PLANS to mark the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Ride through Moree are underway.
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Cr Mekayla Cochrane dug deep into the annals of the town's history to unearth documents recording the 15-day historical bus trip that shaped Australian history.
In February 1965 a group of Sydney University students called "Students for Aboriginal Rights" undertook the journey to highlight the appalling living conditions of Aboriginal people across NSW.
The students, led by Aboriginal students Charles Perkins and Gary Williams, stopped at Moree.
It was a humid February day in 1965, so they went to the then Bore Baths to cool off, only for six Aboriginals to be barred from entry.
The documents discovered by Cr Cochrane show a by-law from the era which stated, "no person, being a full blooded or half caste Aboriginal native of Australia ... shall use or occupy any of the premises of the Council known as the Bore Baths".
That by-law was passed in 1955 and was only rescinded in May, 1965 following the Freedom Ride.
"The by-laws entrenched segregation in the town and further damaged relationships between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people today," Cr Cochrane said.
"While Moree Municipal Council no longer exists, this council plays a role in ensuring fair accessibility to what is now known as the Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre."
On Thursday, July 18 councillors agreed to acknowledge the 60th anniversary of the Freedom Ride with a barbecue at the centre.
Descendants of Mr Perkins and as well as Aboriginal elder Lyall Munro (who joined the Freedrom Ride bus as a schoolboy, travelling between the mission and the town) will be invited, along with town dignitaries and others.
Cr Cochrane also called for free or half price entry to the centre on the day of the anniversary.
"My family are from this area and were around when the by-laws were enforced," Cr Cochrane said.
"But the trauma of that time still has an impact today, those memories are still raw.
"The 60th anniversary commemoration will go a long way towards healing the hurt."
The day is scheduled for February 20, 2025 and Council agreed to provide a budget of $1000 to support the event.
Ann Curthoys was part of the Freedom Ride and is now a retired professor at Sydney University.
She recalled that after the children were denied entry to the Bore Baths, Mr Perkins arrived "with a bus load of 21 aboriginal boys and they had to be all let in.
"We went back to the hall, had tea, and then went off to the Memorial Hall for the public meeting we'd arranged.
"There were over 200 people there and at first the atmosphere was very hostile, with lots of jeering and interjection.
"Jim Spigelman spoke first, about who we were and how we came to be there. Then John Powles, on the survey. Then Charlie.
"The questions were sometimes antagonistic but there were some very sympathetic ones too.
"Then a Mr Kelly got up and moved that the clause in the statute books about segregation in the swimming pool be removed. This was seconded by Bob Brown, and accepted 88 votes to 10. We were all thrilled to bits."
