Total Australian government expenditure (federal, state, and territory combined) on services for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people was estimated at $33.4 billion in 2015-16, the latest year for which the comprehensive Indigenous Expenditure Report (IER) data is available. This equates to approximately $44,886 per person at that time, which was around twice the per person rate for non-Indigenous Australians.
Aboriginal Affairs NSW offers regular grants to support Aboriginal people and communities to thrive.
The WA Stolen Generations Redress Scheme is available to Aboriginal people who were removed from their families as children in Western Australia before 1 July 1972. Eligible applicants will receive a payment of $85,000, and, if they wish, a personal acknowledgement.
The $20 million paid for the Aboriginal flag's copyright went to Luritja artist Harold Thomas, the flag's designer, and the license holders, with the Australian Federal Government acquiring the rights in 2022 to make the flag freely available for public use, ending long-standing disputes and licensing issues. The deal also included funding for an Indigenous student scholarship and directing royalties to NAIDOC.
This visualisation shows the median weekly equivalised household income for First Nations households in 2021 Australian dollars by state/territory for 2016 and 2021. For First Nations households, Australia: $830 in 2021 and $701 in 2016.
The Stolen Generations Reparations Scheme provided ex-gratia payments to Stolen Generations survivors. The reparations aimed to acknowledge historical injustices faced by Stolen Generations survivors. The amount provided to each recipient was $75,000.
Aboriginal people buying their own home can access government incentives for home buyers that reduce the time it takes to save enough to enter the housing market or that remove some of the costs that can be a barrier to becoming home owners.
More than 50 years after the flag was designed, the federal government has acquired the copyright in a $20 million deal with Luritja artist Harold Thomas.
Others enlisted for the same reasons as non-indigenous Australians such as to see the world while receiving good pay (the pay was the same for Indigenous and non-indigenous soldiers).
Gwoya Tjungurrayi is a figure whose legacy reaches far beyond his life in the Australian Outback. Born around 1895 in the Tanami Desert, Tjungurrayi was a Warlpiri-Anmatyerre man who became an enduring symbol of Indigenous Australian culture, most notably immortalised on the Australian $2 coin.
The annual Indigenous budget has almost tripled from 2015 to 2025, growing (in nominal dollars) from roughly $11 billion to more than $32 billion.
Yes, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Australia are eligible for significant free or subsidised healthcare, primarily through the Medicare system, including free annual health checks (715 checks), support for chronic conditions, mental health services, and cheaper medicines under the Closing the Gap (CTG) program, helping address health disparities. These programs provide access to tailored care, early detection, preventative services, and essential medications.
The standard three-part test for Aboriginality in Australia requires a person to meet three criteria: descent (biological ancestry), self-identification (identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander), and community acceptance (being recognized as such by their Indigenous community). This definition, adopted by the Commonwealth government, is used for many government programs and services, although the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) uses a simpler two-part test (descent and self-identification) for general data collection.
No, standard Centrelink payments (like JobSeeker, Age Pension, etc.) are the same for Aboriginal and non-Indigenous Australians with identical circumstances, but Indigenous Australians have access to specific, targeted programs and extra support, like enhanced child care subsidies and dedicated services, that can provide additional financial or service benefits.
The $4,000 Centrelink payment isn't a direct cash payment but a one-time boost to the Work Bonus income bank for eligible pensioners (Age Pension, Disability Support Pension, Carer Payment) over Age Pension age, starting January 1, 2024, with an increased maximum balance of $11,800, allowing them to earn more without reducing their pension. You get this $4,000 starting credit automatically if you're a new claimant or haven't received a previous $4,000 boost, effectively giving you a $4,000 buffer to earn income before Centrelink reduces your pension.
For Centrelink payments and services, you can call our multilingual phone service. To get Age Pension you must be all of the following: 67 years or older. under the income and assets test limits.
Grants and funding
According to Business News, royalties handed out to Aboriginal groups in WA totalled about $370 million in 2023, which was up by $50 million compared to the previous financial year.
Yes, $130k is a very good salary in Australia, placing you well above the median income and in the top earnings bracket, but whether it's "comfortable" depends heavily on your location (high-cost cities like Sydney/Melbourne vs. regional areas) and lifestyle, as high rents can still strain finances, though it generally allows for a solid middle-class life with budgeting.
The Australian government has bought the Aboriginal flag's copyright in a bid to "free" the symbol of identity from bitter fights over who can use it. Indigenous artist Harold Thomas created the flag in 1971 as a protest image but it is now the dominant Aboriginal emblem and an official national flag.
Valuable Australian stamps often have unique errors (like the famous Inverted Swan), come from the pre-Federation colonies (NSW, WA), feature early monarchs (George V KGV), or are rare commemoratives (Kookaburra, Kingsford Smith), with top examples fetching thousands or even hundreds of thousands for unique errors, while common stamps from the 1930s-50s can still be worth a decent amount to collectors.
According to the most recent archaeological evidence, Aboriginal peoples have been living on this land for at least 65,000 years, confirming what Aboriginal people have always known, that they are the world's oldest continuous living culture. Ancient History.
Through the Indigenous Home Ownership Program (IHOP), IBA offers concessional home loans to First Nations people who cannot access mainstream lending. IHOP loans have: low introductory interest rates. low deposit requirements.
As at 30 June 2024, 4,314,744 square kilometres of the land mass of Australia and 113,517 square kilometres of the sea country of Australia were subject to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people's rights or interests (figure CtG15. 1).
Indigenous people's unique rights help ensure that their culture continues to exist into the future. This includes their rights to speak and teach their native language and customs, to live on the land of their ancestors, and to look after sacred sites.