Arrernte and Kalkadoon man Charles Perkins AO (1936–2000) was a civil rights activist who dedicated his life to achieving justice for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. In the summer of 1964–65, as a student at the University of Sydney, Perkins organised a student bus tour around New South Wales to draw attention to the poor state of Indigenous health, education and housing, and to try and stimulate local action. Referred to as the 'freedom rides', it highlighted the state of race relations in Australia. The students protested and demonstrated against racial segregation and discrimination, culminating in overwhelming support for the 1967 Federal Government referendum which gave a clear mandate to implement policies to benefit First Nations people.
Robert McFarlane (1942-2023) recalled that he took this famous photograph of Perkins at night as he was going to, or returning from, mentoring country boys at Tranby Aboriginal Co-operative College, an independent learning environment for adult Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. This introspective, seemingly isolated, portrayal of Perkins contrasts with his political activism in leading the 'freedom rides', recognised as one of Australia's most significant civil rights events.
Purchased 1999
© Robert McFarlane/Copyright Agency, 2024
On one level The Companion talks about the most famous and frontline Australians, but on another it tells us about ourselves.
Penelope Grist speaks to Robert McFarlane about shooting for the stars.
This sample of 56 photographs takes in some of the smallest photographs we own and some of the largest, some of the earliest and some of the most recent, as well as multiple photographic processes from daguerreotypes to digital media.
