Essential Report
Statements about Indigenous Australian history and protests
Q. Below are some statements about the history of Indigenous Australians and the recent protests. To the best of your knowledge, do you believe each of the following to true or false?
TOTAL: True | TOTAL: False | Definitely true | Probably true | Probably false | Definitely false | Don’t know enough | |
Indigenous Australians were generally not allowed to vote in Australia until the 1960s | 67% | 13% | 36% | 31% | 9% | 4% | 20% |
In the 19th and early 20th century, thousands of Indigenous Australians and people from the Pacific Islands were forced to work in Australia in conditions that amounted to slavery | 58% | 19% | 28% | 30% | 13% | 6% | 23% |
Indigenous Australians are much more likely to be stopped by police than the average Australians, regardless of whether or not they have done anything wrong | 55% | 29% | 21% | 34% | 18% | 11% | 16% |
Many of the new cases of Covid-19 in Victoria have been from people who attended the Black Lives Matter protest | 42% | 37% | 14% | 28% | 20% | 18% | 20% |
TOTAL: True | Total | Gender | Age Group | Federal Voting Intention | ||||||
Male | Female | 18-34 | 35-54 | 55+ | Labor | Coalition | Greens | TOTAL: Other | ||
Indigenous Australians were generally not allowed to vote in Australia until the 1960s | 67% | 69% | 66% | 62% | 63% | 76% | 70% | 68% | 79% | 63% |
In the 19th and early 20th century, thousands of Indigenous Australians and people from the Pacific Islands were forced to work in Australia in conditions that amounted to slavery | 58% | 59% | 56% | 59% | 56% | 58% | 62% | 55% | 76% | 54% |
Indigenous Australians are much more likely to be stopped by police than the average Australians, regardless of whether or not they have done anything wrong | 55% | 56% | 53% | 57% | 55% | 53% | 61% | 48% | 76% | 56% |
Many of the new cases of Covid-19 in Victoria have been from people who attended the Black Lives Matter protest | 42% | 46% | 39% | 45% | 41% | 41% | 38% | 52% | 22% | 44% |
Base (n) | 1,085 | 533 | 552 | 335 | 374 | 376 | 339 | 417 | 92 | 126 |
TOTAL: True | State | Education | ||||||
NSW | VIC | QLD | SA | WA | Secondary Education | Professional Qualification | University Education | |
Indigenous Australians were generally not allowed to vote in Australia until the 1960s | 67% | 68% | 65% | 72% | 64% | 69% | 66% | 68% |
In the 19th and early 20th century, thousands of Indigenous Australians and people from the Pacific Islands were forced to work in Australia in conditions that amounted to slavery | 58% | 59% | 62% | 62% | 47% | 54% | 55% | 63% |
Indigenous Australians are much more likely to be stopped by police than the average Australians, regardless of whether or not they have done anything wrong | 56% | 59% | 48% | 53% | 48% | 50% | 52% | 61% |
Many of the new cases of Covid-19 in Victoria have been from people who attended the Black Lives Matter protest | 43% | 41% | 49% | 40% | 34% | 42% | 46% | 40% |
Base (n) | 352 | 275 | 218 | 88 | 109 | 258 | 378 | 428 |
- 42% of participants say it’s true (definitely or probably) that many of the new cases of Covid-19 in Victoria have been from people who attended the Black Lives Matter protest and 67% believe it’s true that Indigenous Australians were generally not allowed to vote in Australia until the 1960s.
- Over half of participants believe that in the 19th and early 20th century, thousands of Indigenous Australians and people from the Pacific Islands were forced to work in Australia in conditions that amounted to slavery (58%) or Indigenous Australians are much more likely to be stopped by police than the average Australians, regardless of whether or not they have done anything wrong (55%) is true.
- Men (46%), Coalition voters (52%) and high income earners (50%) are more likely to say that many of the new cases of Covid-19 in Victoria have been from people who attended the Black Lives Matter protest is true than women (39%), all other voters (37%) and high income earners (50%).

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