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'In 1967 we amended the Australian Constitution. We took out the two adverse references to Aborigines, which thereafter meant the Constitution was silent. Now some of you would be old enough to remember that there was a campaign to ‘Vote “yes” for Aborigines’. But all that was done was to take out the two adverse references to Aborigines, the main one of which was contained in section 51(26) of the Australian Constitution. Prior to 1967 that section said that the Commonwealth Parliament had power to make laws with respect to the people of any race, other than Aborigines, for whom it was deemed necessary to make special laws. The thinking of our founding fathers (and they were all men, back in the 19th century) was that Aboriginal affairs would be a matter for the states but that the Commonwealth Parliament would have power to make laws with respect to people of any other particular race, even if they did become British subjects.' (Introduction)
