CHARLES PERKINS

Early Life 

Charles Nelson Perkins (16 June 1936 – 19 October 2000) was born in Alice Springs' Telegraph Station Aboriginal Reserve in the Northern Territory. His mother, Hetty Perkins was a part of the Arrernte people, while his father, Martin Connelly was a part of the Kalkadoon people. At the age of ten, he was removed from the reserve and sent to a boy’s home in Adelaide. Here he completed his schooling but faced difficulties fitting in due to his circumstances and ethnicity.

Career

Throughout his working life he undertook various jobs and careers. He became an apprentice fitter and turner at the age of 15, all the while playing soccer for Budapest. He had various fitter and turner jobs where he faced conflict with other workers due to his ethnicity. By the age of 21, he was the highest paid soccer player in South Australia. Charles went on to have an extensive soccer career playing for professional London soccer team Everton, being enlisted into Bishop Auckland, becoming captain of the Croatian team in South Australia and also vice-captain of the South Australian team.

University Life

Charles Perkins decided to continue his education in order to campaign for Indigenous rights more efficiently. While studying at Sydney University, he became deeply involved in issues regarding Indigenous rights, resolving to use his education for the betterment of the lives of Aboriginal people upon graduating. Charles Perkins became the first Aboriginal man to graduate from university.

Involvement In Rights And Freedoms

His participation in the 1965 Australian Freedom Rides initiated the start of his political journey. He, along with a group of university students toured rural New South Wales to reveal the racial discrimination present within many country towns directed towards Indigenous people. The entire trip gained extensive coverage and through the utilisation of television, the discrimination present in Australia was brought to the public eye and national attention. As well as this, Charles Perkins participated in various other racial based protests.

In 1969 when Perkins joined the Commonwealth Office of Aboriginal Affairs he was able to further his involvement in Aboriginal rights with the Commonwealth’s increasing efforts with Indigenous issues. In 1984 he became Secretary of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs as well as a
well-known controversial figure. Resigning in 1988, in his later years he returned to Alice Springs where he went on to be elected into the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) in 1993 and served as Deputy Chairman from 1994–1995.

Death

Charles Perkins passed away in Sydney on the 19th of October, 2000 due to kidney disease and was given a state funeral in commemoration of his dedication to Indigenous Australians.