60th ANNIVERSARY FREEDOM RIDE BOWRAVILLE
1965-2025 FREEDOM RIDE LED BY CHARLIE PERKINS & FELLOW UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY STUDENTS
Hosted: Bowraville Community
Location: Bowraville Central School to Bowraville Theatre
Date: 24 February 2025
Time: 10:00 - 14:00
Provided: Lunch at the Sports Hub with Elders and Community with live entertainment
Free Event
Commencing from 10:00am at Bowraville Central School ‘Walk of Respect’ up High Street to Bowraville Theatre.
All are welcome to enjoy in a day of reflection, celebration, and community at the 60th Anniversary of the Freedom Ride in Bowraville.
Happening On the Day
Welcome to Country and smoking
Local School Performance
Keynote Speakers
‘Walk of Respect’ with school and community
Elders sharing thier stories of the Theatre and the struggles for Equal Rights
Morning Tea and Short Film on the Freedom Ride at the Theatre
Photo display at Grants Hall
Lunch
Lunch at the Sports Hub with Elders and Community with live entertainment
We invite you to come together to honour the legacy of the Freedom Ride and the ongoing journey of reconciliation.
HISTORY
The 1965 Freedom Ride – led by Uncle Charlie Perkins and his fellow students at the University of Sydney – was a significant event that drew national and international attention to poor living conditions faced by Aboriginal people and the racism that was rife in New South Wales country towns.
Uncle Charlie Perkins
Charles ‘Charlie’ Nelson Perkins was born near Alice Springs in 1936 to Hetti Perkins and Martin Connelly. His mother was Arrernte and his father was Kalkadoon and Irish. He went to school in Adelaide but frequently made the trip home to Alice Springs. After initially training as fitter and turner, his talent for soccer led him to play in England in 1957.
Uncle Charlie began studying at the University of Sydney is 1963 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in May 1966. It was during his time at University that he emerged as a leader and advocate for Aboriginal people. After graduating he played a strong role in setting up the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs in Sydney. Uncle Charlie was known throughout his life as a powerful speaker and staunch defender of Aboriginal rights. In 1987 he was awarded the Order of Australia for his achievements.
Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA)
During the 1960s, many students were becoming involved in various protest movements fighting for social change including the protests against the Vietnam War and the feminist movement.
However, many white Australians believed racism to be an issue that only existed overseas. In part because of this, in 1964, Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA) was formed by University of Sydney students as an organisation to highlight the issue of racism in Australia. Uncle Charlie, who was one of only two Aboriginal students at the University at the time, was elected as the first president of SAFA.
1965 Freedom Ride itinerary
In February 1965, the Freedom Ride bus visited Wellington, Gulargambone, Walgett, Moree, Boggabilla, Bowraville and Kempsey.
The demonstrations in Walgett and Moree created tension. National media coverage of the racism and hostility directed at Aboriginal people and the students shocked Australians and provided a reality check on the extreme inequality between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians.
Walgett
Demonstrations in Walgett were held outside the RSL which had refused membership for Aboriginal veterans, who were only allowed to enter on Anzac Day while a Walgett local used his track to ram Freedom Ride bus off the highway as the students left the town.
Moree
In Moree, the students focused on the artesian baths and swimming pools that were reserved for ‘whites’ only. While the local authorities’ response to the demonstrations encouraged the Freedom Riders to leave Moree satisfied that the situation had changed for the better, the students later learned that Aboriginal children were again being refused admission to the pool.
The Freedom Ride made a return to Moree where they faced hostility and violence outside the Moree baths as they continued their protest for change.
Bowraville
The students described the discrimination in the town as “absolutely shocking” – by far the worst they had encountered. The Picture Theatre was segregated by a partition. Aboriginal people had to buy their tickets separately and could only enter the theatre after the picture had started. Segregation was also practiced at pubs and cafes, and years earlier, in schools.
Images and Article Source: deadlystory.com and https://alc.org.au/newsroom/freedom-ride-fact-sheet/
Youtube Source: https://www.youtube.com/@nswalc