Artefacts about 1970s

During discussions in the House of Representatives, Opposition Leader Gough Whitlam criticised the government of the day over proposed changes to procedures affecting Aboriginal people's access to Unemployment Benefit.

The Fraser Government introduced the Community Development Employment Program in 1977 to address Aboriginal unemployment and reduce the number of people applying for Unemployment Benefit.

In a briefing to public servants, Dr Young discussed difficulties faced by remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory. She highlighted DSS servicing gaps that she believed worsened the situation.

To better reach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences, the government started using Aboriginal artwork on their advertisements.

In her autobiographies, Ellie Gaffney discussed her work advocating for direct payments for Torres Strait Islander people and for a DSS office to be established on Thursday Island.

It took time and activism to establish government services for Aboriginal people in Tasmania. These DSS newsletters introduce the first Tasmanian Aboriginal Liaison Officer in 1984 and show how services expanded into the 1990s.

Even when government help was available, it was often not enough to help disadvantaged Aboriginal families out of poverty. One man’s oral history shows years of upheaval trying to find security for his family.