1967 was a monumental year in Australia’s history.

On 27 May 1967, 90.77% of the Australian’s voted ‘Yes’ in the Referendum, 2017 and marks the 50th year since the Commonwealth gained a national role in the administration of Indigenous affairs. The year also marks the foundation of Commonwealth public administration in Indigenous Affairs.

To acknowledge this milestone, we are working with the Institute of Public Administration (ACT) and the Australia and New Zealand School of Government to review the role and practice of Indigenous Affairs over the past fifty years and looking forward to longer-term thinking around public administration.

Over the next 12 months, we will be co-hosting a series of events and discussion papers, with the aim of promoting critical discussion and knowledge sharing among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous thinkers engaged in the administration of Australian Indigenous affairs.

The first event is scheduled for Friday, 16 June. Hosted by the ACT Division of the Institute of Public Administration Australia, ‘Marking 50 Years of Indigenous Affairs’ and will introduce the topic with speakers including:

• Dr Martin Parkinson AC PSM Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Professor Ian Anderson AO Deputy Secretary Indigenous Affairs, Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
• Pat Turner CEO of the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation; and
• Tom Calma, Chancellor, University of Canberra.
   
• Read Professor Ian Anderson’s speech
• Visit the Institute of Public Administration Australia website
• Review the first discussion paper:  Commonwealth Machinery of Government in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs

Watch the video of the event:

You can follow the discussion of the event on Twitter with #IndigPA.