15/5/1965

Walgett

Today we woke up in Walgett.  We decided to hold a protest outside the front of the RSL club at 12pm because we heard the indigenous veterans were only allowed in once a year on ANZAC day.  We started the morning with some surveys, discovering that the conditions were terrible, they had to use dirty water and lived in overcrowded tin shacks with mud floors.  At 12pm we lined up in front of the RSL club holding signs that said: "Acceptance, Not Segregation", "End Colour Bar" "Bullets did not Discriminate", "Walgett - Australia's Disgrace", "Why Whites Only" and "Educate the Whites".  A crowd started to gather and Charles spoke to them, entering into discussions about segregation with the help of the local aborigines.  Whilst that was happening some of us went and protested outside a dress shop that refused to serve indigenous people, but they closed shop half-an-hour later, so we went back to RSL club.  At about 7pm we pack up after having intense arguments for the last two hours with the locals about aboriginal rights.  That night we decided to leave after being refused another night's stay.  About 200 aborigines and some whites came to see us off.  We left Alex Mills behind because the pub goers were starting to get hostile, meaning we had to leave quickly.  A few kilometres down the road a truck tried to push us off the road.  On the first two attempts our driver managed to swerve but on the third attempt the truck hit us forcing the bus to tip but not roll.  They probably did this because they didn't like what we were doing.  The police came and took a statement and we spent the night in the park at Walgett.

Protesting Outside Walgett RSL

Posted by Aiden Foy at 23:45