Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship facts for kids
The Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship (AAF) was an important group based in Sydney, Australia. It worked to change unfair laws and practices, especially those from the Aborigines Protection Board in New South Wales. The AAF also fought for Aboriginal Australians to have equal pay and full citizenship rights, just like everyone else.
History
The AAF was started in 1956 by a mix of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people. Some of the key Aboriginal founders included Pearl Gibbs, Charles Leon, and Herbert Stanley "Bert" Groves. Important non-Aboriginal founders were Faith Bandler and Jack Horner.
Their main goal was to create a partnership. They wanted Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to work together for social justice. They also felt it was very important to teach non-Indigenous people about the unfair treatment and discrimination Aboriginal people faced. Bert Groves was the first president of the AAF.
Later, Charles Leon took over as president. He led the group from 1958 to 1967, and again in 1969.
Meetings and Conferences
The AAF held its first big public meeting in Sydney Town Hall on April 29, 1957. At this meeting, they launched a special petition. This petition was written by Jessie Street, a famous Australian activist. It asked the federal government to change parts of the Australian Constitution. These parts were unfair to Aboriginal people. Many other groups, like trade unions and the Union of Australian Women, joined in and helped share the petition.
Members from the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship also went to a conference in Adelaide. In February 1958, they became part of a new national group called the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement (FCAA). The AAF was one of several groups that pushed for change within the FCAA.
In October 1961, the AAF held its first conference in New South Wales. Here, they decided to call for the Aborigines Protection Act 1909 (NSW) to be cancelled. They started a campaign right after this. They protested at meetings of major political parties during the March 1962 state election. They kept pushing the Labor premier, Bob Heffron. In August 1962, a section of the Aborigines Protection Act 1909 was removed. This change helped give Aboriginal people more equal rights under the law.
Other Activities
The Fellowship also worked hard to get land rights for Aboriginal people. Charles Leon, who was also a member of the Aborigines Protection Board, created a plan for the area of La Perouse. This place has been an Aboriginal community for thousands of years, long before European settlement in 1788.
Because of the AAF's efforts, the NSW Housing Commission eventually built proper homes and a cultural center for the people living in La Perouse.
Dissolution
The Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship stopped operating in 1969. By this time, other new groups, which were run by Aboriginal people, had started up and were continuing the important work the AAF had begun. One of these groups was the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs.
