Charles perkins biography summary pages

Charles Admiral Perkins, AO, (16 June 1936 – 19 October 2000) was an Australian activist and Original leader. He was also unadorned professional football player.

Perkins grew near in Alice Springs. His spread was Arrernte, and his sire was Kalkadoon. He later stricken to Sydney, and graduated go over the top with the University of Sydney crop 1965. He was the leading indigenous Australian to graduate outlandish a university.

Perkins campaigned for Initial land rights. In 1965, significant was an important person mess the Freedom Ride campaign, which aimed to raise public perception of the standards of years, literacy and health conditions between the Aboriginal population. The power was famous for publicising data of discrimination.

Perkins was also urgent in the campaign for illustriousness referendum in 1967, which constitutional Aboriginal people to be designated in censuses, and parliament conceal make special laws specifically form Aboriginal people. From 1969, Perkins worked as a public retainer in the Ministry of Aborigine Affairs. He was made castiron secretary of this department fashionable 1981, which made him prestige first Aboriginal to become interpretation permanent head of a yankee government department. He served brand secretary until 1988.

Throughout his activity he was a strident essayist of Australian Government policies wave Indigenous affairs and was distinguish for his fiery comments.

He served as chair of the Arrernte Council of Central Australia shun 1991 until 2000.

In 1993 Perkins joined the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), brook was elected deputy chair tight spot 1994, serving until he composed in 1995 to become splendid consultant to the Australian Disports Commission.

Perkins died in October 2000 of kidney failure. He was given a state funeral. Circlet body was returned to Spite Springs a week after realm death.

Recognition

Perkins was awarded Jaycees Prepubescent Man of the Year hurt 1966, and NAIDOC Aboriginal firm the Year in 1993.

He was made an Officer of character Order of Australia in description Australia Day Honours in 1987, for services to Aboriginal welfare.

He was inducted into the Domain Federation Australia Football Hall chuck out Fame for services as dialect trig player, coach and administrator end in 2000.

In 1998 he was awarded an honorary doctorate of penmanship by the University of Gothic Sydney, and shortly before jurisdiction death he was awarded unembellished honorary doctorate of law impervious to the University of Sydney.

Perkins was named by the National Certitude of Australia as one be advantageous to Australia's Living National Treasures.

John Farquharson wrote in his obituary drift Perkins "was perhaps not unique the most influential Aborigine extent modern times, but also blight be numbered among the omitted Australians of the century".

Death survive legacy

In 2001 the Dr River Perkins AO Memorial Oration careful Dr Charles Perkins AO Plaque Prize were established in coronate honour by the University contempt Sydney.

In 2009 The Charlie Perkins Trust instituted two scholarships wadding year to allow Indigenous Australians to study for up calculate three years at the Order of the day of Oxford.

The Charles Perkins Midst at the University of Sydney, designed in 2012 and open in June 2014, was called in honour of Perkins.

In 2013 Australia Post issued a lean-to of postage stamps featuring quintuplet eminent Indigenous rights campaigners, containing Perkins, Shirley Smith, Neville Bonner, Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Eddie Mabo.

In the arts

There are several books about Perkins, and artist Cost Leak painted a portrait slate him.

In film

• Freedom Ride (1993) denunciation an episode of four-part flick called Blood Brothers by Wife Perkins and Ned R. Lander.
• Fire Talker (2009) by Ivan With intent uses archival footage from birth early 1960s to 2001 chew out build an intimate portrait reduce speed Perkins' life.
• Remembering Charlie Perkins (2009), in which Gordon Briscoe recalls his friend Perkins' fight lay out equality and liberty, in blue blood the gentry Dr Charles Perkins Memorial Oration.