Freedom Ride (Australia) facts for kids
The Freedom Ride of 1965 was an important journey. A group of Aboriginal Australian students and their supporters travelled by bus across New South Wales. It was led by Charles Perkins, a key Aboriginal leader. The main goal was to show everyone how much racial discrimination existed in Australia. This event was a big step in the fight for civil rights for Indigenous Australians.
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What Was the Freedom Ride?
In 1964, students at the University of Sydney were inspired by the Freedom Riders in the American Civil Rights Movement. They formed a group called Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA). Charles Perkins, who was the first Indigenous Australian to finish university, was one of their leaders.
The students travelled to country towns in New South Wales. They wanted to see for themselves how Aboriginal people were treated. What they found was de facto segregation. This means that even if there weren't official laws, people were still separated based on their race. For example, Aboriginal people might not be allowed in certain pools, parks, or pubs.
The students protested and held signs. They often faced angry reactions, but they brought attention to the unfair treatment of Indigenous Australians. Their actions helped lead to the 1967 referendum. This vote changed the Australian Constitution to remove unfair parts and allow the federal government to help Aboriginal affairs directly.
At the time of the Freedom Ride in 1965, Aboriginal people were often counted separately in the census. Their rights as citizens were often ignored. Before the ride, some people told the students to look at racial problems in Australia, not just in other countries.
Who Were the Freedom Riders?
The students who went on the first Freedom Ride included: Charles Perkins, Gary Williams, Aidan Foy, Alan Outhred, Alex Mills, Ann Curthoys, Barry Corr, Beth Hansen, Bob Gallagher, Brian Aarons, Chris Page, Colin Bradford, Darce Cassidy, Vince Copley, David Pepper, Derek Molloy, Hall Greenland, Helen Gray, Jim Spigelman, John Butterworth, John Gowdie, John Powles, Judith Rich, Louise Higham, Machteld Hali, Norm Mackay, Paddy Dawson, Pat Healy, Ray Leppik, Rick Collins, Robyn Iredale, Sue Johnston, Sue Reeves, Warwick Richards, and Wendy Golding.
Towns They Visited
The Freedom Riders visited several towns to highlight discrimination.
Wellington and Gulargambone
The first two towns they visited were Wellington and Gulargambone. They didn't protest here. Instead, they asked locals questions to understand how bad discrimination was for Indigenous Australians in these country areas.
Walgett
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In Walgett, the students found clear examples of racial discrimination. This became their first big challenge. They spent a day gathering information. They learned that the cinema, the RSL club, two hotels, and a shop all separated people by race.
The Freedom Riders stood outside the Walgett RSL club for hours, holding signs. Some signs said, "Walgett: Australian's disgrace" and "Bar the Colour Bar." Their protest didn't immediately change the town's views. However, it encouraged the local Aboriginal community to keep fighting for change. Local Aboriginal people who joined the protests were very upset about the ongoing discrimination. They continued to protest for equal access to places that still had a "colour ban" after the students left.
A young reporter named Bruce Maxwell wrote about the SAFA Freedom Ride. His report brought the ride into the national news. Newspapers like The Sydney Morning Herald and The Daily Mirror, along with TV and radio, started reporting on the next parts of the journey.
After leaving Walgett, an unknown driver crashed into the bus, forcing it off the road. Because the reporter Bruce Maxwell was there, this incident made headlines in the Sydney Morning Herald. It even caught the attention of international news. Some reports compared how Aboriginal Australians were treated to the racism and segregation in the Deep South of the United States.
Moree
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Moree was the scene of a big conflict during the Freedom Ride. The students tried to help Aboriginal children from a nearby reserve enter the Moree Swimming Baths. But people who supported the race-ban tried to stop them.
At that time, Aboriginal people were not allowed in pubs, clubs, or the swimming pool. They couldn't walk on the sidewalk or play football in the local team. The local cinema also separated people by race, with Aboriginal people having to sit in the front rows.
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The Freedom Riders gathered children from the local mission, including nine-year-old Dan Moree. They tried to enter the Moree Swimming Baths. Lyall Munro Snr, a local Aboriginal leader, said that he and the Moree Aboriginal Advancement Committee had been trying to change the town's unfair rules for years. But they hadn't done it in such a direct way. He described the scene as "ugly, pretty rowdy, pretty wild — a lot of violence."
This event was widely covered by news at home and around the world. It really grabbed the attention of the Australian public. It became a "seminal moment," meaning a very important turning point, in Australia's history. After a public meeting, the town decided to remove the colour bar at the pool.
Other Towns
Other towns visited during the Freedom Ride included Lismore, Bowraville, Dubbo, and Kempsey.
Impact and Legacy
Immediate Changes
One direct result of the Freedom Ride was that Aboriginal children gained full access to the Moree Baths and Swimming Pool.
News about the Freedom Ride spread widely. Crux, a student journal, published a special issue about Aboriginal people. Cartoonists like John Frith also drew about the topic. Even The New York Times and other international newspapers reported on the events.
Later that year, Charles Perkins shared what happened during the ride with 200 people at a conference in Canberra. Soon after the Freedom Ride, the NSW Aborigines Welfare Board announced it would spend money on housing in Moree. The Australian Black Power movement also grew in cities like Sydney and Melbourne after the Freedom Ride. This led to more Aboriginal activism across Australia. Perkins and other activists even returned to Walgett to continue fighting the "colour bar" at the Oasis Hotel.
Lasting Impact
The Freedom Ride helped many non-Indigenous Australians, especially those in cities, see the racial segregation happening in their own country. It also showed the world what was happening. Today, it is remembered as a very important event in the history of civil rights for Indigenous Australians. It was a turning point for race relations in Australia and continues to inspire Aboriginal rights activists.
Re-enactments
2005 Re-enactment
In 2005, another bus journey followed the original Freedom Ride route. The goal was to see how much had changed in 40 years and to encourage talks about reconciliation. While the 2005 ride focused on reconciliation, people still reported experiences of discrimination. The poor housing conditions for some Aboriginal people were also noted. The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Andrew Refshauge, was given the findings from this ride, which visited more than 13 communities.
2015 Re-enactment
To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Freedom Ride, two buses re-ran the route. Several of the original participants joined, along with a group of current University of Sydney students. This event was shown in an episode of the SBS TV programme Living Black.
See also
- Racism in Australia
