Australian Events

• Indigenous Australians gain the right to vote in federal elections.

"Despite what many regarded as the most democratic constitution in the world ... fear and loathing also figured prominently at the birth of the nation. The question of Aborigines and women is one example. Before Federation, women had the vote in WA and SA and Aborigines were prohibited from voting in WA and Queensland.
Because the new parliament could not deny the vote to those who already had the vote in any state, some Aborigines in the southern states could continue to take part in elections while their adult children were disenfranchised for life."
M Gordon, The Age, 9 May 2001.

† History of the Indigenous vote

• The Queensland Labor Party decides to affiliate with the national Democratic Labor Party.
• Air Minister Les Bury (Wentworth) is forced to resign after publicly expressing a less pessimistic view of Britain's proposed entry into the European Economic Community.
• April: Interstate direct dial between Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne allows callers to dial numbers without the assistance of an operator to make the connection. The last telegram transmitted by Morse Code was in December.
• November: The new Australian Ballet company's first performance is a wonderful success when it performs Swan Lake in Sydney.