COMPLETED VERSION Charles Perkins and the 1965 Australian Freedom Ride

 

Charles Perkins and the 1965 Australian Freedom Ride

Charles Perkins was a champion for the rights and justice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and an inspirational soccer player. He has described the Freedom Ride as the “the greatest and most exciting event [he had] ever been involved with in Aboriginal affairs”. A re-enactment and celebration of the Ride’s 50^th anniversary was held by the University of Sydney in 2015. That’s just last year.

The original campaign was conceived and made possible through the occurrence of the civil rights movement in the U.S in the beginning of the 1960s. The Freedom Riders, as they were called in America, saw effective media coverage but were initially slow to achieve their purpose of desegregation on buses. Despite the violence and unrest it provoked, the tradition of direct action in civil rights was formed and solutions to segregation problems were implemented. Originally, University of Sydney students demonstrating outside the US Consulate for Negro civil rights in mid-1964 (Orientation Week) received comments from mainly the US Press (who though that these people are ‘so like students because they are easily Anti-American’), like ‘What about the Aborigines and the civil rights problem in Australia? After organising a demonstration outside Parliament House, a lecture was given and SAFA (Student Action For Aborigines) was born. So they then organized a bus trip. Arguably the greatest influence that caused the Ride to be carried out was the enrolment of two Aboriginal men in the university in 1963.

Alongside Charles Perkins, Jim Spigelman also led the group. The plan was to survey both Indigenous and European Australians regarding Indigenous rights, education, housing and health.The aims of the campaign were to, during the tour, use short-term action to bring attention to Aboriginal issues, gain the support of as many people as possible and get Aborigines interested in standing up. As well as protesting, surveys were to be conducted for more detailed research. Public transport was not segregated; the places for leisure were. There was an average of 30 people most of the time on the bus. Making the headlines was not originally the aim or biggest focus. It happened accidentally when a journalist was on board the bus at the time it was forced to leave the road.

Some of the methods used to achieve their goals included ‘overcoming any difficulties’, getting the support of Aborigines (get them to participate), publicity, and actively allowing children to participate (especially regarding the pools). SAFA’s ‘Our Struggle’ letter by Martin Luther King from Birmingham Jail talked of the philosophy of non-violent direct action and creating constructive tension. This formed a background and basic philosophy for the protest of the group.

The campaign was effective in achieving civil rights because, despite the fact that many people can still say that nothing has changed, much was achieved through a single act. Follow up trips have continued to this day and the media has always supported it. The people who participated all utilised their experience to improve other’s lives. Indigenous people are graduating from universities, speaking out, and taking charge.

The campaign was initially heavily criticised. Stirring up trouble and leaving people to cope with those was one aspect, as well as the fact that they interefered in other’s lives. Bigger issues had not been protested about during the campaign either. For example, public leisure places were less important compared to housing and other problems. It is true that SAFA also considered these issues but had no choice but to protest and base their campaign around public spaces and buildings, where more people could see them.

Society changed after this event: The 1967 referendum saw Australians votingin favour of amending the constitution to include Aboriginal people in the census and allow the Commonwealth to create laws for them.The campaign for this referendum sought to increase ‘yes’ voters by including ‘rights to vote’, citizenship, and equal rights issues. (Creative Spirits, Jens Korffn.d.)According to Section 51, the Aboriginal population had ‘special laws’ in order to reduce the discrimination against them. In section 127, it used to say that the Aboriginal population were not to be counted in the census. They agreed to count the Aboriginals in the census, and were allowed to have unified laws governing them. Not the right to vote, which was given to them in 1962. As a result of these changes, Aboriginals may have been further recognized as ‘people’ and would start to be allowed to have special laws directly from the Parliament.

Society did not immediately change after the trip, as the real solutions necessary were never considered (housing, facilities, interest in education etc.). Of course, the consideration of these issues by SAFA was not enough anyway. Obviously, students in universities became very much aware of the Aboriginal question/issue. White supremacy (where necessary due to Aboriginal outnumbering) persisted, as most of the towns SAFA went to had reasons for their behaviour (unemployment or bad economy). Also, the media and press were not always on SAFA’s side.

It was only after this Ride that the hooligans and racists, clergymen and church people actually realised the true situation. Education for Aboriginals was still a major issue. The biggest change must be the Aboriginals themselves. They began to act due to this Ride, and developed constructive and imaginative thinking. Responsibility for Aborigines was also brought about as well.

Bibliography

       I.            AIATSIS, Ann Curthoys' diaries http://aiatsis.gov.au/collections/collections-online/digitised-collections/freedom-ride/ann-curthoys-diaries (accessed 4 November 2016).

    II.            AIATSIS, Commemorating the Freedom Ride http://aiatsis.gov.au/exhibitions/1965-freedom-ride (accessed 4 November 2016).

 III.            Creative Spirits, Jens Korff (no date), Australian 1967 Referendumhttps://www.creativespirits.info/aboriginalculture/history/australian-1967-referendum (accessed 13/11/2016).

   IV.            National Museum of Australia Wednesday 2002, The Freedom Ride –

    V.            Its Significance Today http://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/collections/freedom-ride/ann-curthoys-significance-today.pdf (accessed 13/11/2016).

 VI.            Reconciliation Australia 2015, Let’s talk…the Freedom Ride https://www.reconciliation.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/The-50th-Anniversary-of-the-1965-Freedom-Ride1.pdf (accessed 4 November 2016).

VII.            SAFA 1965, CONSTITUTION OF THE STUDENT ACTION FOR ABORIGINES ORGANISATIONhttp://aiatsis.gov.au/sites/default/files/docs/collections/freedom-ride/student-action-aborigines-organisation-constitution.pdf (accessed 13/11/2016).

VIII.            The National Museum of Australia 2014, http://indigenousrights.net.au/section.asp?sID=33 (Blocked link) Freedom Ride, 1965http://indigenousrights.net.au/civil_rights/freedom_ride,_1965(accessed 4 November 2016).

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