Freedom Ride
Nov 1st, 2010 by reconciliaction
This Freedom Ride page last updated: 10 February 2012
This page includes information about the Australian Freedom Ride of 1965, the ReconciliACTION project in 2005 to retrace the historic journey through regional NSW and the ‘Freedom Rides - 40 years on’ multi-media resource.
Main photo on cover of ‘Freedom Ride - 40 years on’ resource: Uncle Max Eulo performs smoking ceremony at 2005 Freedom Ride 2005 launch, University of Sydney. Photo courtesy of Brian Rapsey. Design by SevDesign.
Sections of this page:
- Order a copy of ‘Freedom Rides - 40 years on’ documentary
- What were the Australian Freedom Rides?
- About the 2005 Freedom Ride re-enactment
- About the ReconciliACTION documentary ‘Freedom Rides - 40 years on’
- Teacher resources to use with ‘Freedom Rides - 40 years on’
- Other resources and links about the Australian Freedom Rides
Following the successful launch of the ‘Freedom Rides - 40 years on’ documentary in 2011 ReconciliACTION organised 800 copies to be sent free of charge to Aboriginal organisations and community groups. A special thanks to the Museum of Sydney for hosting the launch! In 2012 there are still some copies available to purchase for $25 including GST from Australians for Native Title and ReconciliACTION (ANTaR). All funds raised from selling copies help us support other important reconciliation projects! There are also a limited number of DVDs still available for Aboriginal organisations and community groups who cannot afford to buy a copy. To request a copy please email sylvie@reconciliACTION.org.au or call Sylvie on 0403 977 213. Please include details in the email about the number of copies you are requesting, your group and your mailing address. The original Australian Freedom Ride was organised in 1965 by University of Sydney students including the first Australian Aboriginal university graduate Dr Charles Kumantjayi Perkins. Inspired by the ‘freedom rides’ into the segregated southern states of the USA in the 1960s, the 1965 Australian Freedom Ride took a busload of students into regional NSW to expose Australia’s appalling treatment of Aboriginal people. The 1965 Freedom Ride found Aboriginal people living in shanty conditions, rampant racism and institutionalised separate of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities. It helped awaken mainstream Australia of the 1960s to the level of discrimination and injustice endured by Australian people in regional NSW. The Australian Freedom Ride was an important part of the broader movement for civil rights in Australia, and helped create momentum for changes to Australia’s policies regarding Indigenous Australians and Indigenous rights. In 2005 a group of young people and members of the volunteer youth network ReconciliACTION hired a bus to re-trace the historic Australian Freedom Ride through regional NSW. The 2005 Freedom Ride was initiated by students from the University of Sydney, volunteers and activists. Working with Local Reconciliation Groups, Aboriginal organisations, Councils and community groups, the 2005 Freedom Riders organised a series of community events and conducted interviews in the 13 towns visited by the original Australian Freedom Ride, to find out how people felt race relations had changed in the past 40 years. Over 100 hours of footage was collected, capturing many compelling stories about the changes since the original Freedom Ride, and what divisions remain between black and white in many communities. The 2005 Freedom Riders found many sources of inspiration from the Aboriginal community members and organisations who were working to support Aboriginal communities. In many communities Indigenous and non-Indigenous people were actively working together to address issues of disadvantage and racism, including in towns were the original Freedom Riders had found strong divisions. In 2005 in Bowraville, for example, local Aboriginal kids learn their own language through the public school curriculum and the previously segregated picture theatre has been reopened as a reconciliation centre. In Moree the 2005 bus was received by the Local Council, a celebratory rally was held through town and the pool was open to the Freedom Riders and local children for free. However, as also clearly evident from the interviews collected in 2005, racism continues to be an everyday part of the lives of Aboriginal people in regional NSW. Common experiences reported included exclusion and differential treatment of Aboriginal people in shops and public places, lack of access to employment and housing, poor treatment by police and a resistance from the non-Aboriginal community in many areas to the true history of Australia. The 2005 Freedom Ride was one of the largest community based reconciliation projects held since 2000. It received a high level of media attention, including state and national television media. Following the return of the Freedom Riders the Freedom Riders organised a number of meetings to report their findings including with the NSW Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commissioner. Using a short film of the footage collected, a series of screenings were organised by Local Reconciliation Group members of the NSW Reconciliation Council and Australians for Native Title and Reconciliation (ANTaR). For more information about the Freedom Ride 2005 project see: ReconciliACTION and Oliver Lawrance have recently completed a documentary featuring interviews from most of the towns visited as part of the Freedom Ride 2005, footage of community events, significant interviews with leading community figures discussing the original Freedom Ride and ‘vox pops’ taken with old and young on the streets of the towns visited. The ‘Freedom Ride - 40 years on’ is a great resource about the historic Freedom Rides, and about racism and reconciliation in Australia today. Copies of ‘Freedom Rides – 40 years on’ resource are now available to purchase for $25 including GST from Australians for Native Title and ReconciliACTION (ANTaR). All proceeds from the sale of the resource will help us get copies back to the communities who supported the project! Please note that free copies of the resource were distributed by ReconciliACTION in 2011, and a limited number are still available on request from ReconciliACTION, for groups and individuals involved in the Freedom Ride 2005 project, Aboriginal organisations, community groups, schools and reconciliation bodies. Email: sylvie@reconciliACTION.org.au or call Sylvie on 0403 977 213. The contents of the DVD resource ‘Freedom Rides - 40 years on’, are:
Disk 1 (DVD) (2010, 58 minute, Documentary film, Editors and Contributors: Oliver Lawrance, Miriana Marusic, Melissa Abraham, Poppy Stockell, Emma Torzillo, Samia Khatun, Brian Rapsey, Nicolas McKenzie, Chris Hancock, Enda Murray & all the Freedom Riders of 2005). Produced by: Oliver Lawrance and ReconciliACTION. (2008, 15 minute, Film suitable for high school students, Editors: Tom Tilley, Samia Khatun, Sean Robinson and Oliver Lawrance. Produced by: Sylvie Ellsmore and ReconciliACTION). (2005, 5 minutes, Photo slide-show, Photos courtesy of: Oliver Lawrance, Brian Rapsey, Andrew Tibbitts, Bronwyn Powell, Kirsten Cheatham, Ben McNiven, Melissa Abraham, Clare McLisky & all the Freedom Riders of 2005).
Disk 2 (CD) (2005, 49 minute, Radio documentary, Producer: Donna Morabito, Courtesy of Insert Booklet Thanks The Freedom Ride 2005 project was completed with the support of a wide range of organisations and individuals. ReconciliACTION would like to thank the community, reconciliation and union groups that supported the project, including Rachel Perkins, the ABC, ANTaR, the NSW Reconciliation Council, Awaye!, ABC Radio National, South Cares, the University of Sydney Koori Centre, the NSW Department of Aboriginal Affairs, the Foundation for Young Australians, and the original Freedom Riders. An important note about using this resource and copyright While ReconciliACTION encourages the wide use of the Freedom Ride resource including screenings, for not-for-profit purposes, ReconciliACTION also respects the rights, intellectual property, knowledge and copyright of other groups and individuals who were involved in the Freedom Ride 2005 project. The film and radio documentaries feature interviews with Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal community members. The interviews were generously provided for use by ReconciliACTION for not-for-profit purposes. Extracts of interviews with individuals should not be shown or used out of context. In particular footage of individuals interviewed or shown in this resource should not be reproduced or edited separately without the express permission of those individuals. ReconciliACTION also notes that while Oliver Lawrance, ReconciliACTION and ANTaR own the copyright to ‘Freedom Ride - 40 years on’, copyright of the CD section of the resource belong to Donna Morabito, Awaye! and ABC Radio National. ReconciliACTION also does not own the copyright to the music, photographs, print, radio or television footage from the 1960s featured in the resource. This material was provided on limited release by ABC Library Sales, Jim Spigelman, Darce Cassidy, Rachel Perkins and the Herd. If you have any questions about copyright or use of the resource please email sylvie@reconciliACTION.org.au Still under development in 2012. Watch this space!
Order a copy of Freedom Rides- 40 years on
What was the 1965 Freedom Ride?
What was the Freedom Ride 2005 project?
About the ‘Freedom Rides - 40 years on’ documentary resource (2010)
Freedom Riders - 40 years on
Freedom Ride 2005 Short Film
Photo Slideshow
The Freedom Ride - 40 Years On
Awaye! and ABC Radio National)
COMING SOON: Reconciliation and teacher resources to use with ‘Freedom Rides - 40 years on’
Check out these other resources about the Freedom Rides:
