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Racism in Australia has been a prevalent issue since British colonisation. While the country has implemented anti-discrimination laws such as the Racial Discrimination Act, black people in Australia continue to face discrimination and abuse. This discrimination takes many forms, including systemic racism, institutional racism, societal racism, and individual/interpersonal racism. A survey conducted by ABC found that 76% of Australians from non-European backgrounds have experienced racial discrimination based on their ethnicity. Furthermore, 43% of non-white Australian employees commonly experience racism at work, and black Africans in Australia are associated with a lack of civilisation, disease, dirt, war, and poverty. UN experts have expressed concern over the racial profiling, racial slurs, abuse of authority, over-policing, targeting, and violence faced by people of African descent in Australia. The mental health of individuals facing such discrimination is a growing concern, with research showing links between racism and adverse mental and physical health impacts.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| History of racism in Australia | Racism has existed in Australia since British colonisation. |
| Racial discrimination in Australia | African Australians, Indigenous Australians, Asian Australians, and people of various other ethnicities have faced racial discrimination in Australia. |
| Forms of racial discrimination | Discrimination can occur in employment, education, accessing services, renting or buying property, and entering public places. |
| Australian laws against racial discrimination | The Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) makes it unlawful to discriminate based on race, colour, or origin. The RDA also makes racial hatred unlawful. |
| Australian efforts to address racism | Australia has a Race Discrimination Commissioner who works with various stakeholders to promote cultural understanding and combat racism. Campaigns such as "Racism. It Stops With Me" aim to raise awareness and create change. |
| Impact of racism on well-being | Racism can negatively impact the social and emotional well-being of individuals, as evidenced by campaigns and studies highlighting the issue. |
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What You'll Learn
The Australian Human Rights Commission's role in addressing racial discrimination
Australia has a long history of official and unofficial racism towards Black people, reflected in the White Australia policy, which was in effect from 1901 until the 1970s and prohibited the immigration of Black Africans and other non-White groups. This history has resulted in the continued existence of negative stereotypes and racist attitudes towards Black people in Australia.
The Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) plays a crucial role in addressing racial discrimination in the country. It is an independent third party that investigates complaints of discrimination and human rights breaches. The AHRC also has the power to investigate and attempt to conciliate complaints of unlawful discrimination under Australia's anti-discrimination legislation. The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (RDA) is a key legal tool used by the AHRC to address racial discrimination. The RDA makes it unlawful to discriminate against someone based on their race, colour, country of birth, ethnic origin, or skin colour. It covers various areas of public life, including employment, education, accessing services, renting or buying property, and accessing public places.
The Race Discrimination Commissioner, a part of the AHRC, works with governments, businesses, community partners, education providers, media, and workplaces to foster understanding of rights and legal responsibilities. The Commissioner's projects include the "Racism. It Stops With Me" campaign, which provides tools and resources to help people and organizations recognize racism and take action. The AHRC also developed a National Anti-Racism Framework to guide actions on anti-racism by various stakeholders, including the government, NGOs, businesses, educators, health professionals, police, and civil society.
The RDA includes some exceptions where discrimination based on race or ethnicity is permitted in limited circumstances. These exceptions are more restricted than those in other anti-discrimination laws and primarily involve special measures aimed at fostering greater racial equality. For example, rental assistance provided to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander tertiary students through the Aboriginal Study Grant Scheme (ABSTUDY) is a form of special measure to increase their participation in tertiary education.
Individuals who believe they have been victims of racial discrimination can lodge a complaint with the AHRC. It is against the law for employers or any other party to victimize someone for making or proposing to make such a complaint. Employers have a legal responsibility to take reasonable steps to prevent racial discrimination, which may include implementing anti-discrimination policies and procedures and addressing allegations of discrimination and harassment.
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The Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) and its protections
Australia has a long history of official and unofficial racism towards Black people, reflected in the White Australia policy, in effect from 1901 until the 1970s, which prohibited the immigration of Black people. Racism against various ethnic or minority groups has existed in Australia since British colonisation. Indigenous Australians have faced severe restrictions on their political, social, and economic freedoms, and suffered genocide, forced removals, and massacres, and continue to face discrimination.
The Racial Discrimination Act (RDA) of 1975 was passed with the aim of ensuring that everyone in Australia was treated equally and given the same opportunities, regardless of their background. The Act was last updated in 1995 after three major national inquiries found a strong link between racist conduct in public and racially motivated violence.
The RDA makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person because of their race, colour, descent, national origin or ethnic origin, or immigrant status. It protects people from racial discrimination in many areas of public life, including employment, education, getting or using services, renting or buying a house, and accessing public places.
The RDA also makes racial hatred unlawful and protects people from being treated unfairly because of their association with a person of a particular race, colour, or national or ethnic origin. It is also against the law to victimise a person for making, or proposing to make, a complaint about racial discrimination or racial hatred.
The Race Discrimination Commissioner works with governments, businesses, community partners, education providers, the media, and workplaces to help individuals and organisations understand their rights and meet their legal responsibilities.
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Racism against Indigenous Australians
Racism in Australia is not limited to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, but they have a unique experience of racism as the continent's First Peoples, who continue to endure the legacies of colonisation. Since the European invasion in 1788, race and racism have been foundational to the logic of Australian settler colonialism and the processes by which the lands that are now called Australia were stolen and settled.
Indigenous Australians have faced severe restrictions on their political, social, and economic freedoms, and have suffered genocide, forced removals, and massacres, and they continue to face discrimination. The Australian Reconciliation Barometer reported a significant jump in racism experienced by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, from 39% in 2014 to 54% in 2024. Younger First Nations people reported experiencing higher levels of racism than other age groups. A study of young people in the ACT found that 11 out of 12 young people who identified as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander had experienced racism.
The intergenerational trauma of colonisation continues to disadvantage First Nations communities. Systemic racism infringes on their basic human rights, such as health, education, and justice. In healthcare, First Nations patients often face racism and prejudice from providers, resulting in inadequate care and a distrust of the system.
Race Discrimination Commissioner Giridharan Sivaraman said:
> "Systemic racism, in law, policies and service delivery, has serious and ongoing consequences, including poor mental and physical health, economic disadvantage, over-incarceration and social exclusion."
Governments must recognise systemic racism and its devastating impacts on Australia’s First Nations peoples and take urgent action to address it.
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Negative stereotypes and perceptions of African Australians
Racism in Australia has been reflected in discriminatory laws, practices, and actions (including violence) at various times in the country's history against racial or ethnic groups. Racism against various ethnic or minority groups has existed in Australia since British colonisation. European, African, Asian, Pacific Islander, Middle Eastern, Latin American, and North American Australians have also been the victims of discrimination and harassment.
African Australians suffer a high degree of racial discrimination, with the 2018 Australian Human Rights Commission report stating that "the five groups that experienced the highest level of racial discrimination were those born in South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Ethiopia, and those who identified as Indigenous." Australia has a long history of official and unofficial racism toward Black Africans, reflected in the White Australia policy, in effect from 1901 until the 1970s, which prohibited the immigration of Black Africans and other non-White groups.
Despite Australia becoming more ethnically diverse following the end of this policy, negative stereotypes around Black Africans remained prominent in Australian culture. Modern African Australians are culturally and socially diverse, but Australian society typically views them as a homogeneous group, set in opposition to its constructions of whiteness. In Australia, "Africanness" is associated with a lack of civilisation, disease, dirt, war, and poverty. These perceptions are rooted in a social context of racist and discriminatory assumptions about Black people.
A strong negative association between Africanness and criminality exists in Australian culture, which is reflected in the media's portrayal of events. For example, a ban on Sudanese students congregating in groups of more than three in Melbourne schools was implemented out of fear that they might seem threatening. International Studies scholar Mandisi Majavu identifies a tendency to identify African Australian men as "towering seven feet 'brutes'" associated with "backwardness, primitiveness, danger, and crime."
Surveys have shown that 44% of Australians hold an anti-African sentiment. The 2016 Challenging Racism Project found that negative attitudes toward Black people were common in Australia, with 21% of respondents feeling that African refugees increased crime in the country, and 16.1% stating they felt "very negative or somewhat negative" toward African Australians. These attitudes reflect implicit biases widespread in Australia that can lead to unconscious discrimination.
To combat racism, Australia has implemented the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (RDA), which makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on their race, colour, or origin. The RDA protects people from racial discrimination in various areas of public life, including employment, education, accessing services, renting or buying property, and public places. It also makes racial hatred unlawful. The Race Discrimination Commissioner works with governments, businesses, community partners, education providers, the media, and workplaces to promote understanding of rights and legal responsibilities regarding racism.
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The history of racism in Australia
Racism in Australia comprises negative attitudes and views on race or ethnicity, which have been reflected in discriminatory laws, practices, and actions (including violence) at various times in the country's history against racial or ethnic groups. Racism against various ethnic or minority groups has existed in Australia since British colonisation.
During the early British colonisation of Australia, attitudes towards race and ethnicity mirrored those in the British Isles. The ethnic composition of the early colonists was primarily made up of people from the British Isles (English, Irish, Scottish, and Welsh), but there were also small numbers of Jewish and black African convicts. Sectarianism, particularly anti-Irish Catholic sentiment, was prevalent and reflected in the laws of the time. Irish enthusiasts in Australia were subjected to surveillance and were denied the public practice of their religion.
Following the establishment of autonomous parliaments, the rise of nationalism, and improvements in transportation, the Australian colonies voted to unite as a Federation in 1901. The resulting legislation restricted non-European immigration to Australia, giving rise to the White Australia policy, which remained in effect until the 1970s. This policy prohibited the immigration of black Africans and other non-White groups, and discussions around its implementation explicitly mentioned the presence of small numbers of African-Australians, African-Americans, and African-Canadians in the country.
Despite the end of the White Australia policy and an increase in ethnic diversity, negative stereotypes and racist attitudes towards black Africans persisted in Australian culture. Modern African-Australians are culturally and socially diverse, but they are often viewed by Australian society as a homogenous group in opposition to constructions of whiteness. "Africanness" in Australia is associated with negative perceptions of a lack of civilisation, disease, dirt, war, and poverty. These perceptions are rooted in racist and discriminatory assumptions about black people, and they shape the interactions that black African Australians have with the majority society.
Indigenous Australians have faced severe restrictions on their political, social, and economic freedoms throughout history, suffering genocide, forced removals, and massacres. They continue to experience discrimination and are underrepresented in various sectors, including Australian sports. Additionally, other ethnic groups such as Europeans, Asians, Pacific Islanders, Middle Eastern, Latin Americans, North Americans, Jews, Italians, and the Irish have also faced discrimination and harassment in Australia.
Efforts to address racism in Australia have included the enactment of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (RDA), which makes it unlawful to discriminate based on race, colour, and origin in various areas of public life, including employment, education, and housing. The Race Discrimination Commissioner works with various sectors to promote understanding of rights and legal responsibilities regarding racism. Campaigns such as "Racism. It Stops With Me" aim to provide tools and resources to create change, and initiatives like the National Anti-Racism Framework guide actions for government, NGOs, businesses, and other sectors to combat racism.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Black people face discrimination in Australia. African Australians suffer a high degree of racial discrimination, and the country has a long history of official and unofficial racism towards Black people.
Discrimination faced by Black people in Australia includes unfair treatment and negative stereotypes. "Africanness" is associated with a lack of civilisation, disease, dirt, war and poverty, and there is a strong negative association between Africanness and criminality.
The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 (RDA) makes it unlawful to discriminate against a person based on their race, colour, country of birth, ethnic origin, or skin colour. The RDA protects people from racial discrimination in various areas of public life, including employment, education, and accessing public places.
Yes, the Australian Human Rights Commission works to address racial discrimination and has developed a National Anti-Racism Framework. Australia's Race Discrimination Commissioner also works with governments, businesses, and community partners to help individuals and organisations understand their rights and meet their legal responsibilities.
Racial discrimination is a widespread problem in Australia, with 76% of Australians from a non-European background experiencing racial discrimination based on their ethnicity. Indigenous Australians also face high rates of racial discrimination, with 52% experiencing an incident of racial prejudice in 2020.
