New South Wales

Thousands of Aboriginal artefacts uncovered near Maitland, New South Wales

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11 September 2015

Work on the Chichester Trunk Gravity Main has led to around 3,000 Aboriginal artefacts being uncovered at Tarro, near Maitland, New South Wales.

(Image source: ABC News Pic: Hunter Water)

Work on the pipeline that delivers drinking water to 40 per cent of the Hunter region has led to around three-thousand Aboriginal artefacts being uncovered near Maitland.

Every important colonial building in Sydney replaced a significant First Nations city site

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Sydney City number 2

Sydney's current city is probably the largest urban system ever built from, and upon, an existing city framework and it was built in an unholy silence. - What if our present historical city was not the first urban structure to occupy the coastal region extending from Port Stephens to Kiama? What would this primordial city reveal, what lessons of history could we learn; just what of this first, pre-invasion Sydney was admitted, and what was denied in the making of our second metropolis?

First Nations human rights campaigner Ray Jackson shone a light on deaths in custody for 30 years

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On April 23, an Aboriginal man who dedicated his life to fighting against the deaths of his people in Australian police and prison cells succumbed quietly to his own death in his small flat in Waterloo. Ray Jackson, a Wiradjuri warrior for human rights, was one of Australia's most vocal and knowledgeable deaths-in-custody campaigners. A fighter for Koori justice – or "fkj", as he always signed his weekly emails – Jackson spent nearly 30 years holding our police, prison and court systems to account every time a "blackfella" died in custody.

1965 Freedom Ride re-enactment back on track

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Freedom Ride Re-Enactment 2015

Ghillar Michael Anderson responds to a confrontation with those organising 1965 Freedom Ride re-enactment, in particular Rachel Perkins who took offence at his comments in a recent media release.

Having now spoken with all the parties, which was not done in the first instance, Michael Anderson corrects some matters in his previous statement, including that Noel Pearson will be travelling on the 2015 Re-enactment.

1965 Freedom Ride re-enactment going off track

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February 2015 is the 50th anniversary of Charles Perkins' and Sydney University's Freedom Ride from Wellington, Walgett, Moree, Gulargambone, Boggabilla, Bowraville and Kempsey etc, but having learnt of Rachel Perkins' proposal to travel with Noel Pearson to commemorate this historic occasion, this commemorative re-enactment of the original Freedom Ride will not be celebrated for what the original Freedom ride stood for.

Selling off 'Country' and bodgie mining licence ... after being sustainably managed for 60,000+ years

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The NSW Labor Government sold the iconic The Drip gorge for $2084 in a 2010 lease conversion sale that cost a Chinese coal company less than $3 a hectare. The unpublicised $2084 conversion of more than 700 hectares of Crown land to freehold title in 2010, despite the community raising strong concerns about the possibility of such a conversion at least two years earlier, has shocked and angered groups fighting to protect the area. "They sold it for the price of a clapped-out second-hand car" said Environmentalist Bev Smiles

At least four Police will stand trial over the Ballina cell block bashing of a First Nations man in custody on false charges

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Corey Barker, Bashed by Ballina Police

In a situation where there is just too much raw evidence against the Police who brutally pack attacked a man in the Ballina lock-up, there has finally been some charges laid against 4 police officers, but the issue has the massive task of getting past the pro-establishment court system, that is well known for watering down abuses against our First Nations people.
All four entered not guilty pleas and waived their right to a committal hearing and two more are due to appear in the Downing Centre Local Court.

Airds Sovereign Embassy was ransacked when left unattended for one hour on Saturday

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The men at the forefront of the Aboriginal tent embassy at Airds are frustrated their site was valdalised on Saturday night. Tents were torn in half and banners were burnt when the site was unattended for just one hour on Saturday when the incident occurred.

The tent embassy was established local indigenous men to highlight their concerns over the protection of land and wildlife in Airds as part of the Airds Bradbury Renewal Project.

First Nations men have set up a Tent Embassy in Airds to have their voices heard

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Campbelltown NSW has the start of a Tent Embassy as First Nations people gather to raise their voice over the protection of land and wildlife in Airds.

Three First Nations original men erected two tents this week to show their concerns over the Airds Bradbury Renewal Project.

“This is our own solidarity march. This is sacred land that we are on,” Gungadin, one of the men said

MP Thistlethwaite responds to Abbott's claim that Australia was unsettled prior to British investment

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Matt Thistlethwaite MP responds on behalf of his local First Nations community to Tony Abbott's claim that Australia was unsettled prior to British investment. Published on Jul 17, 2014

Matt Thistlethwaite Labor MP - 'Kingsford Smith electorate' covers the South-Eastern corner of the Sydney Inner Metropolitan area. The electorate area covers approximately 127 sq km from La Perouse in the south to Randwick and Coogee in the north.