The Wire

Forty one years this week racial conflict dominated the headlines in Australia. It all began at the Bowraville swimming pool on the east coast when a young Indigenous woman stood up for her rights and demanded that she be allowed to swim in the local pool with everyone else. Until then segregation in public places was accepted as quite standard. Taking heart from the race protests in the US young indigenous people went on a Freedom Ride challenging race rules in pubs, pools and cinemas. The late Charles Perkins was the leader and with him was Gary Williams, now a language teacher at Nambucca heads.