Ernie Bridge was the first Indigenous Australian to become a minister in a government. Neville Bonner was the first Indigenous man to become a member of the Federal Parliament, when he was appointed to fill a casual Senate vacancy in 1971.
Ernie Bridge's achievement marked a significant step forward for Indigenous Australians in government, while Neville Bonner's election to the Federal Parliament in 1971 demonstrated the growing representation of Indigenous Australians in national politics.