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Summary: The 1965 Freedom Rides

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Since the arrival of the first fleet, through to 1945, Australia has made important progress in improving Indigenous freedoms and rights. This progress has been marked by protest movements like the freedom rides, policy changes such as the 1967 referendum, and legal victories such as the 1992 Mabo case. However, there are still significant challenges, including socio-economic disparities and struggles for land rights, that still prevent equality today in Australia. Australia has significantly improved Indigenous rights and freedoms from the first fleet to 1945. A way their rights were recognised and respected was through the 1965 Freedom Rides. The 1965 Freedom Rides in Australia, inspired by the US civil rights movement, spotlighted racial segregation in regional New South Wales. Led by Indigenous and non-Indigenous activists like Charles Perkins, the rides aimed to challenge discriminatory practices in education and housing. They targeted schools refusing Indigenous enrollment and exposed overcrowded, dilapidated housing conditions. Through protests and media coverage, they raised awareness of systemic injustices. For instance, in some areas, Indigenous children comprised less than 1% of school enrollment. Recognition of indigenous peoples increased as a result of the freedom ride protests, …show more content…

Before this vote, Indigenous Australians were excluded from the national census, denying them recognition as citizens. The campaign for the referendum gained momentum across the nation. On May 27, 1967, the referendum saw an overwhelming majority, with over 90% of Australians voting "yes" to include Indigenous people in the census and to grant the federal government power to legislate for them. This reflected a collective desire for justice and equality. The legacy of the 1967 Referendum serves as a reminder of the ongoing journey towards reconciliation and genuine equality for all

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After hearing of the success of the American Freedom Ride in 1961, he decided to organise a bus ride with several students of Sydney University to bring attention to the racial discrimination that was occurring in New South Wales. In the 1960s, Aboriginal people, although they had been citizens since 1947, were treated poorly. They were forced to live on the outskirts of town, with no plumbing or electricity and with houses located closely to rubbish dumps and sewerage plants. Indigenous Australians were not allowed access to places such as hotels, cafes, swimming pools or cinemas. In some towns, such as Bowraville, they were allowed into cinemas, however, they had to buy their tickets separately from the non-Indigenous people, enter the theatre after the show had started and sit at the back.

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Charles Perkins, born in Alice Springs 1936, was a controversial leader within the Aboriginal community. Perkins was known both for this willingness to fight for what he believed in, and his determination, although this confidence brought him into conflict with community leaders and the government. Perkins was involved in the ‘Freedom Ride’ travelling through rural New South Wales in the early 60’s. This ride was a significant contribution highlighting the predicament the Aboriginals faced. Being Aboriginal himself, this ride demonstrated that Aboriginal people could stand up for themselves.

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Indigenous Australians had experienced a long history of dispossession, colonization, and marginalisation. The doctrine of terra nullius was used by the British to justify the of Indigenous lands, without recognising their traditional ownership or sovereignty. It was not until 1965 Indigenous Australians were allowed to vote, two years later 1967 Indigenous Australians were finally granted citizenship and in 1985 they were treated equal with other voters, ending almost two centuries of political exclusion.   The Mabo decision is significant as it marked the first time the High Court explicitly rejected the doctrine of terra nullius and recognised the existence of Indigenous land rights. The case was named after Eddie Mabo, a Torres Strait Islander man who, alongside a group of Meriam people, challenged the Queensland state government with the Commonwealth and High Court to claim back their family land on Mer Island.

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Aboriginal leaders were one of the key and vital parts of the development of the Aboriginal Civil Rights Movement. Without those Aboriginals or anyone fighting for aboriginal rights wouldn't have had anyone to follow, anyone to inspire them to push for what was really right. The main points of this essay will be the impact that the leaders Charles Perkins, Paul Keating, Eddie Mabo and Kevin Rudd had on the aboriginal civil rights movement and how their involvement the Aboriginal civil rights movement wouldn't have made the same changes it did. In 1965 Charles Perkins who was the first Aboriginal to graduate from an Australian University led the Freedom Ride.

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They both gained voting rights. Africa-American have hold number of non-violent marches, for example, the march form Selma to Montgomery led by Martin Luther King did make the president Lyndon B Johnson’s attitude changed and as a result, the Voting Rights Act 1955 was established. In Australia, after the Referendum in 1967 and the voting for ‘Rights enjoyed by Aborigines’, Aborigines had equal rights in all states and territories which include voting rights. Moreover, the successful of Freedom Rides in America, on 1 November 1961, the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) ruling that segregation on interstate buses and facilities was illegal took effect and in Australia, the Freedom Ride through New South Wales towns and the publicity it gained raised consciousness of racial discrimination in

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A bus boycott, Freedom Riders, a march on Washington. Only three of the many protests that took place because our country was unable to recognize the need for equality for everyone. In 1964, after years of discrimination and segregation, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964. This Act terminated segregation of race, color, religion, gender, and nationality.

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