The way I understand it, Aboriginal people were not counted into the regular census numbers and the referendum decisively changed that, as well as excluding some discriminatory wording from the constitution. There was plenty of discrimination of the native people before this and lot of it legally sanctioned, but how come what seems like a completely made-up law/legal definition seems to be so persistently thought of as a fact?
The referenda questions aspect is the easiest to answer. Any reading on the topic always throws up the fact that Aborigines gained citizenship, the right to vote etc as a result of the referenda. None of this is correct. The two questions asked sought approval for the Bureau of Statistics to count the Aborigines in the census. Not really of that much importance. The second question was a silent game changer as it gave the Commonwealth Gov't the power to legislate on matters pertaining to Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Up until this time ALL matters pertaining to the administration and welfare of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders were the exclusive business of each state, which was protected by the constitution. This amendment meant that the Commonwealth could create a Ministry for Aboriginal Affairs and enact NATIONAL legislation for the betterment of their lifestyle. It did not take long for changes to be made on a national basis and I believe the average Australian had NO idea that each state managed their affairs separately.