What Was the Freedom Ride?
Inspired by the Freedom Rides of the United States in 1961, a group of 29 students from the University of Sydney undertook a bus trip to a number of towns in New South Wales from 12 to 26 February 1965.
The purpose of the trip was to investigate race relations in country towns and living conditions for Aboriginal people on reserves and in the towns. This bus trip became known as the Freedom Ride.
Why the Freedom Ride?
The early 1960s saw serious civil rights actions in the United States. This led to a rise in consciousness in Australia about civil rights for Aboriginal people. Charles Perkins, an Arrernte student at Sydney University spoke with his fellow students about what the students could do to bring civil rights issues to the attention of the Australian public. The following links give first hand information on why the decision to make the bus trip to country towns in New South Wales was made.
Darce Cassidy's website - The US freedom rides
Caption: Students involved in the demonstration against discrimination of Aboriginal people in Walgett, NSW, 1967. Photograph reproduced with permission of Wendy Watson-Ekstein (nee Golding) and supplied by Ann Curthoys.
“The purpose of the trip was to investigate race relations in country towns and living
conditions for Aboriginal people on reserves and in the towns.”
Who were the freedom riders?
One of the students who took part in the Freedom Ride, now Professor Ann Curthoys, kept a diary she wrote while on the Freedom Ride. AIATSIS Library has digitised and transcribed the diary which is featured in this website.
Another student who was on the bus trip was Darce Cassidy, a journalist with the ABC who took along his tape recorder. His tapes form the basis of his website entitled The Australian Freedom Rides. With the kind permission of Darce Cassidy, this website. links frequently to his insightful website.
Charles Perkins, an Arrernte student at the University of Sydney, was instrumental in formulating the action which would draw attention to the civil rights and living conditions of Aboriginal people.He was the main spokesman on the Freedom Ride. With the permission of his family, the AIATSIS Library has digitised Charles Perkins’ autobiography A Bastard Like Me, which includes a chapter on the Freedom Ride. (Chapter 8 http://www1.aiatsis.gov.au/exhibitions/e_access/book/m0063258/m0063258_ch08_a.pdf )
Jim Spigelman was also on the bus trip and took film of the Freedom Ride. Footage from his films can be seen in the film Freedom Ride, 1993 directed by Rachel Perkins, Charles Perkins’ daughter.
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