What impact did Charles Perkins have on post World War II Australia?

Perkins was often a controversial leader in the Aboriginal community who made a huge impact on the Australia society. He was seen as a pioneering spokesman and bureaucrat, and was known for his determination and willingness to fight for what he believed in, which sometimes brought him into conflict with the government and other community leaders. His involvement in the 'Freedom Ride' through rural New South Wales in the early 1960s played a crucial role in bringing attention to the plight of rural Aboriginal people. The Freedom Ride were made was a greater awareness of Aboriginal issues. They had gained wide media publicity throughout Australia and internationally, arousing awareness of the plight of Indigenous Australians. Perkins and his fellow students had successfully stirred up debate and sparked discussion around Australia on the state of Aboriginal affairs. Their actions were significant for, two years later, in the national referendum of 1967. This debate, in part, led to the 1967 Referendum, which approved two amendments to the Australian constitution. The first amendment involved a phrase in the Commonwealth Constitution Act Section 51, which said that the Commonwealth had no power to make laws for the benefit of the aboriginal people. By removing the provision 'other than the Aboriginal race in any State' this gave the Commonwealth government the power to make laws specifically to benefit Aboriginal people. This was an important step in increasing the government's ability to provide welfare, empowerment and access to justice for Aboriginal people. The second amendment was concerned with Australian census. The referendum removed phrase in the Constitution, which said aboriginals were not to be counted in the annual census Another consequence of the Freedom Ride was the emergence of Charles Perkins as a national leader of Aboriginal people. In the aftermath of the bus trip he began a significant career as a public servant whose work in Canberra brought about many advances for Aboriginal people, but also attracted a great deal of criticism, culminating in his eventual sacking by the Hawke Labor Government. He was appointed head of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in 1984, and was the first Indigenous Australian to become a permanent head of a federal government department. Charles made a major impact on post World War 2 Australian achieving many great things in his relatively short lifetime. His greatest achievement was the Freedom Rides, which not only stirred up the media and the government bringing a serious debate but also brought changes in Constitution and law. He also inspired a great many number of Australians, by standing up for his rights and what he believed in and so he was supported by hundreds of people who stood up for him and what he believed in.