Thread by @DrDemography

.@australian published a piece calling for facts in commentary of the Voice to parliament, but the article itself stated a gross falsehood: '...claim that Indigenous people were not counted in the census until 1967 is simply not true'. Blainey's assertion is wrong, evidence shows

Anyone who knows census - history, data, politics - will tell you just how wrong Blainey's claims are that First Nations Australians were included in population censuses before 1971, and that data for Indigenous peoples was 'precise'.

Blainey, with great hypocrisy, suggests Australians are being lied to by the nation's prime minister and minister for Indigenous Australians. To suggest censuses included First Australians prior to the 1971 national enumeration (first post 1967 referendum) defies all evidence.

Australia has no 'precise' population statistics for First Nations Australians prior to 1971. Additionally, births of Indigenous persons weren't even included in national data until 1966. @LindaBurneyMP's claims of being missing in national data is correct, on numerous fronts.

Imagine having your humanity overlooked so much so that not even your birth is added to national figures? Can't? That's privilege. When it comes to data: what we count matters, because what matters is counted. Census (& other data) has deliberately excluded Indigenous peoples.

Little is known about First Nations populations in Australia prior to or post colonisation before 1971. What is known is through the use of estimation research, such as backcasting. Such research convincingly shows the adverse consequences of colonisation. https://t.co/tdiE7TGa7oresearchgate.net/publication/27…

Early population counts were through musters, from 1795-1825. These musters comprised communities coming together (at a specific time and place) to be counted. Prior to this, population counts were conducted from around 1788. Indigenous people excluded. .abs.gov.au/census/about-c…

The first colonial census was held in 1828 in NSW, and other jurisdictions followed. In 1881, censuses were simultaneous held across the nation. It wasn't until 1911, that the first national census was held. First Nations peoples were excluded. .abs.gov.au/census/about-c…

Early Indigenous-specific population counts were what we now refer to as administrative by-products, collected in the course of providing a service. Blanket lists began in 1814, and were constructed via the provision of a blanket by magistrates and police. www2.sl.nsw.gov.au/archive/discov…

'Governor Macquarie initiated...distribution of blankets to Aboriginal people. He hoped the adoption of blankets would encourage civilised habits & cooperation with the settlers...blankets were usually distributed by magistrates or police annually on...the Queen's Birthday.'

Population counts of Aboriginal people was initially about understanding and accounting for expenditure. This was not census and instead a parallel system of control. www2.sl.nsw.gov.au/archive/discov…

From the @ABSStats: from the first national census in 1911 to 1970, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples were excluded from the national statistics.

Attorney general defined 'aboriginal native' based on blood quantum of 50%+. This was used to exclude Aboriginal people from census data. In theory Aboriginal people could be enumerated, but not included in data. Many Indigenous people, esp in remote areas weren't included.

Not until after the 1967 referendum did the @ABSStats realise the census wasn't actually counting Aboriginal people. https://t.co/c2sXEIAcMVausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/subsc…

'Prior to the 1967 referendum, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people were not counted towards Australia’s population, with estimates of Aboriginal people made by authorities responsible for native welfare.' . https://t.co/H7mVUujpR2abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs%4…

First Nations peoples have experienced a long history of discrimination in life and in data. The 1967 referendum helped redress data discrimination. https://t.co/s1mlmJGvvgabs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.…

@mansillo @australian Suggesting Aboriginal people were included in census since 1911 is wrong

https://twitter.com/DrDemography/status/1675417642986012672?s=20

Only after the 1967 referendum were First Nations people asked their Indigenous status to be INCLUDED rather than EXCLUDED from official population information . https://t.co/WP1R5XVEUwabs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.…

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people weren’t recognised as part of the Australian population, prior to 1967 and the subsequent 1971 census. aiatsis.gov.au/explore/1967-r…

‘counting of 'full-bloods' was not a prime purpose of the Census, remote areas of Australia which were completely uninhabited by non-Aboriginal people were not enumerated...Thus, the quality of early Aboriginal counts is questionable.’ https://t.co/rwmKKuJlBcausstats.abs.gov.au/ausstats/free.…