'Aboriginal' redacted from birth, death, marriage certificates after being deemed an offensive term
By Rebecca Turner
Updated 22 minutes ago
Garry Smith sits on his lounge, holding documents which he claims have whitewashed his family history.
PHOTO: Garry Smith says his family's historical records have been whitewashed. (ABC News: Rebecca Turner)
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A West Australian bureaucrat has deemed the use of the term "Aboriginal" may be regarded as offensive and exercised a little-known power to redact it from birth, death and marriage certificates.
This means historians, native title claim groups and members of the public may be spending up to $49 to buy a document which may have historical detail like Aboriginality removed without their knowledge.
It has shocked historians, who were unaware of the practice and say Aboriginal is considered by most to be an inclusive term.
Aboriginal is a commonly-used term by governments around Australia, with several states — including WA — boasting ministers for Aboriginal affairs.
Emeritus professor of history at the University of Western Australia Jenny Gregory said she would write to the WA Attorney-General to request the practice be stopped.
Dr Gregory, who is also the president of the History Council of WA, said it was bizarre that the registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages was determining what people could know about their ancestors.
"Way back in the past people might have hidden their Aboriginality … it's now a source of pride for many people of Aboriginal descent today," she said.
"In my view, and I think most historians would agree with this, the registrar is tampering with history.
"He's making, if you like, fake histories."
Practice stirs up painful memories
Like many other local historians contacted by the ABC, Dr Gregory was unaware that the registrar has the legislative authority to issue a certificate without a term they regard could be offensive.
It was brought to the ABC's attention by two keen family historians, Perth man Garry Smith and his Queensland-based cousin, John Chandler.
About five years ago, Mr Smith were researching his history online and discovered documents about to his father's aunt and grandmother, which referred to them as "Aboriginal Jane" and "Kitty Aboriginal".
He visited the Registry of Births, Deaths and Marriages in Perth to buy copies of the certificates and was horrified to discover the word Aboriginal had been whited out.
Tattooed hands show the difference between the original birth certificate with the label Aboriginal and the redacted version.
PHOTO: Mr Smith points to the original birth certificate using the label Aboriginal (left) and the redacted version (right). (ABC News: Rebecca Turner)
He claims a staff member told him the term was offensive and had been removed.
Mr Smith, who does not consider the term Aboriginal offensive, was told he would have to fill out a statutory declaration to get a copy of the original document with the correct wording.
He said the experience made him feel sick, as if he should feel ashamed for being Aboriginal.
"If you're Aboriginal, it's offensive and deemed offensive — but the government calls us Aboriginals," he said.
For Mr Chandler, it was particularly painful to discover his identity in his middle-age and then have it removed by a bureaucrat.
He was brought up as "Spanish-Irish" because his gr