What was Australia's 1967 Referendum about? There are common misconceptions about what the 1967 Referendum actually changed. What the referendum was about The 1967 Referendum proposed to include Aboriginal people in the census. The 1967 Referendum proposed to allow the Commonwealth government to make laws for Aboriginal people. What the 1967 Referendum was not about The 1967 Referendum did not give Aboriginal people the right to vote. This right was already introduced in 1962 . did not grant them citizenship. By the time of the referendum, most of the specific federal and state laws discriminating against Aboriginal people had been repealed [21]. was not about equal rights for Aboriginal people. The Constitutional change would not impact at all on laws governing Aboriginal people. However, campaigners hoped that a 'yes' vote would require the Commonwealth government to enact reforms which would eventually achieve better rights for Aboriginal people [21]. Clever campaigners nonetheless understood to introduce these aspects into their campaigns and use them to favour a 'yes' vote. Aboriginal elder Gary Williams remembers the referendum Gary tells what the referendum meant to a 21-year-old Aboriginal youth living in Sydney. Constitution of the Commonwealth: sections 51, 127 Before Australia became a nation it consisted of separate, sovereign colonies (today's states and territories). For these colonies to form the Commonwealth a Constitution was drafted and each colony had to pass legislation agreeing to become part of the Commonwealth. Then they needed to hold referendums where all electors could have a direct vote on