The opening of the 45th parliament this week featured the now firmly established practice of an Indigenous smoking ceremony, and a Welcome to Country by Ngunnawal elder, Tina Brown. The occasion included speeches from Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and Federal Opposition leader, Bill Shorten. Both assured those present of their intentions to continue efforts to...

First Nations performing arts are unique, contemporary and diverse expressions of the world’s longest continuously living cultures. They embody a proud tradition of telling stories to connect generations and communities. The Australia Council’s national Arts Participation Survey found that nine in ten Australians (92%) believe that First Nations arts are an important part of Australia’s...

Abstract The end of the very long-standing Community Development Employment Projects (CDEP) scheme in 2015 marked a critical juncture in Australian Indigenous policy history. For more than 30 years, CDEP had been among the biggest and most influential programs in the Indigenous affairs portfolio, employing many thousands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. More...

Overview This project aims to provide an evidence base for attitudinal change, to develop new strategies for racial harmony, and to improve the way services are provided to Aboriginal people. The project team collected data from nearly 200 in-depth interviews with 44 respondents from a cross-section of Darwin’s Aboriginal residents and visitors, a survey of...

There is much goodwill in Australia to improve Indigenous outcomes. However, too many programs are implemented because of their perceived benefit, rather than a rigorous assessment of what works. This research report maps the number of government and non-government Indigenous programs and potential level of duplication among different program providers (federal, state/territory and non-government). The...