Perkins, Charles (1936-2000), was an Australian Aboriginal leader who campaigned for the rights of the country’s Indigenous peoples. He was one of the first Aboriginal Australians to graduate from a university. Perkins received his degree from the University of Sydney in 1966. He later became the first Aboriginal person to head a government department.
Charles Nelson Perkins was born on June 16, 1936, on a reservation near Alice Springs in the Northern Territory. He was sent to school in Adelaide at the age of 9. Later, he played professional soccer in England and Australia. His stay in England inspired him to work for the rights of his people.
In 1963, Perkins enrolled at the University of Sydney, where he studied anthropology, government, psychology, and sociology. In 1965, Perkins organized the Freedom Ride, a 10-day bus journey with fellow students from the University of Sydney. During the journey, the students visited towns in the outback (Australia’s interior) to protest against racial discrimination.
In 1969, Perkins joined the government’s Office of Aboriginal Affairs (later the Department of Aboriginal Affairs). He became secretary of the department in 1984. Perkins resigned from this position in 1988 and was later cleared of allegations of corruption and mismanagement. He remained a leading advocate on Aboriginal issues throughout his life. He died on Oct. 18, 2000.
