Gibraltar 1967 Referendum by Gibraltar Rock Tours
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1967 Referendum by Gibraltar Rock Tours#Gibraltar Tours#Gibraltar Rock Tours#Places to visit in Gibraltar #things to do in Gibraltar#Tours in Gibraltar #What to do in Gibraltar#Private Tours of Gibraltar #Barbary Apes#Gibraltar Apes#Quirky fact about Gibraltar#Gibraltar facts#Love Gibraltar#Day trips toGibraltar#Gibraltar Referendum#Gibraltar 1967 ReferendumThe 10th September every year is a very special day in thelives of Gibraltarians and it’s all because of the 1967Referendum which was held on that date.The !rst o”cial event to mark the 50th anniversary of the1967 Referendum is an exhibition which was opened by theDeputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia on Wednesday 14June. Fifty years to the very day on which the holding of theReferendum was o”cially announced by the UKGovernment in the House of Commons.The exhibition, which runs until 7th July 2017, includes over150 photographs and over 100 press cuttings spread overthree rooms. There are also relevant murals, banners andother memorabilia.One of the rooms contains a replica polling and countingstation and local visitors to the exhibition are able to casttheir vote on replica mock ballot papers on production oftheir identity cards. The options in 1967 and on the mockballot are identical.The options were as follows:“Option A: To pass under Spanish sovereignty in accordancewith the terms proposed by the Spanish Government to HerMajesty’s Government on 18th May 1966; orOption B: Voluntarily retain their link with Britain, withdemocratic local institutions and with Britain retaining itspresent responsibilities.”
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There are also two large screens with rolling displays ofhistorical news footage of the time, including reports on theReferendum from Pathe News, ITV news and footagesupplied by members of the public.Referendum commemorative @ags and pins are also beingsold by the Heritage Trust and a lovely touch is that all theproceeds will go to charity.The Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Joseph Garcia, said: “TheReferendum was an important landmark in our political andhistorical evolution as a people. The United KingdomGovernment had determined that the people of Gibraltarhad come of age and could be entrusted with the decisionon what the future sovereignty of Gibraltar should be vis-a-vis UK or Spain. It is important to bear in mind that Gibraltarwas British by conquest in 1704 and by formal cessionunder a Treaty in 1713. The Referendum of 10 September1967 added to that. Gibraltar was British after that datebecause it was the will of Gibraltarians that this should bethe case.We should also recall the tense political background againstwhich that choice was made. This included continuousharassment and restrictions imposed by General Franco’sregime against Gibraltar both at the land frontier andinternationally at the United Nations. The result of theReferendum had immediate consequences too. It led to anew Constitution and to the closure of the land frontier. Thisis a story that younger generations should know about sovisits by schoolchildren to the exhibition are being planned.Gibraltar Rock Tours visited the Exhibition so we couldprovide our readers a small sample of what’s on display ……photographs can be seen in the compositon uptop.
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If you are visiting the Rock soon……as always Gibraltar RockTours invites you to book a tour with us to see the Rock’sdelights ! You won’t be disappointed…. Oh and thanks forreading !
