1977 Australian referendum (Referendums)

The 1977 Australian referendum comprised four separate proposals put to Australian voters on 21 May 1977. Three of the four proposals were approved, altering the Australian Constitution.

The first proposal, and the only one rejected, related to Senate casual vacancies. It sought to ensure that a replacement Senator, chosen by the state parliament to fill a vacancy, would be from the same political party as the vacating Senator. This aimed to prevent the situation where a state government could unilaterally alter the composition of the Senate by appointing a member of a different party. The proposal failed to achieve a majority in a majority of states, although it did achieve a national majority of votes.

The second successful proposal allowed residents of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and the Northern Territory (NT) to vote in future constitutional referendums. Previously, only residents of the six states were eligible to vote on constitutional amendments.

The third successful proposal concerned the retirement age for High Court judges. It set a mandatory retirement age of 70 for justices of the High Court, aiming to ensure judicial renewal and prevent long tenures.

The fourth successful proposal allowed the Commonwealth to make arrangements with the states for the interchange of powers. This aimed to improve efficiency and flexibility in governance by enabling the Commonwealth and the states to transfer responsibilities to each other where appropriate.