This year a lot of attention will be given to the centenary of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli. <\/p>\n
But country music star Troy Cassar-Daley wants to shed light on another significant moment in Australia's history - the Freedom Ride of 1965. <\/p>\n
During the Freedom Ride, Aboriginal activist Charles Perkins and a group of students travelled into NSW country towns on a bus protesting for Aboriginal rights. <\/p>\n
The Freedom Ride generated huge publicity at the time and exposed the racial segregation and discrimination suffered by Aboriginal people. <\/p>\n
Two years later, a referendum on Aboriginal rights was held and was successful, leading to amendments made to the Australian constitution. <\/p>\n
The amendments allowed Aboriginal people to be included in the national census and formally recognised them as Australian citizens. <\/p>\n
\"Freedom Ride was a special thing for me as an indigenous kid ... such an important issue and an important happening in indigenous history,\" Cassar-Daley told AAP. <\/p>\n
The singer says he was blown away to learn as a kid that before the Freedom Ride indigenous Australians, including his own grandparents, couldn't vote. <\/p>\n
\"I was blown away with that. I didn't think that could happen in Australia. I didn't think there was segregation in Australia.\" <\/p>\n
Now, 50 years later, Cassar-Daley is putting the story back out there, front and centre, with his ninth record titled Freedom Ride. It's a timely decision. <\/p>\n
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