What was the Reconciliation process?

Reconciliation in Australia is the ongoing process of building stronger relationships between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and the wider Australian community, addressing the legacy of colonisation, and developing shared frameworks for a better future. The modern reconciliation movement dates from the early 1990s and involves governments, businesses, schools, community organisations, and individual Australians.

Formal national reconciliation began with the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, established by the Hawke Labor government in 1991 with a 10-year mandate. The Council, co-chaired by Patrick Dodson and Lois O'Donoghue and later by Evelyn Scott, consulted widely and produced the documents Australian Declaration Towards Reconciliation (2000) and Roadmap for Reconciliation (2000). Reconciliation Australia was established in 2001 to continue the work as an independent non-government organisation.

Reconciliation Australia operates several major programmes. The Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) framework, launched in 2006, supports organisations to develop formal reconciliation commitments. More than 2,500 Australian organisations have endorsed RAPs across business, government, education, community, and religious sectors. The RAP framework operates at four levels: Reflect (initial commitment), Innovate (programme implementation), Stretch (organisational integration), and Elevate (leadership and influence). Reconciliation Australia also delivers Narragunnawali (the schools and early learning RAP framework), the Indigenous Governance Awards, and various research and policy programmes.

National Reconciliation Week is held annually from 27 May to 3 June, marking the anniversaries of the 1967 referendum (27 May) and the 1992 Mabo decision (3 June). The week is observed through events at schools, workplaces, parliaments, and community centres across the country. NAIDOC Week in early July celebrates Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and achievement. National Sorry Day on 26 May commemorates the Stolen Generations. Key milestones in the reconciliation process include the 1992 Mabo decision, the 1993 Native Title Act, the 1997 Bringing Them Home report, the 2000 Walk for Reconciliation across the Sydney Harbour Bridge (250,000 participants), the 2008 National Apology, the 2017 Uluru Statement from the Heart, and the 2023 Voice referendum (defeated nationally with 60.1 per cent No). The reconciliation movement continues through multiple channels following the Voice defeat, including state-based treaty processes (notably in Victoria), the Yoorrook Justice Commission's truth-telling work, the Closing the Gap framework, and ongoing community-led initiatives.