What happened to my rights?

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Influenced by the civil rights movement in the United States a group of university students formed a group called Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA), led by Charles Perkins. They decided to take a bus tour around country NSW to expose the treatment of Indigenous Australians. Several journalists went along for the ride. The ‘Freedom Rides’ were extremely successful in publicising the discrimination faced by Indigenous Australians, having a direct effect on the Referendum in 1967.

Watch iconBackground (.wmv 18MB)

Transcript (.pdf 286kB)

watch iconThe Freedom Rides (.wmv 52MB)

Transcript (.pdf 386kB)

Watch iconThe effect (.wmv 29MB)

Transcript (.pdf 355kB)

Think about

toolkit

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Other examples

Here are some more stories of people power in action.

The first Europeans to arrive declared Australia to be Terra Nullius. The land was considered to uninhabited therefore the property of the English Crown. This was despite the fact the land was occupied by Indigenous Australians. In 1982 the Mer people decided to challenge the declaration of Terra Nullius. Find out what happened:

The Franklin River is situated in Southwest Tasmania. In the late 1970s the State Government had plans to build a dam along the river. Conservationists were outraged, they wanted to save this wilderness area so they took action.

Actions

  • What actions and strategies were used by the conservationists?

  • How was this group able to influence government decision-making?

  • How effective were the actions and strategies used by the conservationists in the Franklin Dam case?

Every Western democracy has a Bill of Rights, except Australia. Should we have one? Do we need one?

More on a Bill of Rights

Discussion starters

There have been many instances where international pressure has caused the Australian Federal Government to act with respect to human rights issues. Examine these examples and consider the points below.

Discuss

  • Without this international influence and pressure, would things have changed?

  • How effective is international pressure on a country like Australia?

  • On what countries may this pressure not be so effective and why?

  • Create a timeline of important developments for the

    • 1967 Referendum

    • Land Rights and Native Title

  • How significant was the 1967 Referendum for changing the rights and freedoms of Aboriginal People?

  • How significant was the Land Rights movement and Native Title in changing the rights and freedoms of Aboriginal People?

  • What was the role of Charles Perkins in the Freedom Rides?

  • What was the significance of the Freedom Rides for Australia in the post-war period?