20 February 2015

50th anniversary of 1965 ‘Freedom Ride’ Indigenous civil rights protest at Moree

Today, the Australian Heritage Council joins all Australians in commemorating the 50th anniversary of the momentous 1965 ‘Freedom Ride’ Indigenous civil rights protest at the Moree Baths and Swimming Pool.

“The importance of the events at Moree and their outstanding heritage significance to the nation is recognised by the inclusion of the Moree Baths and Swimming Pool in the National Heritage List,” Chair of the Australian Heritage Council Professor Lawrence said.

“On 20 February 1965 Moree was the first place the Freedom Riders, a group of students led by young Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins, encountered official discrimination in the form of a by- law targeting Aboriginal people and their use of the council facilities, including the swimming pool,” Professor Lawrence said.

The Moree Baths and Swimming Pool is recognised because it brought to the Australian community’s attention the segregation and discrimination being experienced by Aboriginal people in country and rural areas and towns.

This increased awareness of the injustice of ‘casual’ racism contributed to the climate of public opinion which produced a yes vote in the 1967 referendum to change the Australian Constitution regarding the status of Aboriginal Australians.

Moree Baths and Swimming Pool is also celebrated for its national heritage significance because of its association with the life and works of Dr Charles Perkins.

It was at the Moree Baths and Swimming Pool during the Freedom Rides in 1965, that the public first saw Dr Perkins confront people with the truths about the treatment of Aborigines. His commitment to achieving equity for Aboriginal people became a lifelong cause.

The Moree Baths and Swimming Pool was included in the National Heritage List in September 2013.

For more information go to http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/places/national/moree- baths