Australian Referendums Quiz
A free social sciences worksheet ready for your classroom. Open in Kuraplan to grab the print-ready PDF, customize it for your students, or generate a fresh version in seconds.
Australian Referendums Quiz
The rules and the record
A referendum is a vote by eligible electors on a proposed change to the Australian Constitution. Under section 128, a proposed change must first pass each House of the Commonwealth Parliament, or in certain circumstances pass one House twice. It is then put to electors. To succeed, it needs a double majority: a national majority of votes counted and a majority of voters in at least four of the six states. Votes in the territories count towards the national total, but not the state majority. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) administers federal elections and referendums.
Year
Proposal
Outcome
1967
Amend provisions concerning Aboriginal people, including removing the exclusion of Aboriginal people from the population reckoning in section 127 and changing section 51(xxvi).
Passed; about 90.8% voted Yes nationally, and all six states recorded Yes majorities.
1999
Replace the monarchy with a republic and establish a preamble to the Constitution.
Both proposals failed to gain the required double majority.
- Section 51
- Section 128
- Section 109
- Section 116
The 1967 referendum: what changed?
The successful 1967 referendum changed two constitutional provisions. It removed section 127, which had excluded Aboriginal people from being counted in reckoning the population. It also changed section 51(xxvi), removing words that prevented the Commonwealth Parliament from making laws for Aboriginal people. This gave the Commonwealth power to make such laws; it did not itself create a specific national law, automatically grant land rights, or newly give Aboriginal people the right to vote. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people had voting rights before 1967, although restrictions and discriminatory practices had affected access. The referendum is widely remembered as a landmark, while its legal effects should be described precisely.
- Section 127 was removed, and section 51(xxvi) was changed.
- A national land-rights law was inserted, and voting rights were first granted.
- The Senate was abolished, and section 128 was removed.
- State parliaments were given power to conduct federal referendums.
Evaluate the process
Constitutional referendums require both parliamentary support and public approval. This gives voters a direct role in deciding whether the country's foundational legal document should change. At the same time, the double majority means a proposal can win nationally but still fail if it does not receive enough support across the states.
- High Court of Australia
- Australian Electoral Commission
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Commonwealth Parliament Library
3 printable pages
Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
About This Worksheet
Free in Kuraplan
Sign up free, grab the PDF, and customize it for your class.
Print-Ready
Formatted for standard paper. Clean layout, easy to read.
AI-Generated
Created with Kuraplan's AI, designed for real classroom use.
For Teachers & Parents
Use in classrooms, for homework, tutoring, or homeschool.
Need a custom version of this worksheet?
Kuraplan's AI generates custom worksheets in seconds — differentiated for every learner, aligned to your curriculum.
Generate Custom Worksheets — FreeMore Social Sciences Worksheets
Community Project Planning
Free
Australian Law Reform Fact Sheets
Free
Human Rights Debate Rubric
Free
Australian Referendums Constitutional Process
Free
Media and Law Reform
Free
Australian Constitution Fundamentals
Free
Commonwealth Constitution Overview
Free