In 1965, C... Perkins and over thirty others took a bus all over the north and west of New South Wales, visiting communities to challenge the entrenched racism of the time. These freedom riders soon became a household name, becoming simultaneously famous and infamous, depending on your point of view!
The Freedom Rides spotlighted the racism inculcated under the 'White Australia Policy' that was originally implemented by Australia's first Prime Minister Edmund Barton during Federation. Even as late as the 1960's the structures of this unconstitutional policy lingered, resulting in an entrenched system of apartheid. This meant that Indigenous people were denied service in many shops, separated from "whites" in cinemas, banned from hotels and clubs and excluded from swimming pools being used by Europeans.
The freedom riders were subjected to verbal aggression in most towns they visited, and were often the target of physical violence during the protest. In the end they drew national and international attention to the problem, and finally the White Australia Policy was formally ended as government policy in 1972. Three years later the Race Discrimination Act was passed.
C... Perkins' death was a huge loss to many people in this country, who are grateful to him and to the Freedom Riders for their efforts fighting for Aboriginal Rights in this country.
