As a Matter of Fact - Second Edition Funding home back next The fact is there has been great progress since 1967. Nevertheless, the difficulties and complexities of the national effort to raise Indigenous living standards have consistently been underestimated and, despite perceptions to the contrary, the effort has not been commensurate with the needs. Things have got better Over the last 30 years there have been some improvements in housing standards, and infant and maternal mortality rates have declined.
Educational outcomes are significantly better.
Where once schooling might have been limited to a few years of primary education, many more of our children now finish secondary school and progress to higher education. In 1975 there were 75 Aboriginals in higher education, today there are more than 7000. Many families have been able to buy their own homes. In the past there was almost no inter-generational wealth creation in the Indigenous community. Successful enterprises have been set up, including enterprises on the land base acquired through Commonwealth and State land rights legislation.