For a variety of reasons Australians possess a curious lack of understanding about the gaining of civil rights by Indigenous people. These reasons include the lack of a clear civil rights 'moment' in Australian history and the negative connotations now associated with civil rights when compared to the more radical Indigenous rights. This article explores the reasons for Australia's public amnesia about Indigenous people's acquisition of civil rights, and makes a case for repositioning this occurrence as a key time in Australian political history