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Listed under:  History  >  World history  >  Australian history
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Four Corners: Sukarno's collaboration with Japan during WW II, 1966

Imagine that, in order to preserve your freedom, you had to fight alongside your enemy. During World War II, Indonesian nationalists - led by Sukarno - collaborated with Japanese invaders. Richard Oxenburgh's commentary provides a well-argued historical explanation for Sukarno's collaboration with the Japanese in Indonesia.

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Four Corners: Do women's rights threaten men's domains?

Explore the attitudes of Australian men towards the rights of Australian women in the 1960s. Could women's rights threaten those of men's or were such fears typical of gender discrimination? This clip from 1965 investigates the reactions of Queensland men to the suggestion that women should be allowed to drink in public ...

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Four Corners: Konfrontasi: Indonesia's undeclared war, 1966

How do you distract your citizens from the hardships they face? You give them a common enemy. This clip from 1966 reveals the way in which President Sukarno rallied Indonesians behind an undeclared war against Malaysia, which he painted as a puppet of the United Kingdom.

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The dismissal of the Whitlam government, 1975

On 11 November 1975, something happened that had never occurred before in Australia and has not happened since. It was the sacking of an elected prime minister, and therefore also his government, by an unelected office-holder, the governor-general, who was appointed by the prime minister. How could such a thing happen? ...

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Examining Australia's Constitution

In this clip, reporter Stan Grant visits the National Archives of Australia to revisit the moment when Australia became a federation, on 1 January 1901. Stan examines the original Australian Constitution and reads out Section 127. What does it say? To try to understand why Indigenous people were so excluded, Stan considers ...

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Gold rush

Walk through the streets of 1850s Ballarat at Sovereign Hill and learn about how the discovery of gold shaped the development of this region. What were the three distinct but overlapping eras of gold mining in Ballarat? How do staff at Sovereign Hill know what life was like for people during this time? Find out how the ...

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Pocket Compass, Ep 4: History of Indigenous rights in Australia

You may have heard of the 1967 referendum that granted Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders some rights in Australia, but how did Indigenous rights evolve from there? Many, like the Black Power activists, believed the referendum didn't go far enough, especially in relation to land rights, and their causes gained prominence ...

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Four Corners: Native title: How to free your heart

Since the original Mabo decision was handed down by the High Court of Australia in 1992, acknowledging that the Meriam people of the Torres Strait had the right to hold native title over the Murray Islands, society's attitudes towards Native Title has evolved. In this clip, listen to the opinions of key players in the struggle ...

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Australia's first Aboriginal member of parliament

Neville Bonner became Australia's first Aboriginal parliamentarian when he was appointed to represent Queensland in the Senate in 1971. In this clip, Senator Bonner outlines some of his priorities and his response to public expectations as he prepared to take office.

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1967 and a new activism

How did the yes vote in 1967 change the way laws were made for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people? The struggle for land rights became the focus of the next wave of Aboriginal activists, who gained domestic and world attention by erecting a tent embassy on the lawns of  Parliament House in Canberra. Why was the ...

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Four Corners: Before the Referendum: Margaret Valadian speaks up

Imagine being asked to speak on behalf of your culture. Explore and compare some of the attitudes of and about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in 1967. In the national referendum of that year, 90 per cent of Australian voters agreed that the affairs of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples should be ...

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Impact of European settlement on Aboriginal Tasmanians video

Aboriginal Tasmanians had inhabited Tasmania for over 40,000 years before the arrival of European settlers. What do you think life was like for Aboriginal Tasmanians before then? Why might have they embarked on a war, called the 'Black War', once settlers began arriving in Tasmania, despite existing relatively peacefully ...

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The explorers’ diaries

When Sir Thomas Mitchell and Sir George Grey explored unknown regions of Australia in the 19th century, they found sophisticated examples of agriculture practised by Indigenous peoples. Writer Bruce Pascoe considers why Aboriginal agriculture, economy and civilisation were not taught to generations of Australians. Do you ...

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ABC Open: Veterans reflect on the meaning of Anzac Day

What does Anzac Day mean to you? For some older Australians, Anzac Day recognises loyalty to the British Empire. To others it is a time to remember sacrifice and to take pride in Australian character. Watch this clip to discover what Anzac Day means to a number of veterans in the 21st century.

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Four Corners: Native title begins with an act of recognition

Following the recognition of native title by the High Court of Australia in June 1992, the establishment of a process for ensuring that it was awarded fairly and responsibly was needed. This process came to be enshrined in the Native Title Act of 1993. Listen as key players in the development of the Act explain its importance. ...

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Untold Stories, Ep 12: The submarine that ran amok at Gallipoli

Alec Nichols was a farm boy from the Sunshine Coast who joined the navy at the age of 18. During World War I, he was one of 35 men on the AE2 submarine that broke through enemy lines in the Dardanelles strait. After five days of sustained attacks from the Turkish navy, the submarine had to surface. The men were captured ...

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Weekend Magazine: The modern office workplace, 1960s style

How different was the Australia workplace half a century ago? This Weekend Magazine program from the mid-1960s looks at work in what was then the new Commonwealth Centre in Sydney, where 2,000 Commonwealth public servants were employed. It provides a glimpse of a world that has changed beyond recognition. As you watch the ...

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ABC News: President Sukarno faces political unrest, 1967

How long can a president last in the top job when those in the government want him out? In this 1967 news clip, Indonesia's first president, Sukarno, is faced with political opposition. While he is still popular with the people, politicians speculate that he may not be in the job for long. Although Sukarno puts on a brave ...

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The convict voyages

What do you think it was like for convicts on their voyage from England to Australia? Would you be surprised to discover that their life expectancy on board a convict vessel was actually higher than that of free settlers? Watch this video to discover why this might be, and learn about the convicts themselves.

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ABC Open: World War I: The dead man's penny

Imagine the feelings of a family when they learn of the death of a son during World War I. How might they react to receiving a giant penny for a life sacrificed? This ABC Open program explores the role of the 'dead man's penny', the token given by the British government to many families of British and Commonwealth troops ...