Taking the freedom ride

 

Have you ever heard of the freedom ride?  The freedom ride is a bus ride through NSW to highlight the plight of Indigenous people and the discrimination they suffered.

 The Freedom Rides Campaign aimed to bring attention to the poor state of Aboriginal health, education and housing, particularly in the country towns of New South Wales. They hoped to point out and help to lessen the socially discriminatory barriers which existed between Aboriginal and white residents. In addition to this they also wished to encourage and support Aboriginal people them to resist discrimination.

 

 12 Feb 1965

  On this day, a group of 29 University of Sydney students including me organised a bus tour to the western and coastal New South Wales towns. We called ourselves as the student action for Aborigines which also known as SAFA. Our main aims were public attention toward poor Aboriginal children’s health, education and housing. Aboriginal people also wished to encourage and support Aboriginal people themselves to resist discrimination. We inspired by a similar civil rights action in America. Because it was the first day we were all excited and intense. We were also hoping that we could achieve our goals.

 

 

13 Feb 1965 

First stop of the bus tour First stop of the bus tour was Wellington. The place were a little unsuitable for us, houses of tin, mud floors, very overcrowded, kids had eye diseases, had to cart very unhealthy water from river. There was no protest carried out, but there were surveys that were carried out. The survey was about the views of Aboriginal people. In the result of the Survey we affirmed views on Aboriginal discrimination. For example some few hotel noticed a sign above the door way. it said” Aboriginal not allowed in the lounge without the Licensee’s permission”. Aboriginal and white living standards were also taken note of. We all knew that indigenous Australians won the right to vote in 1962; even then they were not counted in the census and their affairs were still managed by the state governments. But growing awareness of Human rights issues, specifically relating to racial discrimination, was beginning to turn the tide for Indigenous people in Australia. That night I realize that all the issue needed, it seemed, was voice.

 

15 Feb 1965

After a long ride on the bus, we finally reached Walgett. It was place which the first demonstration was carried out, with the barricading of the RSL club. Aboriginal people in Walgett were not accepted socially by white people. At lunchtime I spoke up in front of everyone which then got everyone's attention. Later on more and more Aborigines joined in to discussion. This caused white people argue with us. Soon after that, the town minister came to us and told us to leave. Even i could have guessed that he didn't like us from the beginning we arrived, so in the end we left.

Even we left that place some whites came to see us off. Because people were getting overcrowded we went off quickly. There was a stream of about 10 cars following us and we thought they were full of hostile people and so we were all pretty worried. On the third try he scraped the truck along the side of the bus and forced the bus driver to swerve off the road. It tipped slightly but not right over. But as it turned out the cars contained all friendly people. One of them went back to get the police. When the police came they took statements and then we all went back to Walgett where statements were taken and we made a number of phone calls.

The results showed the overt discrimination shown against Aborigines, and concluded that the local population were actively isolating Aborigines and denying them access to rights and facilities.

 

16 Feb 1965

We arrived at Moree at early morning. By this time there was plenty of press, TV and radio in Moree. However, much better housing and sanitation. The people there were very friendly and spoke out for themselves. Many of them agreed to come to the big meeting we had planned for the night.

That day was hottest day I ever felt. We all boiled and it was very hot. Therefore we went to swimming pool. The manager refused to let the six aboriginals in and so we held up our posters and signs. After few mins later they let boys in. We had a good swim and Charlie really talked well to all the white kids whose attitude as rather than hesitant. A little girl with a fantastic voice led the singing and we sang Beatle songs all the way back. The spirit was tremendous. We all got out of the bus and everyone was running around getting their photo taken, and swapping addresses. In this day we thought that we are getting close to our goal.