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How the freedom ride shaped the nation
5 November 2024
Igniting change and inspiring hope 60 years on
In 1965, a group of University of Sydney students embarked on a bus trip around country NSW. Known as the 'Freedom Ride', it aimed to challenge discrimination against Aboriginal people. Nearly sixty years on, three 'Freedom Riders' reflect on the enduring impacts of that journey.
Inspired by protests against racial segregation in the United States, around midnight on 12 February 1965, 29 University of Sydney students set off on a two‑week bus trip. It was a time when First Nations people were excluded from public pools, hotels, cinemas and Returned Services League (RSL) clubs — and often forced to live in reserves on the edge of country towns. Led by Aboriginal activist and fellow Sydney student the late Charles Perkins (BA ’66), the group, which called itself Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA), wanted to see the reality of living conditions for themselves and to challenge racial segregation practices.
In Moree, the ‘Freedom Riders’ tried to take Aboriginal children to the local pool but were denied entry due to a council by‑law. They held a three‑hour protest, confronted by a hostile local crowd. One of the students, now a historian at the University of Sydney, Honorary Professor Ann Curthoys AM (BA ’67, Grad DipEd ’68), author of Freedom Ride: A Freedom Rider Remembers, recorded these events in her diary .
"It was very hot and crowded and noisy that day. Police escorted the party, and they walked single through the crowd who threw eggs, tomatoes, stones, and spat at us."
The students’ journey began to capture the attention of the world’s media, raising awareness of the injustices faced by Aboriginal people as journalists and TV crews descended to cover the story. “It took six months before council rescinded the rule, but it did happen. It’s still something I feel proud to have been involved in,” Ann says. The students were also confronted by the poor housing and health experienced by Aboriginal people. In each town, they conducted surveys to understand the situation. Some Aboriginal people were supportive; others greeted them with apprehension. “I think the fact that we had a properly designed survey overcame some Aboriginal people’s caution about what we were doing ”, says Brian Aarons (BSc ’67), a 19‑year‑old second‑year Science student at the time. “It said, ‘Well, these people are actually interested in us."
“Having Charlie Perkins, who was ten years older than the rest of us, also made a huge difference,” Brian says. “He was the undisputed leader, extremely articulate, a brilliant media performer. He was very good at talking to crowds at protests and meetings.”
The 'Freedom Riders' in the Bowraville Tribune.
Gumbaynggirr‑Bundjalung man and second‑year Arts student Gary Williams was one of only three First Nations students on the bus. He had been called home to the mid‑North Coast for a family emergency, so he joined the bus in Bowraville. Gary recalls being refused entry to Kempsey’s public pool, amidst another protest. He was also thrust into the media spotlight when he defied the so‑called ‘colour bar’ by walking into the Bowraville Hotel with Brian. He believes the protests and media attention created an environment for change. “Australians were shocked by what they saw. They were forced to take a look at themselves,” he says. Two years later, Australians voted overwhelmingly ‘Yes’ in the 1967 Referendum which gave the Commonwealth power to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and removed discriminatory references from the Constitution, enabling them to be counted in the census. The Freedom Ride was also one of several precursors to increased land rights. Gary believes the Ride had a mobilising effect on towns they visited.
“It gave Aboriginal people the strength to carry on and pass that onto the children,” he says. “For older people, it gave them somebody to talk to about issues — and the setting up of legal and medical services gave them hope. It gave the younger ones inspiration, something to aim for. Some young people who had seen Charlie and the Freedom Riders came to Sydney to further their education.” In the years since, many of the Freedom Riders continued to work for Aboriginal rights, and Dr Charles Perkins AO emerged as one of Australia’s most prominent Aboriginal leaders. "None of us had any idea how well‑remembered this would be,” Ann says, “Sleeping on church floors, eating endless baked beans — at the time, it didn’t feel like a significant moment in history. Only as the debate rolled on, we slowly thought, ‘Yes, this was something.’ And it keeps getting rediscovered by new generations all the time.”
Gary now works for the Muurrbay Aboriginal Language Centre, helping to preserve languages between the Queensland border and the Hawkesbury River. “I’m in the Northern Rivers, working with a movement of people, enjoying language, enjoying Country,” Gary says. “This is a little oasis, in a sense, which is benefiting from 60 years ago, and people are reminded of the Freedom Ride.” He says it was a way to shine a light on the situation — an event that people could see. “You could talk about land rights all day, but it’s just words.”
“We felt the need to take action about something that was wrong with society,” Brian says, “The challenge now, both for First Nations people and the rest of us, is ‘What are effective ways this can be challenged now?’”
Gary reflects, “The 1960s was a time when non‑Aboriginal people became involved with the Aboriginal movement. My hope after the Voice Referendum is for us to find our feet again — to pick ourselves up and find the way forward, both Aboriginal and non‑Aboriginal — taking some little steps, however long it takes."
Written by Cassandra Hill for Sydney Alumni Magazine.