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Institute’s historic images help commemorate electoral milestone
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| AIATSIS Audiovisual Access Manger Alana Harris (left) and Audiovisual Archive Officer Narrisa Timbery browse through the AEC 2012 Calendar which uses some images sourced from the Institute's collection. (Photo: John Paul Janke) |
2 March 2012
Images sourced from the world's premier collection of Indigenous photographs have played a part in commemorating the 50th Anniversary of the Indigenous right to vote.
Several historic photos from the Audiovisual Archive of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS) in Canberra where sourced by the Australian Electoral Commission in their Louder than one voice calendar.
The Louder than one voice 2012 calendar is part of AEC’s promotional campaign to mark the 50th anniversary of changes to the Commonwealth Electoral Act which allowed Indigenous Australians to enrol to vote.
In March 1962, the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 was amended to allow Indigenous Australians to enrol to vote in federal elections, a change which enabled participation in the historic 1967 referendum.
The 2012 Calendar includes historic and contemporary images as well as images of Indigenous community leaders and cultural identities that acknowledge the value of the vote to them personally.
AIATSIS Principal, Russell Taylor says that AIATSIS was pleased to be part of the initiative and the information campaign urging more Indigenous Australians to be part of the electoral process.
“The more Australians can see and appreciate the contribution of Indigenous Australians to our history – and the uniqueness of that contribution – the better it is for Australia.
“Because of strength and uniqueness of our own photographic collection – some 700,000 images - AIATSIS welcomes the role we can play in lessening the cultural divide,” Mr Taylor said.
With over a million items, the AIATSIS Audiovisual Archive holds the world's premier collection of moving image, recorded sound and photographic materials relating to Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures and histories.