February 12 #OnThisDay in #Australian #History

1844 - Commissioner of Crown Lands Charles Tyers arrived in Gippsland in early 1844, and was soon himself surprisingly involved in an affray. On February 11, 1844, he notes in his diary: I issued orders to both the border police and the blacks not to fire except in self defence - but to rush upon them and take them by surprise. When approaching the scrub however in line - one of the party fired and was followed by the whole. The natives being taken by surprise fled though the scrub - leaving everything behind them.

1965 - The Student Action For Aborigines (SAFA) from the Uni of Sydney took a bus and toured through regional towns such as Walgett, Gulargambone, Kempsey, Bowraville and Moree where they recorded acts of racism to show wider Australia the experience of Aboriginal Australians.
Thus was born the Freedom Rides.

1990 - Carmen Lawrence became the Premier of Westralia and the first *gasp* female Premier in Aussie history. Next thing you know they'll be letting a female be PM too...

1996 - The Barkindji people of the lower Darling River region and the Governments of New South Wales and South Australia reached an agreement for a long-term management plan on Lake Victoria.

1998 - Indigenous Australian delegations at the United Nations called on the Australian Government to clarify once and for all its position and approach to the Draft Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People.

1998 - The Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy, Judy Spence, opened new Cultural and Programs area at the Sir David Longland Correctional Centre and announced $75,000 funding from the Beattie Government, to assist with the re-opening of the Wujal Wujal Store on Cape York Peninsula.

2003 - Ballarat Council adopted the Statement of Commitment to the Local Indigenous Community.

2008 - For the first time ever Australian Aboriginal leaders were invited to offer a "Welcome To Country" ceremony at the opening of Federal Parliament.

Sources : 

[1]  https://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/2017/vic/files/suggestions/vic18-s0064-glawac-and-blcac-.pdf

[2]  https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/nitv-news/article/2015/02/18/explainer-what-was-australias-freedom-ride

[3]  https://timeline.awava.org.au/archives/292

[4]  https://qram.com.au/black-jocks/february-jocks/

[5]  https://qram.com.au/black-jocks/february-jocks/

[6]  https://qram.com.au/black-jocks/february-jocks/

[7]  http://www.ballarat.vic.gov.au/media/2407842/reconciliation_action_plan_2014-2017_web.pdf

[8] https://qram.com.au/black-jocks/february-jocks/