The Council for Aboriginal Rights (CAR) was founded in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

in 1951 in order to improve rights for

Indigenous Australians Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

. Although based in the state of

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Victoria (Australia), a state of the Commonwealth of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, provincial capital of British Columbia, Canada * Victoria (mythology), Roman goddess of Victory * Victoria, Seychelle ...

, it was a national organisation and its influence was felt throughout Australia; it was regarded as one of the most important Indigenous rights organisations of the 1950s. It supported causes in several other states, notably

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to th ...

and

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , establishe ...

, and the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (commonly abbreviated as NT; formally the Northern Territory of Australia) is an Australian territory in the central and central northern regions of Australia. The Northern Territory shares its borders with Western Aust ...

. Some of its members went on to be important figures in other Indigenous rights organisations. The Council wound up in the 1980s, after some of its work had borne fruit by bringing awareness of many injustices enshrined in legislation to the wider Australian and international community, and public opinion brought changes to the political landscape in Australia and both legislation and government support for services to Indigenous people had improved.

Foundation

A strike in Darwin in 1950 led indirectly to the creation of CAR. The North Australian Workers' Union (NAWU) had supported the residents of the

Aboriginal reserve An Aboriginal reserve, also called simply reserve, was a government-sanctioned settlement for Aboriginal Australians, created under various state and federal legislation. Along with missions and other institutions, they were used from the 19th c ...

s of Bagot and

Berrimah Berrimah may refer to: * Berrimah, Northern Territory Berrimah is an Eastern Suburb in the city of Darwin, in the Northern Territory of Australia. History Berrimah is on unceded lands of the Larrakia peoples. Before World War II, the Milit ...

reserves in their actions opposing

curfew A curfew is a government order specifying a time during which certain regulations apply. Typically, curfews order all people affected by them to ''not'' be in public places or on roads within a certain time frame, typically in the evening and ...

s imposed on by the government, and demands for better housing, wages and working conditions. NAWU also publicised the exile of the leader of the strike action, Fred Waters, to Haast's Bluff, west of Alice Springs, over from his home and family, by the Department of Native Affairs, despite having not been convicted of any crime. NAWU president Murray Norris garnered support on a speaking tour of the eastern states, helping non-Indigenous people to understand the conditions suffered by Aboriginal Territorians. After hearing Norris speak, a group of people founded the Council for Aboriginal Rights at a meeting on 16 March 1951, attended by about 70 people, including members of

trades unions A trade union (labor union in American English), often simply referred to as a union, is an organization of workers intent on "maintaining or improving the conditions of their employment", ch. I such as attaining better wages and benefits ...

, women's organisations, and churches. The new organisation's aims were to fight for the rights of and justice for Aboriginal Australians, although pastor (and former footballer)

Doug Nicholls Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls, (9 December 1906 – 4 June 1988) was a prominent Aboriginal Australian from the Yorta Yorta people. He was a professional athlete, Churches of Christ pastor and church planter, ceremonial officer and a pioneering ...

and

Bill Onus William Townsend Onus Jnr (15 November 1906 – 10 January 1968) was an Aboriginal Australian political activist, designer, and showman, also known for his boomerang-throwing skills. He was father of artist Lin Onus. Early life and educati ...

were the only Aboriginal people present. Its aim was to "plan, conduct and organize the widest possible support for a campaign to obtain justice for all

Australian Aborigines Aboriginal Australians are the various Indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, such as Tasmania, Fraser Island, Hinchinbrook Island, the Tiwi Islands, and Groote Eylandt, but excluding the Torres Strait Isla ...

". The group based the principles, constitution and subsequent campaigns of the council on the

United Nations Declaration of Human Rights The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is an international document adopted by the United Nations General Assembly that enshrines the rights and freedoms of all human beings. Drafted by a UN committee chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt, i ...

(passed in 1948), with the intention of testing existing Australian laws against this standard. The first office-bearers elected were: *President: Farnham Maynard, an Anglican clergyman *Vice-president: Colin Williams, a

Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's ...

minister *Honorary Secretary: Henry Wardlaw Executive members (all peace activists) included

Shirley Andrews Shirley Aldythea Marshall Seymour Andrews (5 November 1915 – 15 September 2001) was an Australian biochemist, dancer, researcher and Aboriginal rights activist. Early life and education Andrews was born on November 5, 1915, to Doris Andrews ...

, biochemist, researcher and activist, and Molly Rayne, an academic at the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

. A few months later, the first public meeting of the council was held in

Melbourne Town Hall Melbourne Town Hall is the central city town hall of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, and is a historic building in the state of Victoria since 1867. Located in the central business district on the northeast corner of the intersection between ...

on 19 June 1951 and attracting 900 people, including individuals from other states and various organisations such as unions, women's organisations, and religious bodies who joined the new body. The three speakers at the inaugural meeting, medical practitioner and church moderator

Charles Duguid use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = Kent Town, Adelaide , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates = , burial_place = ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a state in the southern central part of Australia. It covers some of the most arid parts of the country. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories ...

, writer Alan Marshall, and Doug Nicholls. The meeting publicised the new organisation.

1950s–1960s

In early 1952, Andrews was elected honorary secretary after Wardlaw resigned. She held this office until 1961, and through mobilising a network of contacts she developed, starting campaigns aiming to change discriminatory laws and practices, she and the council began to affect some of the entrenched negative attitudes towards Aboriginal people held by white Australians. Between 1953 and 1961 Andrews wrote and edited the biannual ''Bulletin'', consisting of four or five foolscap pages stapled together which described the latest CAR activities. The ''Bulletin'' even reached members abroad in England, Italy, and India. Among her contacts, there were a few particular people with whom she worked extensively. One of these was

Don Mcleod Donald Martin "Smokey" McLeod (August 24, 1946 – March 11, 2015) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who played briefly in the National Hockey League and six full seasons in the World Hockey Association between 1970 and 1978. Pl ...

, the

n Aboriginal rights activist in the Pilbara in the mid-20th century. She enabled McLeod's lecture tour of the eastern states in 1955, which was sponsored by the council. About 3,000 Victorians were inspired by hearing him speak about Aboriginal self-determination in WA in the form of an Aboriginal-run mining company. Another of Andrews' regular correspondents was

Mary Montgomerie Bennett Mary Montgomerie Bennett (1881–1961) was an Australian activist and teacher. She is notable as a historical advocate for the rights of Aboriginal Australians, particularly in Western Australia, at a time when this was not a common feature of A ...

, who worked with the Wongutha people of the Eastern Goldfields region of WA. Inspired by her work, Andrews lobbied the federal government for amendments to the '' Social Services Consolidation Act 1947'' to enable Aboriginal people's eligibility for the old age pension,

unemployment benefit Unemployment benefits, also called unemployment insurance, unemployment payment, unemployment compensation, or simply unemployment, are payments made by authorized bodies to unemployed people. In the United States, benefits are funded by a comp ...

s, and other social services. The council's focus was on educating non-Indigenous people about how Aboriginal people's rights were not heeded in many cases across the country. It organised defence for artist

Albert Namatjira Albert Namatjira (born Elea Namatjira; 28 July 1902 – 8 August 1959) was an Arrernte painter from the MacDonnell Ranges in Central Australia, widely considered one of the greatest and most influential Australian artists. As a pioneer of cont ...

, after he was charged with an offence under the ''

Welfare Ordinance 1953 The ''Northern Territory Aboriginals Act 1910'' was an Act of the South Australian parliament (Act no. 1024/1910), assented to on 7 December 1910. The Act established the Northern Territory Aboriginals Department, to be responsible for the contro ...

''. Namatjira and well-known Aboriginal actor

Robert Tudawali Robert Tudawali (1929 – 26 July 1967), also known as Bobby Wilson and Bob Wilson, was an Australian actor and Indigenous activist. He is known for his leading role in the 1955 Australian film ''Jedda'', which made him the first Indigenous Aus ...

were mentioned in press releases and letters to newspapers which showed that government policy had a big influence on the disadvantage experienced by Aboriginal people, and proposed social and political solutions rather than welfare to end disadvantage. During the 1950s the council was the strongest voice for justice for Aboriginal people in Australia, and (although it was itself a national organisation, working across the country) it worked towards the creation of a national advocacy body, to which state-based organisations would contribute. Andrews wrote to the Aborigines' Advancement League of South Australia and the Western Australian Native Welfare Council (created in 1952 at the request of the WA Minister for Native Affairs and co-founded by

George Abdullah George Cyril Abdullah (9 August 1919 – 6 August 1984) was an Aboriginal community leader who promoted Indigenous rights by participating in a number of organisations and committees in Perth, Western Australia. Early life life Abdullah was ...

) in 1953 but her ideas were not greeted with action. However, in 1956 Australian suffragette and committee member of the Anti-Slavery and Aborigines' Protection Society in

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

Jessie Street Jessie Mary Grey, Lady Street (née Lillingston; 18 April 1889 – 2 July 1970) was an Australian diplomat, suffragette and campaigner for Indigenous Australian rights, dubbed "Red Jessie" by the media. As Australia's only female delegate to t ...

, wrote to Andrews about the council's plans to bring Australia's treatment of its Aboriginal population to the attention of the United Nations. Duguid had a very high opinion of the work done by the Council for Aboriginal Rights, considering them the most important activist body in the 1950s. Following the

Warburton Ranges controversy Warburton or Warburton Ranges is an Aboriginal Australian community in Western Australia, just to the south of the Gibson Desert and located on the Great Central Road (part of the Outback Way) and Gunbarrel Highway. At the , Warburton had a po ...

in 1957, CAR was a founding member of the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement (FCAA, later FCAATSI), with representatives at the Adelaide meeting on 16 February 1958 which marked the founding of the first body which represented Aboriginal interests nationally. With the FCAA headquarters in Melbourne, CAR would often take on projects upon request by Davey, who was FCAA secretary. In 1957

Barry Christophers Barry may refer to: People and fictional characters * Barry (name), including lists of people with the given name, nickname or surname, as well as fictional characters with the given name * Dancing Barry, stage name of Barry Richards (born c. 19 ...

became president after Baynes' resignation. Doug Nicholls and Stan Davey wished to focus more on the welfare needs of

Aboriginal Victorians Aboriginal Victorians, the Aboriginal Australians of Victoria, Australia, occupied the land for tens of thousands of years prior to European settlement. Aboriginal people have lived a semi-nomadic existence of fishing, hunting and gathering, a ...

, so Andrews encouraged them to establish a new organisation; this would become the

Victorian Aborigines Advancement League The Aboriginal Advancement League was founded in 1957 as the Victorian Aborigines Advancement League (VAAL), is the oldest Aboriginal rights organisation in Australia still in operation. Its precursor organisations were the Australian Aborig ...

(VAAL), established in 1957 (now Aboriginal Advancement League). Both organisations remained affiliated with the FCAA.

ASIO ''Asio'' is a genus of typical owls, or true owls, in the family Strigidae. This group has representatives over most of the planet, and the short-eared owl is one of the most widespread of all bird species, breeding in Europe, Asia, North and ...

became interested in the organisation as several of the office bearers were members of the

Communist Party of Australia The Communist Party of Australia (CPA), known as the Australian Communist Party (ACP) from 1944 to 1951, was an Australian political parties, Australian political party founded in 1920. The party existed until roughly 1991, with its membersh ...

, and it was during the Cold War years. By the 1960s, most of the affiliated religious organisations had withdrawn, and the Council consisted mainly of left-wing activists and researchers. In 1961

Pauline Pickford Pauline may refer to: Religion *An adjective referring to St Paul the Apostle or a follower of his doctrines *An adjective referring to St Paul of Thebes, also called St Paul the First Hermit *An adjective referring to the Paulines, various reli ...

took over the position of honorary secretary from Andrews. Pickford's presence brought in more Aboriginal Victorians, including Laurie Moffatt from Lake Tyers, Joe McGinness' sister Margaret Edwards, and Nicholls and

were all active during the 1960s. After involvement with a case concerning the

Cape Bedford Mission The Cape Bedford Mission was the first Christian mission on the Cape York Peninsula of Queensland, Australia. It is the oldest surviving mission in northern Queensland. Founded by Lutheran staff from the Cooper Creek area of South Australia (wh ...

Hope Vale Hope Vale (also known as Hopevale) is a town within the Aboriginal Shire of Hope Vale and a coastal locality split between the Aboriginal Shire of Hope Vale and the Shire of Cook, both in Queensland, Australia. It is an Aboriginal community. I ...

in 1961, Pickford retained close ties with Gladys O'Shane, president of the Cairns Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders Advancement League (CATSIAL) and other activists from far north Queensland, such as McGinness and Evelyn Scott. Margaret Tucker was another notable member. In 1962 it undertook to assist the FCAA with research for and the organisation of a campaign including a carefully-worded

petition A petition is a request to do something, most commonly addressed to a government official or public entity. Petitions to a deity are a form of prayer called supplication. In the colloquial sense, a petition is a document addressed to some offi ...

, to put pressure on the federal government to hold a referendum to allow constitutional change giving the Commonwealth the power to make laws pertaining to Indigenous Australians. Shirley Andrews, Barry Christopher and Stan Davey (of CAR) and

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

politician

Gordon Bryant Gordon Munro Bryant (3 August 1914 – 14 January 1991) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and represented the Division of Wills in Victoria from 1955 to 1980. He served as Minister for Aborigina ...

drafted the petition in Melbourne, which they then sent to other states for further refinement. The petition was headed "Towards equal citizenship for Aborigines", and it was deliberately different from that of earlier petitions (such as the 1957 petition launched by the Aboriginal-Australian Fellowship in Sydney). It highlighted the legislative and policy discrimination in the various states and territories "which deprive Aborigines of equal wages and employment opportunities and deny them the right to own and develop their remaining tribal lands". The laws and policies applied to Indigenous peoples governed matters including

voting rights Suffrage, political franchise, or simply franchise, is the right to vote in representative democracy, public, political elections and referendums (although the term is sometimes used for any right to vote). In some languages, and occasionally i ...

marriage Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognized union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children, and between ...

, property ownership, and

wage A wage is payment made by an employer to an employee for work done in a specific period of time. Some examples of wage payments include compensatory payments such as ''minimum wage'', '' prevailing wage'', and ''yearly bonuses,'' and remune ...

rates, and there was wide disparity in the legislation within and among the states and territories. The FCAA petition campaign resulted in 103,000 signatures in 94 separate petitions.

1970s–1980s

In 1973 FCAATSI became an Indigenous-controlled body, and the Whitlam Labor government set up the

National Aboriginal Consultative Committee The National Aboriginal Conference (NAC) was a national organisation established by the Australian Government to represent Indigenous Australians, that is Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The NAC was originally establi ...

in the same year, and helped to fund new organisations such as Aboriginal legal services and Aboriginal health services. CAR continued to support Indigenous enterprises, but its earlier sense of purpose had diminished. There is no evidence in the organisation's files, held in the State Library of Victoria, of an exact date when it ceased to function, but its activities appear to have come to an end in the mid-1980s.

Legacy

The influence of the Council for Aboriginal Rights was immense, and it was a key player in the struggle for Indigenous rights in Australia. It helped to shape public opinion, and influenced the growing calls for

constitutional reform A constitutional amendment is a modification of the constitution of a polity, organization or other type of entity. Amendments are often interwoven into the relevant sections of an existing constitution, directly altering the text. Conversely, ...

. The work done on the FCAA's 1962 petition campaign was significant. The campaign led ultimately to the creation and passing of the

1967 referendum The 1967 Australian referendum occurred on 27 May 1967 under the Holt Government. It contained three topics asked about in two questions, regarding the passage of two bills to alter the Australian Constitution. The first question (''Constitution ...

, which gave the Federal Government the power to make laws for Indigenous Australians in states, as well as including them in population counts (the

Australian census The Census in Australia, officially the Census of Population and Housing, is the national census in Australia that occurs every five years. The census collects key demographic, social and economic data from all people in Australia on census nig ...

Foundation

1950s–1960s

1970s–1980s

Legacy

References

Further reading