By Luke Kenton, Services Australia
Services Australia’s Reflection website went live during National Reconciliation Week 2023. Reflection shows a detailed history of how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people fought to be included in social services from 1947 to 1997.
The site contains around 100 artefacts including autobiographical accounts, letters from activists, old staff training videos, and records of past policies and laws.
For more than 2 years, Genevieve from Services Australia’s Enterprise Strategy Division has been working hard to bring the site to life.
“Reflection sheds light on how First Nations peoples have advocated for themselves, their families and their communities” Genevieve said. “It’s an opportunity for the agency to look back on its own history, including times that may be shameful or upsetting. The intention of the site – and what the audience is invited to do – is to meaningfully reflect on our shared history.” “A powerful theme is how consistently Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have advocated for their rights,” Genevieve said. “Some of the earliest sources we’ve included are Aboriginal activists protesting racial discrimination in social services legislation.”
Discrimination in policy
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people encountered many exclusionary policies when trying to get government payments. Racial discrimination was inscribed in social services law in 1947.
An example of the affect this had on First Nations people was shared by Ngarrindjeri woman Doreen Kartinyeri in her memoir. Kartinyeri recalls discrimination her family members faced in the 1940s and 1950s, when access to child endowment payments was based on the colour of a child’s skin.
Even after the social services Act was amended in 1959, many Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were still excluded from accessing payments. Following these changes to the law, Nanatadjarra man Walaru applied for the Old-age Pension. Without official government documents to prove his age, Walaru was unable to prove his eligibility.
Further discrimination occurred as people in remote areas were expected to travel far away from their homes on Country to access Unemployment Benefit, effectively excluding them from this payment.
Impacts of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff
Reflection also highlights artefacts which show the significant contributions made by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public servants to improve access and inclusion.
The influential Miller Report published in 1985 was led by Michael (Mick) Miller, a Waanyi, KuKuYalanji and Bwgcolman man. This report advocated for policy approaches which would better support self-determination across social services, education, and employment.
On the ground, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander public servants, including Aboriginal Liaison Officers like Andrew Thomas, Joe Flick and Sharon Blaney, worked hard to ensure communities were able to access government payments and services.
Looking forward
Decades on, Services Australia’s policies and processes have become more respectful and inclusive, but there is still work to do.
Staff member and Tiwi woman Jessica worked on Wurrumiyanga Country for over 10 years, and now works as a Trip Leader in the Remote Servicing Team in the Tiwi Islands and West Arnhem region.
Jessica has seen firsthand some of the improvements to service delivery, and some of the challenges.
“I think the agency has recognised that one box doesn’t fit all,” Jessica said. “We’ve shifted in the way we assess claims to help disadvantaged customers meet criteria to receive their payments.”
To continue improving and progressing towards inclusive policy delivery, it is important we take the time to look back.
“There’s lots to be gained from learning about our past as public servants” Genevieve said. “Understanding how social services policy and delivery has been developed and challenged over time grants us clearer insight into the impact of the work we do every day. It allows us to better serve people, and do so in an inclusive and compassionate way.”