The Hon. PENNY SHARPE (Minister for Climate Change, Minister for Energy, Minister for the Environment, and Minister for Heritage) (16:03): The following excellent lyrics were sung not by me but by the much better singers Troy Cassar-Daley and Paul Kelly:

Remember 1965
The story of the freedom ride
On a bus, they rode from town to town
East to west, north to south
Get it from the horse's mouth
Those true stories on the ground
…
All aboard the freedom ride
All aboard now, step inside
All aboard the freedom ride
Come and join the freedom ride
Fight for justice, fight for pride
All aboard the freedom ride

Yesterday an extraordinary event occurred in Walgett when 500 people from all around gathered together to commemorate the 1965 Freedom Ride. Those in attendance included Her Excellency the Governor; my colleague the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, David Harris; the mayor and local councillors; and representatives of Roy Butler. Importantly, it also included six of those who, 60 years ago, rode into town on a bus, with a banner, as part of the Freedom Ride. The 1965 Freedom Ride was instrumental in raising awareness about racial injustice, and it was also a building block for Aboriginal activists everywhere across Australia to progress the rights of First Nations people. Inspired by a set of bus trips made by the civil rights movement in the United States challenging segregation, a group of 30 University of Sydney students hired a bus, hung a banner across its front and set off, on a wing and a prayer, on a two-week journey through regional New South Wales.

Led by Indigenous rights activist Charles Perkins—whose family I acknowledge in the gallery today—the group rode through Wellington, Gulargambone and Walgett before passing Moree, Boggabilla, Tenterfield, Lismore, Grafton, Bowraville and Kempsey. Their efforts were not well received by locals. In many towns they were pelted with fruit and stones, they were chased out of town by locals, and in one town police officers even had to escort the students to safety. The rides were instrumental in drawing national and international attention to the living conditions of Aboriginal people and the racism that was rife in many communities. At the time, many towns in regional New South Wales had effectively implemented segregation as a policy that banned Aboriginal people from using community facilities and kept Aboriginal housing in a separate part of town and in terrible circumstances.

Aboriginal people were barred from community spaces and businesses, including RSLs, swimming pools, theatres and cafes. Shocked by what they were witnessing, the students organised demonstrations to protest the treatment of Aboriginal people at multiple places, including the Walgett Returned Services League Club, swimming pools in Moree and Kempsey, and the Bowraville Theatre. In doing so, they frequently received hostility from non-Aboriginal locals. Throughout the Freedom Ride, the protests of the students and the reactions of the townspeople were captured by the media. For the first time, a light was shone on the injustice that was happening in our own backyard. In Walgett one evening, one of the students filmed a group of cars run the bus off the road as they left, which came after a seven-hour protest in the very hot sun, during which people fainted and protesters were spat on.

It was a very challenging and scary day, but those events brought the ride national attention. From then on, the media was on the bus to capture the rest of the ride. They also captured footage of the then President of the Walgett Returned Services League Club saying that he would never allow an Aboriginal person to become a member. Things really have changed. Yesterday 500 people gathered to commemorate those events in that very same RSL hall—a fact that was not lost on anyone who was there. The celebrations in Walgett were moving, and the kids made superhero capes for the Freedom Riders. We must remember that the Freedom Riders of the time were 19, 20 and 21 years old, so most of them are about 80. Six of them were with us yesterday, which was wonderful to see.

We also heard from the Elders about what the ride meant for them as kids in regional New South Wales, working out that they had a voice and that they could use that voice to make change and stay involved in that process. Some of them would continue that work for 60 years. Whether it was the establishment of the Aboriginal Legal Service, the Aboriginal Medical Service or the campaign for the referendum that happened two years after, the Freedom Ride inspired a generation of Aboriginal people, and it continues to do so today. Yesterday it was a privilege to join with the Governor, the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, the original Freedom Riders and their family members in Walgett.

As well as marking the history of the Freedom Rides, I put on record also the role of the Reverend Ted Noffs from the Wayside Chapel. He did not take part in the ride but was instrumental in its events and was one of its most steadfast supporters. When I say that the bus took off on a wing and a prayer, it was literally as a result of the prayers of Ted Noffs and the foundation that supported Charles Perkins and his merry band as they made their way around New South Wales.

Yesterday I was pleased to acknowledge that work and to announce that the Government will fund a permanent Freedom Ride pavilion in Freedom Ride Memorial Park in Walgett. That project was championed by the Walgett Aboriginal Medical Service and its CEO Christine Corby and chair Mary Purse. I thank Aunty Christine for coming to see me in Parliament last year and for telling me about these plans. I was so glad to be with her yesterday. I was even more pleased that I convinced the Treasurer and others that the Government should make those plans a reality.

As part of the anniversary I also unveiled the second plaque for the Freedom Ride. The previous Government recognised the Freedom Ride with the first plaque, which was placed at the Wayside Chapel. I am pleased that over the next year we will be putting around 20 plaques along the entire trail, so that it becomes not just a tourist trail but also a truth telling trail and an education trail about how much things have changed and the people who have shaped New South Wales.

The role of the Minister for Heritage is to safeguard the many stories and places that make New South Wales what it is. Some of those stories are difficult, and most places have layers of stories that all speak to each other. Our heritage is not just contained in sandstone buildings and iconic churches; it lives on in the stories that crisscross our State. The Freedom Ride is a story of struggle against injustice, of people fighting for a better future and standing up against racism. Those are ideals that I think all members agree with.

The New South Wales Government is committed to working with Aboriginal communities and organisations to close the gap and improve the lives of and opportunities for Aboriginal people living in New South Wales. By listening to Aboriginal voices, supporting Aboriginal-led initiatives and committing to real action, we can follow in the footsteps of the Freedom Riders to build a more just and equal Australia. Some of Charles Perkins' family were present in Walgett yesterday and I place on record some of their words:

We celebrate our beloved father and grandfather, and the brave students that embarked on the Freedom Rides that shone a light on the injustices First Nations people faced in 1965. It sparked a call to action that has had a material legacy in the opportunities our people have today.

We honour the sacrifices of our community for our rights, many who never lived to benefit. It's important to reflect that these conditions were well within living memory, and indeed there is still much disparity that First Nations people face today.

However we hold hope that, like that fateful bus ride, bringing injustice to light will invoke our collective humanity and inspire change.

I close with the words of Freedom Rider Beth Hansen, who was with us in Walgett yesterday. Along with the other original riders, she was presented with a cape made by some of the students at the local schools. They are indeed New South Wales superheroes. Beth said:

I'm at the ceremony in Walgett today to commemorate the Freedom Ride that came here 60 years ago.

An irony is that our non-violent action might have had little impact except that some white men ran our bus off the road on the edge of this town.

That took our protest to the front page of the Herald which helped broadcast to the world that Australia was overdue to stop discriminating against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

I accept that the 1965 Freedom Ride was an important event in our history, but I wish to pay credit to all those Aboriginal people who have spent the past 60 years fighting courageously to right the many wrongs against First Nations Peoples.

They are the ones who deserve most credit for the positive changes that have taken place. There is still much to be done.

Sixty years ago a momentous event occurred arising from the idealism of a bunch of young people who refused to accept injustice in our community. There is still much to be done, but we thank them for their efforts; they fundamentally changed Australia.

The Hon. AILEEN MacDONALD (16:13): I also acknowledge the family members of the late Dr Charles Perkins here today. I recognise the sixtieth anniversary of the Freedom Ride, an event that changed the course of history by exposing the racism, exclusion and hardship experienced by Aboriginal people in regional New South Wales. As members know, a group of University of Sydney students, led by the late Dr Charles Perkins, set off on a 15‑day journey through country towns across the State. They saw firsthand the appalling conditions faced by Aboriginal people: returned servicemen banned from RSL clubs, families forced to live in tin shacks with mud floors and children denied access to public swimming pools.

The Freedom Riders did not simply bear witness to injustice; they challenged it. They held placards outside the Walgett RSL, demanding equal treatment for Aboriginal ex‑servicemen. They stood outside Moree's segregated swimming pool, refusing to leave until Aboriginal children were allowed to enter. They exposed the racial divide in country towns, forcing the nation to confront a reality too long ignored. Their courage captured national and international attention, shifting public sentiment and laying the groundwork for the 1967 referendum, when over 90 per cent of Australians voted to recognise Aboriginal people in the Constitution.

Today we commemorate their bravery. But true commemoration is more than words; it is action. So we must ask ourselves what has truly changed. Yes, the overt segregation the Freedom Riders protested against may be gone, but many of the deep inequalities they sought to end remain. In some areas, the situation has even worsened. The latest Closing the Gap data makes this clear. Life expectancy for Aboriginal people is still significantly lower than for others; child removal rates have increased; Aboriginal youth remain grossly over‑represented in the justice system; suicide rates among First Nations people are rising; and overcrowded and inadequate housing remains a reality for too many Aboriginal families. Those are not just statistics. They are real people, real families and real communities. They are people who are still waiting for the change they were promised.

Recognition must be paired with action. The Government has announced blue plaques along the Freedom Ride route and the completion of a Freedom Ride pavilion in Walgett. Those are welcome initiatives, but we must remember that the Freedom Riders did not take to the road for plaques or monuments. They rode because Aboriginal children were excluded from opportunity. They rode because Aboriginal communities were denied basic rights. They rode because justice had been delayed for far too long. So where do we go from here? The 2024 Productivity Commission review of Closing the Gap was clear: Governments are failing to deliver on their commitments, and progress is far too slow. If we are serious about honouring the Freedom Riders' legacy, we must work towards real and measurable change such as reforming youth justice, as Aboriginal young people remain over-represented in detention; reducing child removal rates; providing culturally safe health care; and closing the education and employment gaps, as Aboriginal children still do not have equal access to education. Year 12 completion rates are still behind, university completion rates remain lower and employment targets are not being met.

Sixty years ago, the Freedom Riders stood in the blistering heat outside the Walgett RSL, determined to be heard. They were pelted with rotten fruit in Moree, jeered at in country towns and chased out of town by a convoy of cars. Yet they stood firm. They believed in something greater: a future where Aboriginal people would be equal in opportunity, in dignity and in life. Today we must ask ourselves: Are we honouring their courage, or just remembering it? Commemoration is important, but history demands action. Let us ensure that in another 60 years, Aboriginal children are not still fighting the same battles. Let us ensure that our words are matched with real action. Let us commit today to finishing the work the Freedom Riders started.