On Sunday 26 March 2023, South Australia became the first state in Australia to have a First Nations Voice to Parliament.
A Special Parliamentary Sitting and State Ceremony was held on Sunday 26 March 2023 to acknowledge the First Nations Voice Bill 2023.
In a historic moment for South Australia, the First Nations Voice Bill 2023 passed Parliament and was assented to by Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, Governor of South Australia in a special meeting of Executive Council on the steps of Parliament House, cementing South Australia’s place in history as the first jurisdiction in Australia to pass legislation to implement First Nations Voice to Parliament.
Despite the wet weather, approximately 5,000 people gathered along North Terrace to honour the moment and show support for South Australia’s First Nations people.
The state government has committed to implementing the Uluru Statement from the Heart at a state level, starting with the First Nations Voice to the South Australian Parliament. Following state-wide community engagement with First Nations people and communities, the First Nations Voice Bill 2023 was introduced to Parliament on Thursday 9 February 2023. It proposes a connected, direct and independent line of communication for First Nations people to South Australia's Parliament and the government, to allow important, shared communication by locally elected regional members.
The ceremony was live-streamed for those unable to attend.