2006

1. 13 June Northern Territory Intervention

   Northern Territory's Chief Minister, Clare Martin, writes a letter to prime minister John Howard proposing a "holistic, intensive intervention to communities in crisis" but receives "no meaningful response". ^[1]

   Watch the second part of a speech she gave at the 19th Maurice Blackburn Oration on 5 December 2012, where she recollects the events (note especially at 5:10 where she talks about the reason for the intervention):

2. 13 June Stolen wages

   The House of Senate in the Australian federal parliament passes a motion, introduced by Democrats Senator, Andrew Bartlett, to conduct an inquiry into stolen wages. The submission deadline of 28 July is extended to the 28 of September. The enquiry receives 129 submissions.

3. 22 June Northern Territory Intervention

   In response to the Lateline program the Chief Minister of the NT announces the government will establish an inquiry into child sexual abuse in NT Aboriginal communities.

2007

1. June Remains repatriation

   Glasgow Museum, Scotland. Return of skulls of Torres Strait Islanders to their ancestors on Mer Island.

2. 15 June Northern Territory Intervention

   Pat Anderson and Rex Wild release the Little Children are Sacred report which reports ‘widespread sex abuse’ of children throughout communities of the Northern Territory. The report makes 97 recommendations.

3. 16 June Northern Territory Intervention

   Little Children Are Sacred report is presented to the NT Parliament.

4. 21 June Northern Territory Intervention

   The Howard government introduces the Northern Territory Emergency Response (NTER), quickly dubbed the "intervention".

5. 21 June Northern Territory Intervention

   Prime Minister John Howard and Indigenous Affairs Minister Mal Brough announce the Northern Territory intervention. Staged as a response to the ‘Little Children are Sacred’ report, the intervention is widely criticised because it also legislates to remove the permit system for access to Aboriginal land, abolish the Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP), quarantine 50% of welfare payments, compulsorily acquire Aboriginal land and subject Aboriginal children to mandatory health checks.
   While the intervention receives bipartisan political support, many opponents label it an ‘invasion’ and promise a ‘Little Children are Scared’ report (a wordplay on the Report’s title).

2008

1. June Self-determination

   Aboriginal people in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) vote for Australia’s first elected Aboriginal representative body since ATSIC’s demise in 2005. Seven representatives will be elected every three years to advise the ACT government on policy that affects the lives of the ACT’s Aboriginal population.

2. 21 June Northern Territory Intervention

   The Northern Territory intervention is one year old. Jenny Macklin, Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FAHCSIA), announces a new $17.6 million trial over three years. Parents who fail to enrol their children or get them to school regularly will have their income support payments suspended until they fulfil their obligations.

3. 27 June Sport

   Nathan Jawai is the first Aboriginal Australian basketball player to be drafted into North America’s National Basketball Association (NBA), playing for the Toronto Raptors.

2009

1. June Northern Territory Intervention

   From June to August the Department of Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs (FaHCSIA) runs consultations and workshops with Aboriginal people in the NT about future directions of the NTER.
   

2. June Remains repatriation

   Seattle Art Museum, USA is the first US institution that independently initiates a repatriation. It promises to return 'a sacred Aboriginal object' to its traditional land in central Australia and to consult with central Australian elders and representatives ^[2].

3. June Remains repatriation

   The University College, London, UK, hands over the skulls of three individuals from Victoria's Gunditjmara community and another from the Dja Dja Wurrung nation ^[3]. It is the first repatriation to Victoria.

4. 21 June Northern Territory Intervention

   Two years since the Northern Territory intervention began. Protests against the NTER held around Australia.

2010

1. June Arts

   

   19-year-old Aboriginal model Samantha Harris makes it to the cover of Vogue Australia’s June issue. Harris got her first break into modelling after entering a competition in the Australian teenage magazine Girlfriend in 2003, aged just 13.

2. 9 June Arts

   The Resale Royalty Right for Visual Artists Act is introduced, entitling all artists to a 5% royalty whenever their work is re-sold. Thousands of Aboriginal artists can benefit from the scheme. ⇒ Aboriginal art profits

3. 12 June Sport

   Timana Tahu, an Aboriginal player of the Sydney-based Parramatta Eels Rugby League club, walks out of the NSW Origin team camp in response to racist comments by the team’s assistant coach Andrew Johns, sparking a media debate about racism against Aboriginal players and people.

4. 21 June Northern Territory Intervention

   The government passes legislation to re-instate the Racial Discrimination Act by extending compulsory income management nationwide. The administration is estimated to cost taxpayers $350 to $400 million dollars over the next four years, or about $4,000 a person a year. Reports indicate that people under income management feel "severely demoralised". ^[4]

   Re-instating the [Racial Discrimination Act] restores dignity and helps Indigenous Australians to take ownership of their lives and to drive change in the NT.

   — Jenny Macklin, Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister ^[4]

5. 24 June Politics

   Julia Gillard, previously Deputy Prime Minister, becomes the first female Prime Minister of Australia after Kevin Rudd lost the confidence of his party. Rudd served the shortest period of any Prime Minister so far.

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References