Racial Discrimination Seen In N.S.W.

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31080, 8 June 1966, Page 9

Racial Discrimination Seen In N.S.W.

Z. Press Assn—Copyright) SYDNEY, June 7. The New South Wales Government has been asked to introduce legislation to combat racial discrimination against the State’s Aborigines. Mr C. Perkins, aged 30, a leading Aboriginal civil rights worker and the first Aboriginal university graduate, made the plea to a parliamentary- select committee on Aborigines’ welfare. Mr Perkins said: “There are pockets of discrimination in the State which must be dealt with by legislation to give Aborigines more dignity, and to allow something to be done about the more overt acts of racial discrimination.” Mr Perkins addressed the committee three days after the Sydney City Council had

ruled that dances for Aborigines at three inner city council-owned halls must atop.

The council banned the dances, which had been organised by the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs, after complaints of rowdy scenes outside the halls. The council said it would allow the foundation to run dances only at Darlington Town Hall, which had fewer nearby residents than the other halls. The decision brought strong protests from Aboriginal workers, who claimed it was a clear case of racial prejudice.

Mr Penkins, who is the man-

ager of the foundation, said: “The City Council has only itself to blame if racial violence erupts.” The Rev. Ted Noffs. the foundation’s first president, said: “This is one more step in the stupid process which will bring about in Australia the kind of ugly race riots which have exploded in the United States.” Officials of the foundation have said they were not responsible for people outside dances. They said the dances were well-organised and any “undesirables” who tried to enter were ejected. Professor W. R. Geddes, chairman of the foundation, which is a voluntary welfare organisation, said the dances were organised to provide “decent social outlets for Aboriginal people.” He said the foundation had received no complaints from the police about the dances, and the City Council had not consulted the foundation on the matter, although the Lord Mayor of Sydney, Alderman J. A. Armstrong, was the foundation’s president.

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