The Australian Academy of Science supports the recognition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in the Australian Constitution.
The Academy recognises that this continent was falsely declared terra nullius, or nobody’s land, to legitimise British settlement, and this was corrected only in 1992 when the High Court of Australia recognised the continuous connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to the land.
The Academy observes that the adoption of terra nullius was profoundly detrimental to generations of Indigenous peoples.
The Academy, therefore, supports the establishment in the Constitution of a Voice to Parliament and to Executive Government – enshrined to provide Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with an enduring means to influence policies that specifically relate to them and is safe from political whim.
The Academy will work with our Fellows and the science community to promote and facilitate evidence-informed conversation on the Voice and Traditional Knowledges.
This statement was approved by the Academy’s Council on 22 June 2023.
