The Australian Freedom Rides

About turn

On leaving Moree, the bus headed for Lismore. Suspicious at so easy a victory, we checked back with Bob Brown. As some had feared, he told us that the ban had been reimposed shortly after we left

There was yet another debate. Should we return to Moree, or continue on to Lismore? The "freedom riders" came from a variety of backgrounds. Many of the white students had not met an Aborigine before. A number came from Christian groups like the Student Christian Movement, others came from a leftist background and one was a member of the conservative Country Party.  As with every other decision the proposal to return to Moree was debated at length. We discussed it over meals, and debated while the bus travelled, using the microphone the driver usually used to point out tourist attractions.

After the experiences of Walgett, and the first confrontation at the Moree pool, everyone was aware that there were risks. We'd all seen the images of burning buses in the American South. There was also the question of the rest of the trip. We were half way through our tour - what would we do about Lismore and the other towns on our route?

In the end the decision was clear. To stay away would have been to admit defeat, but as someone said as we headed back to the hot far western town of Moree, Saturday night is a dangerous night in a country town. 

A dangerous night ------------------->