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Artefacts about Communication

Cover of a booklet with the words 'Commonwealth Social Services' and a photo of a toddler eating from a bowl with a spoon.
DSS handbook shows Aboriginal exclusion
When DSS published a handbook about payments and eligibility for the public, it highlighted Aboriginal peoples’ exclusion from government payments.
Thumbnail image of an excerpt of a table. There are 6 questions in the left hand column, and answers relevant to Queensland and Northern Territory are in the next columns. The text is roughly typed with some ink smudges and the paper is yellowed.
Leaflet shows different laws for Aboriginal people across states
A leaflet calling for Aboriginal affairs to become a federal government responsibility showed how state-based laws that governed Aboriginal people differed and led to inequality.
Cover of A Yinjilli Leaflet: Social Services for Aborigines by Shirley Andrews and Rodney Hall. Publishing information says the leaflet is published by the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement in 1963.
Advocates publish Yinjilli leaflet to help people understand entitlements 
With many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people missing out on payments, the Federal Council of Aboriginal Advancement wrote a leaflet to provide guidance about accessing payments.
A cover of a booklet called 'Citizens'. Redacted photos of the faces of an Aboriginal family, an adult man and woman and 3 children, are overlaid on a picture of a street in a city.
Booklet instructs people to assimilate to get government payments
Even though social security was a federal responsibility, the Western Australian Department of Native Welfare issued a booklet for Aboriginal people instructing them to access payments through state-based officers.
Dawn article Widow's Pension
Government provides information about payments to Aboriginal audiences
An article published by the Aborigines Welfare Board explained Widow Pension and Old-age Pension in simpler language than earlier government ads.
Unemployment and sickness benefits pamphlet cover page
State pamphlet tells Aboriginal people about payments
Due to a lack of DSS's presence in Western Australia, the state Department of Native Welfare published a pamphlet about payments Aboriginal people could get, reiterating earlier advice to apply through state-based officers.
Thumbnail image of an excerpt from New Dawn magazine, titled 'Aboriginal Secondary and Student Grants Schemes'.
Government introduces ABSTUDY and ABSEG
After introducing payments for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the government ran ads in magazines for Aboriginal audiences.
ABSTUDY poster with the title 'Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders: ABSTUDY can help you' and print of a bird in a Tiwi design style
ABSTUDY ads use Aboriginal artwork
To better reach Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander audiences, the government started using Aboriginal artwork on their advertisements.
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