Where & When he was born

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Charles Perkins was born on the 16th of June, 1936 behind the old telegraph station (previosuly known as 'The Bugalow') in Alice Springs (Northern Territory) Australia. 

His upbringing/education before going to University

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In the first few years of his life his mum educated him the ways of the Arrente – his ancestor’s tribe. At the age of 8 (around 1945), after his mum permission, he was voluntarily taken to go to St Francis – a Christian school – in Adelaide by the Anglican Priest. Charles tried to make the most out of the opportunities offered to him, and it was during his years in Adelaide that he slowly began to understand the extent of discrimination against Aboriginal people.  He encountered harsh discipline at the boy’s home, especially after the departure of Father Smith, with who he had formed a strong bond with.

How he managed to go to University

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Charles Perkins’ outstanding soccer skills made it possible for him to finance his way into university.  His skills first led him to England in 1957 to play for Everton. On his return to Australia, his soccer career culminated in him playing as a captain/coach for Pan-Hellenic in Sydney. He married Eileen in 1961 and they moved to Sydney. In his new home, Charles entered the University of Sydney in 1963 and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in May 1966. He was the first Indigenous Australian to graduate from university.


His involvement in the Freedom Rides & SAFA

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Charles Perkins was the creator of the Freedom Rides. Without him, the Freedom Rides would not have been possible or even thought of, nor would they have achieved what they did through it.  Around the time when he graduated, Charles was instrumental in establishing the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs in Sydney and forged a lasting connection with the Sydney Aboriginal community. Charles Perkins was elected to be the president of Student Action For Aborigines (SAFA). SAFA was a body of students. 


His life and career after the Freedom Rides

After the Freedom Rides, Charles Perkins began his career as a public servant in 1969 as a Senior Research Officer with the office of Aboriginal Affairs. In 1981 he was appointed Permanent Secretary of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs, becoming the first Aboriginal to become a permanent head of a federal government department. He served as Chairman of the Aboriginal Development Commission between 1981 and 1984. Perkins served as Secretary until 1988. Throughout his career he was a strident critic of Australian Government’s policies on indigenous affairs and was renowned for his fiery comments. Prime Minister Bob Hawke once said about Perkins that he "sometimes found it difficult to observe the constraints usually imposed on permanent heads of departments because he had a burning passion for advancing the interests of his people".  In 1989 Charles became Chair of Arrente of Central Australia. In 1992 Perkins was elected commissioner of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) for an area of the Central North Territory. In 1994 he was elected Deputy Chairperson for ATSIC. Lastly he was also interviewed for Film Australia’s Australian Biography series in 1998. Part of this interview can be viewed below.