69-578: The Australian Natives' Association ( ANA ) was a mutual society founded in Melbourne, Australia in April 1871. It was founded by and for the benefit of White native-born Australians , and membership was restricted to that group. The Association's objectives were to "raise funds by subscription, donations ... for the purpose of relieving sick members, and defraying expenses of funeral of members and their wives, relieving distressed widows and orphans and for
138-532: A "falsehood" and "not accurate". Rubinstein states there were in fact several other protests against Kristallnacht in Australia, which are "unremembered and unremarked by the Australian Jewish community today" compared with Cooper's actions. Rubenstein also states that accolades for Cooper's protest have been pushed by "leftist inverse racism" but this subjective view does not take into consideration
207-753: A "predictive view of history that promised salvation for the Yorta Yorta, just as the Bible, especially the Book of Exodus, had promised to the persecuted and suffering Israelites." From 1881, Cooper was educated by Thomas Shadrach James , a polymath Tamil from Mauritius , who had moved to Maloga to become the resident teacher. Cooper read widely, learning of the indigenous rights movements in North America and New Zealand . Cooper's long campaign for Aboriginal rights, especially land rights , began with
276-576: A 1997 essay, historian Gary Foley argued that it was "probable that the ironies of the deputation’s visit to the German Consulate were part of the group’s strategy to draw attention to the similarities between what was happening in Germany and how Aboriginal people were being dealt with in Australia." Cooper has been widely associated with the AAL's petition, although there is no evidence that he
345-471: A connection with the missionary Daniel Matthews and, in his 20s, he returned to Maloga, which appears to represent very happy years. In a letter he wrote towards the end of his life to the missionary's youngest daughter, Alma, he recalled Daniel and Janet and the Maloga community in very warm terms: I often cast my mind back to them, and the dear old place, and at times it brings tears in my eyes when thinking of
414-592: A detective acting on behalf of the Commonwealth Investigation Branch. Seeing the failure of using democratic means, Cooper's Australian Aborigines League joined forces with Jack Patten and William Ferguson from the Aborigines Progressive Association to shame white Australia. They arranged a Day of Mourning to commemorate the sesquicentenary of colonisation, on Australia Day , 1938. The event, which
483-529: A knowledge of the Alphabet, capital and small letters, in three days and then taught Bobby – capitals only – in one day. From there, Cooper's education on the mission was sporadic; there was no requirement for Cooper to attend any school, and he moved to and from the mission freely. In an interview Cooper gave when he was 76, he said he had just seven months' regular schooling. Instead of school, Cooper said he spent much of his childhood into his teens working in
552-529: A motion that the Association allow having debates or essays at the meetings after the business had been completed. The membership population centre of the Association moved to the gold fields towns west of Melbourne as the membership of these branches grew. The administration also moved West with the election of F. C. Wainwright, a member in Ballarat, as General Secretary in 1881. As the Association grew, it
621-684: A number of Jewish leaders. On the same day, a ceremony at the Aborigines Advancement League in Melbourne was held to honour Cooper's "brave stance against the oppression of the Jews". On 20 May 2010 the new footbridge at Footscray railway station was named for William Cooper. On 5 October 2010, a court complex named the William Cooper Justice Centre was opened in Melbourne. In December 2010, there were three commemorative events: In 2012, Cooper
690-554: A revived version of the ANA. According to its Charter of Principles, the ANA is for "the cultivation of an Australian sentiment based on the maintenance of European-descent ethnic homogeneity; the development in Australia of a self-reliant ethnocentric community existing in parallel to preexisting institutions; and the promotion in Australia of patriarchal family order." The ANA has also written about how members feel "atomized in an ocean of migrants and rootless 'globetrotters'". It claims that it
759-424: A strong supporter. The literary competition was dropped early, but the vocal competitions were prominent in Australia's cultural calendar for over thirty years. In 1927 the 38th, and final, ANA musical and elocutionary competitions were held in Melbourne. The ANA was wary of admitting female members, on the basis that at the time males were predominately the primary income earners. At the 1896 Daylesford Conference,
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#1732779700601828-556: A stronger connection to the Ku Klux Klan or Hitler's Third Reich than to Australia cannot be reconciled with an Australian-centric worldview. They, like many others are a product of globalisation. Between 1897 and 1919, the ANA published the monthly "The Advance Australia" magazine. Australians Too Many Requests If you report this error to the Wikimedia System Administrators, please include
897-507: A variety of pastoral employers, even as a child. On 4 August 1874, William Cooper, along with his mother, Kitty, his brother Bobby and other relatives arrived at Maloga , an Aboriginal mission on the Murray, run by Daniel and Janet Matthews. Three days later, Matthews was struck by William's quick progress in literacy, and noted the following in his diary: 6 Aug. Maloga. The boy, Billy Cooper, shows great aptitude for learning. He has acquired
966-509: A white labourer. His early years were spent in and around Moira Station. Cooper married Annie Clarendon Murri on 17 June 1884 at the Maloga schoolhouse, the mission report stating that "The schoolhouse was filled with Blacks and visitors, and all looked charming and delighted, not less so the bride and bridegroom." She died in 1889, as did the first of their children, Bartlett; fortunately, their daughter Emma survived. Four years after his loss, Cooper married Agnes Hamilton, who had grown up at
1035-787: Is inseparable from history, culture and genealogy. The ANA, although expressing a devout conviction for the return of the White Australia policy due to concerns for the "social impacts" of immigration, has stated that "all men (even aliens) should be treated with basic dignity unless they have proven themselves worthy of something less". The Association has publicly opposed the "fetishisation" and "copying" of what it considers foreign ideologies, such as Neo-Nazism: Those who carbon-copy foreign symbolism, ideology and fetishize foreign personalities above those of our own venerable history have ceased to be Nationalists. Well-intentioned racialists who have transcended nationality and ethnicity which sees
1104-487: Is leading its people "down the road to cultural renewal". It has been classified by the Global Project Against Hate and Extremism (GPAHE) as a far-right hate and extremist group , with an anti-immigrant, white nationalist, anti-woman ideology. The ANA claimed that an "Aboriginal" cannot be an Australian because "Australia" as a nation is "truly a European-born construct". "Australian" identity
1173-479: Is not handed out to people by merit of living upon this soil, "Australian" identity is inseparable from the English-speaking European descent peoples whom colonised this land and forged a unique cultural and ethnic identity. No Asian, African or Pacific Islander can be an Australian, they may very well live on this soil – but they by no means can ever truly identify as an Australian: our identity
1242-797: The Coranderrk Mission. Six children were born to them, Daniel, Amy, Gillison, Jessie, Sarah and Lynch. Cooper's experience of loss continued, with Agnes dying in 1910. Daniel, who was named for his father's mentor, Daniel Matthews, served with the 24th Australian Infantry Battalion and was killed in action at the Battle of the Menin Road Ridge in Belgium, in late 1917. His loss devastated Cooper. When war loomed again, Cooper argued that his people should not fight until they had "something to fight for". His daughter, Amy Charles, became
1311-727: The State Parliament in Melbourne , was attended by several dozen members of the Yorta Yorta tribe as well as Victorian Premier John Brumby , Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin , lawmakers, diplomats and Jewish leaders. On 28 April 2009, five trees were planted at the Forest of the Martyrs near Jerusalem at a ceremony in Israel attended by Turner and about 12 members of William Cooper's extended family as well as
1380-727: The church planter and Governor of South Australia , Pastor Sir Doug Nicholls , and the educator Thomas Shadrach James . On 6 December 1938, several weeks after Kristallnacht in Germany , the Australian Aboriginal League (AAL) led a delegation to the German Consulate in Melbourne to deliver a petition which condemned the "cruel persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi government of Germany." In
1449-441: The 1890s, for the first time, the native-born became the majority of the population. The organisation received criticism for their name, including from Aboriginal leader and activist William Cooper over the appropriation of the term 'native'. Former Chief President James Hume Cook described as "three great principles" of the A.N.A: The maintenance of a White Australia . The Made-in-Australia movement. The broadening of
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#17327797006011518-730: The 1938 pogrom ". The William Cooper Cup is an annual trophy awarded to the winner of an Australian rules football match between the Aboriginal All-Stars and Victoria Police at Whitten Oval in Footscray. In June 2018, the Australian Electoral Commission renamed the federal Division of Batman to Division of Cooper in Cooper's honour. In 2019, Perth 's Jewish Community Centre announced plans to redevelop their centre and also construct
1587-658: The ANA was one of the last Australian groups to support the White Australia Policy . While this policy was wound down in the decades after the Second World War and totally abolished by 1970, a few members continued to support it until the 1970s. The ANA continued to operate a private health fund, a building society, general insurance company and small-scale life insurance and fund management activities. In 1993, it merged those operations with Manchester Unity IOOF of Victoria to create Australian Unity ,
1656-412: The ANA withdrew from political activity, although it continued other activities such as promoting the observance of Australia Day . Other national issues supported by the ANA included afforestation , an Australian-made goods policy, water conservation, and the celebration of 'proper and meaningful' citizenship ceremonies following the increased levels of migration after World War II. The ANA also supported
1725-771: The Australian Government. William Cooper was born in Yorta Yorta territory around the intersection of the Murray and Goulburn Rivers in Victoria, Australia on 18 December 1860 or 1861. His family was a small remnant of what Cooper recalled as a large tribal group, "As a lad I can remember 500 men of my tribe, the Moiras, gathered on one occasion. Now my family is the only relic of the tribe." From there Cooper appears to have been forced by necessity to work for
1794-714: The Board supported the creation of a Friendly Society for women. In August of 1900, the Constitution and Bye Laws for the society were approved, and then registered in September. In November of 1900, the Australasian Women's Association (AWA) was formed. The ANA absorbed all the expenses of setting up the Association. The ANA and AWA worked closely together and at times jointly published document listing key office holder. The changing circumstances after WW2 and
1863-517: The Clifton Hill branch presented a motion instructing the Board to take steps for form a Friendly Society similar to the ANA for Australian-born females. At the 1897 Castlemaine Conference, a detailed report was provided that showed: A motion to allow women to join the ANA was defeated. The 1899 Port Fairy Conference heard that between the 1871 and 1891 censuses, female primary income earners had increased from 52,243 to 114,804. In November 1899
1932-541: The Commonwealth Constitution. With the establishment of a growing number of branches, including some outside Melbourne, a conference was held in 1874 to plan for centralised administration of the ANA. From 1877 the ANA was placed under the control of a board of directors to be presided over by a chief president. From 1877 onwards, the ANA elected a chief president at their annual conference held in different cities each year. There were four instances when
2001-469: The Commonwealth, (b) legal status is denied to us by your Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth; and whereas all petitions made in our behalf to your Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth have failed: your petitioners therefore humbly pray that your Majesty will intervene in our behalf and through the instrument of your Majesty's Government in the Commonwealth grant to our people representation in~
2070-672: The Commonwealth. Cooper retired in November 1940 to reside with his wife at Barmah, near Echuca , Victoria; having been made an honorary life member and president of the Australian Aborigines League. Cooper continued protesting the injustice of the Australian treatment of its Indigenous people until his death at Mooroopna Base Hospital on 29 March 1941. His funeral was held at the church in Cummeragunja,
2139-693: The Federal Government's restricted immigration policy, later referred to as the White Australia policy . The ANA and Manchester Unity agreed to merge to form Australian Unity in 1990. After the merger, social and educative functions continue in the ANA Fraternal organisation. The last remaining branch of the ANA closed in 2007 in Western Australia. The formation of the Australian Natives Association
Australian Natives' Association - Misplaced Pages Continue
2208-713: The Federal Parliament, either in the person of one of our own blood or by a white man known to have studied our needs and to be in sympathy with our race. The petition was received by the Commonwealth Government in August 1937. However, by February 1938, it was clear that the Cabinet led by Joseph Lyons had decided that it should not be submitted to the King, who, by this time, was George VI . Cooper
2277-666: The Government allocating 1,800 acres (730 ha) of land for Aboriginal use. This land was just upstream from Maloga , and became known as Cummeragunja . In recent years, Cooper's legacy has been appreciated by the Jewish community . In 2002, a plaque was unveiled at the Jewish Holocaust Centre in Melbourne in honour of "the Aboriginal people for their actions protesting against the persecution of Jews by
2346-541: The Maloga Petition in 1887. He was one of eleven signatories to the petition, which was addressed to the Governor of New South Wales . The petition Cooper supported held that local Aboriginal people: ...should be granted sections of land not less than 100 acres per family in fee simple or else at a small nominal rental annually with the option of purchase at such prices as shall be deemed reasonable for them under
2415-713: The Nazi Government of Germany in 1938". The story of the protest is featured in the Jewish Holocaust Centre's permanent museum. On 6 December 2008, in connection with the 70th anniversary of the protest against Kristallnacht , Cooper's grandson, Alfred "Boydie" Turner, was presented with a certificate from the Israeli Ambassador stating that 70 Australian trees were to be planted in Israel in honour of William Cooper. The ceremony, held at
2484-567: The New Zealand branches with the ANA, but all failed. In 1885, the ANA committed itself to the federation of the Australian colonies, in response to what was seen as the threat of foreign incursion into the Pacific. The organisation avoided party politics, but they soon adopted the rising liberal politician and ANA member Alfred Deakin as their candidate for leadership of the federal movement. The membership certificate of 1891 shows many of
2553-614: The adoption of the wattle as the national floral emblem in 1912. In the late 1880s, an ANA-sponsored literary and musical competition was mooted by several Victorian branches, along the lines of that run by the South Street Society and, like that organisation, originating in Ballarat , there the first such event took place on Foundation Day , 26 January 1892; Calder Smith and C. R. Church being among those credited with its successful launch, with Ballarat's Star newspaper
2622-399: The basis that all Aboriginal people and Torres Strait Islanders were British subjects. He made up his mind to petition King George V . Over several years, he and his team collected 1814 signatures, despite active obstruction from the national and state governments of the day. He appears to have been helped in his cause by some missionaries, such as Rev E. R. B. Gribble in 1933. The text of
2691-548: The bill, many of them addressed by Deakin. The ANA continued to campaign following the failure of the 1891 bill. From 1893 the association provided much of the organisational and financial support for the Federation Leagues which led the campaign, particularly in Victoria. When the movement revived after 1897, the ANA campaigned for the referendums to approve the proposed constitution. With federation achieved in 1901,
2760-580: The circumstances, always bearing in mind that the Aborigines were the former occupiers of the land. Such a provision would enable them to earn their own livelihood ... For most of his adult life, Cooper lived and worked in missions such as Maloga and Warangesda. He also found work as a "shearer, drover, horse-breaker and general rural labourer in Queensland , South Australia , New South Wales and Victoria ." Well into his 70s, when he discovered he
2829-554: The conference was not annual and the Chief President served for two years — the first two terms and twice due to the Second World War. With the 1880 public consideration of Australian colonies and New Zealand federating, there was discussion of forming a New Zealand branch of the ANA. The Victorian ANA Board of Directors considered forming branches in Wellington, Westport, and Auckland, but the legislative hurdles caused by
Australian Natives' Association - Misplaced Pages Continue
2898-422: The details below. Request from 172.68.168.226 via cp1108 cp1108, Varnish XID 215069044 Upstream caches: cp1108 int Error: 429, Too Many Requests at Thu, 28 Nov 2024 07:41:40 GMT William Cooper (Aboriginal Australian) William Cooper (18 December 1860 or 1861 – 29 March 1941) was an Aboriginal Australian political activist and community leader; the first to lead a national movement recognised by
2967-598: The differing legislation in the two colonies were insurmountable. A separate organisation, the New Zealand Natives Association (NZNA) was formed 30 April 1897. The Wellington branch grew satisfactorily, reaching 245 members within a year. At its peak it reached 2,500 members. In 1900 while the Australian federation was not to include New Zealand, the New Zealand Natives Association voted to allow Australians to become members. Apart from differing legislation, limitations in communications technologies of
3036-504: The disenfranchisement of Indigenous Australians who at the time were not even able to vote, making this protest even more impressive. The German Consulate did not accept the petition, but Alf Turner, Cooper's grandson, presented the consulate with a replica letter 79 years later. In 2018 members of the Victorian Jewish community organised a walk on 6 December "in remembrance and appreciation of William Cooper and to reciprocate
3105-554: The distributed petition, which was also published in The Herald (Melbourne) on 15 September 1933, was as follows: Whereas it was not only a moral duty, but also a strict injunction included in the commission issued to those who came to people Australia that the original occupants and we, their heirs and successors, should be adequately cared for; and whereas the terms of the commission have not been adhered to, in that (a) our lands have been expropriated by your Majesty's Government in
3174-567: The emblems of the federation such as the Australian Flag, the words Prosperity , Unity, Peace and Federation , a globe of the world showing Australia as a single entity, self-sufficiency through successful industry, and the ANA coat of arms featuring the kangaroo and emu. In 1891, when the Victorian Parliament was considering the federation bill, the ANA organised public meetings around the colony to rally support for
3243-481: The glorious hours, days and months, we spent together; the beautiful singing, the picnics, the games. — Your father’s voice still rings in my ears: We never ever had singing like we did at Maloga. It was at this time that Cooper took a stronger interest in the message of the Bible. In his early 20s, following a church service in January, 1884, Cooper approached Daniel Matthews and said "I must give my heart to God…." He
3312-514: The greater involvement of the Federal Government in providing social supports started to challenge Friendly Societies including the AWA. In 1955, the ANA began taking steps to enable AWA members to transfer to the ANA, and this came to fruition in 1964. A past AWA Chief President, Mrs. I. V. Meagher, became the first woman Chief President of the ANA in 1977. Alongside the Returned and Services League ,
3381-422: The household of Sir John O'Shanassy , a pastoralist, Victorian Member of Parliament and one-time Premier of Victoria who owned several stations, including the Moira run (on Cooper's own mother's country). Through these pastoral networks, he travelled much of Australia as a teenager, even seeing "the remains of the Burke and Wills Expedition at Cooper’s Creek" in the remote Lake Eyre Basin. However, Cooper kept
3450-410: The inclusion of Aboriginal Australians in census counts and to enable the federal government to make laws relating to Indigenous Australians. The existence of Cummeragunja , which is still an Aboriginal community today under the stewardship of a local land council , may also be attributed to the work of Cooper. The Maloga Petition which Cooper had signed and supported in his early years resulted in
3519-428: The largest friendly society in Australia by number of members. In 2007, the Mosman Park WA Branch of the ANA closed down; the building owned by the chapter was sold, and the proceeds distributed among the groups remaining 320 members. The ANA continues though ANA Fraternal which is a continuation of the Metropolitan Committee. The Australian Natives Association (ANA), run by Matthew Grant, claims on its website to be
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#17327797006013588-446: The march that he led on the German Consulate in Melbourne on the 6th December 1938." In his own lifetime, Cooper achieved few of the goals he had set for himself. The one exception was the creation of Aborigines Sunday, which was observed in Churches across Australia from 1940. It is still commemorated today, but as NAIDOC Week . However, many of his initiatives have gained recognition long after his death. His influence extended to
3657-540: The matron of the first Aboriginal hostel established in Melbourne in 1959. Lynch Cooper enjoyed a career as an athlete, winning the 1928 Stawell Gift and in 1929 the world professional sprint championship competition. At age 65, William married Sarah Nelson, née McCrae, of Wahgunyah and Coranderrk. She supported him in his most prolific years as a community leader, helping to raise his many grandchildren, though they had no children together. Cooper had many prominent relatives in his wider family, including his protege,
3726-403: The necessary expenses of the general management of the Society." The organisation had up to 95,000 members and provided benefits to 250,000 people, which were members and their families. While the ANA was legally required to have no affiliation with any political party, it was socially active. It provided strong support for the Federation of Australia , sport, afforestation, social well-being and
3795-459: The next generation of Aboriginal activists through his nephew and protégé Douglas Nicholls , a founding member of Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders , whose greatest achievement was successfully lobbying to change racist elements of the Australian Constitution via plebiscite . This campaign was a complete success, resulting in the 1967 Australian referendum , in which 90.77% of Australians voted to support
3864-409: The protection and promotion of their interests are requested to attend a meeting on Monday evening, 8 o'clock, at Grimwood's Hotel, Elizabeth St. Formation of a Society. The 24 April 1871 meeting had 14 men in attendance, who resolved to form a Friendly Society of Victorian Natives. A committee was established and several committee meetings and another public meeting, registration as a Friendly Society
3933-431: The service conducted by his nephew Edward Atkinson, and he was buried at the nearby mission cemetery. Cooper's life and work are the subject of a book entitled Blood from a Stone – William Cooper and the Australian Aborigines League , written by Andrew Markus and published by Allen & Unwin in 1988. William was born to Kitty Cooper, who identified as a Wollithica woman and spoke Yorta Yorta ; and to James Cooper,
4002-402: The shores of Sydney Cove." In 1872, it was voted to extend membership to men born in the other Australian colonies and to change the name at the same time. The association started to grow and form new branches initially around Melbourne and then in the golds fields towns of Ballarat and Sandhurst (now Bendigo ) in 1874 and Neangor (now Eaglehawk ) 1876. In 1878 the Sandhurst branch initiated
4071-410: The time made thoughts of amalgamating ANA and NZNA impractical. In 1904, the Wellington Branch experienced significant difficulties and despite the offer from Victorian ANA to support it as if it were one of their own branches, the Wellington Branch disbanded in June 1905. The ANA met the deficiency of £8/10/- so all creditors were paid. Over the next twenty or so years, several attempts were made to align
4140-404: Was a multi-stage process. It comes after the creation of the six Australian colonies , the discovery of significant quantities of gold with the wealth that was brought, and the increasing number of locally born citizens. The initial idea was to form a Friendly Society to provide help in sickness and distress solely for Melbourne-born citizens. "Melbourne Natives" desirous of forming a society for
4209-408: Was also effective in securing face-to-face meetings with governments. In 1935 he was part of the first aboriginal deputation to a Commonwealth minister and in 1938, the first deputation to the Prime Minister . The government of the day rejected his requests, or, perhaps more accurately, ignored them. By the late 1930s his activities were actively monitored. In December 1937, Cooper received a visit from
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#17327797006014278-539: Was decided in 1890 to move administration back to Melbourne. The Association played a leading role in the movement for Australian federation in the last 20 years of the 19th century. In 1900, it had a membership of 17,000, mainly in Victoria . The ANA provided sickness, medical, and funeral cover. Membership in the ANA was restricted to men born in Australia, at a time when Australian-born people of European descent (not including Indigenous Australians ) were rising to power in place of an older generation born in Britain. In
4347-410: Was gained on 4 May 1871. At 5 June meeting, it was agreed the objects were "To promote the social and intellectual improvement of its members". Around the end of the 19th century, the Victorian association advocated for a kind of forerunner of what is today Australia Day , to be celebrated on 26 January as a public holiday and the national day. This subsequently became known as ANA Day in Victoria, but
4416-440: Was inducted into the Victorian Aboriginal Honour Roll in recognition of his role as a mobilizing force in the early struggle for Indigenous rights. In 2012 Cooper's grandson, Uncle Alf (Boydie) Turner, led a re-enactment of the march by Cooper and his friends. The German consul-general in Melbourne finally accepted a copy of Cooper's protest letter. Also a cantata is being composed to commemorate both "William Cooper’s courage and
4485-473: Was ineligible for the pension if he remained on an Aboriginal reserve , Cooper moved to Footscray in western Melbourne in 1933. Here he found his calling as an activist, an organiser, and a relentless letter-writer. At first this was in an individual capacity, but by 1935 Cooper had helped establish the Australian Aborigines League . As its secretary, Cooper circulated a petition seeking direct representation in parliament, enfranchisement, and land rights, on
4554-484: Was not taken up by the other states until 1935, and renamed Australia Day. "...What the people celebrate on Australia Day is not the coming into being of the Australian Commonwealth , for that befell on New Year’s Day; and not May 9, when the first Parliament of the Commonwealth commenced its sittings; but January 26, the day in 1788 when the first permanent white settlers , being Captain Arthur Phillip ’s officials, marines and transported convicts from England, landed on
4623-425: Was present when the league attempted to hand over the petition. According to Monash University professor of history Bain Attwood, "it is quite likely that he was not, as his health had declined considerably by this time". The protest has been referred to as "the only private protest against the Germans following Kristallnacht." However, this characterisation has been disputed by historian Hilary L. Rubinstein as
4692-459: Was the last of his brothers and sisters to become a Christian. The faith community seems to have nourished Cooper for a life of activism. "Matthews' evangelical work provided Cooper and other Yorta Yorta with powerful way of understanding and protesting against their plight, and so helped equip them to fight for equality." Some academics, such as Bain Attwood, have argued that the Jewish scriptures were particularly influential for Cooper, as it gave
4761-422: Was watched by journalists and police, was held in Australian Hall in Elizabeth Street , Sydney , and was the first combined interstate protest by Aboriginal Australians . He said: Now is our chance to have things altered. We must fight our very hardest in this cause. I know we could proudly hold our own with others if given the chance. We should all work in cooperation for the progress of Aborigines throughout
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