Australia is no more racist than other countries, in fact racism is ILLEGAL here, however every individual has their own issues and some people hate others for their own reasons just like the US and the UK and everywhere else.
Some of you claim Aussies should just know what blackface is about, but then throw up stuff like treatment of the Aborigines when you know nothing about it.
Like the Native Americans, Aborigines were killed when settlers arrived. We are only a young nation, just over 200 years of colonisation. The land originally was owned by Aboriginies. Many mistakes were made, as they were whenever colonisation occurred anywhere in the world. At one stage children were taken from their families in the belief they were being "saved", watch the move "Rabbit proof fence" if you want a good cry and to learn of some of the horrors these people were put through. That being said, while there is a long way to go in helping the indiginous of this country, the goverments are trying. Communites have been built, alcohol has since been banned in some of these communites as it was the cause of so much violence and mis-use. Aborigines get help in housing, welfare, job assistance. So do the Northern Islanders. If you fill out a government form they always ask if you are Aboriginal or Islander, as more assistance will be given if you are. The Government recently said Sorry, long overdue yes, but the prior government didn't believe it was up to current day australia to say sorry for the mistakes of the past. Then there is the issue of land ownership, Aboriginies were given the opportunity to claim land they believed was sacred. No new developments could be built on this land.
Now this is just a little run down, i don't know the ins and outs off the top of my head. But i just wanted to point out that we are not a racist nation, although there are a lot of racists among us, a lot of those being recent immigrants who themselves bring their problems from home over to this country (we are all immigrants ultimately, my point being it is not only racism against immigrants but also immigrant against immigrant etc). There are white supremists like there is everywhere. But ultimately the typical Aussie is very attuned to the plight of the Aborignal people, the true owners of this land, little steps are being made but i wont be done overnight.
Please don't throw the treatment of aborigines at us everytime a race issue comes up. I'd rather you all laugh at how we are a bunch of convicts, that doesn't offend me, i'm proud of how we have developed given our rough start. I'm proud to be Australian, from an immigrant family, in a convict country, owned by the Aborigines.
We have a long way to go.....but doesn't everybody.