Charlie Perkins was a racist through and through.

His hatred of white people was totally unfounded, disgusting, and vile.

It was probably his own hatred that consumed him in the end.

He was Commissioner of ATSIC for a period there too, a corrupt, decadent, utter waste of taxpayers money.

No, I'm with Noel Pearson. I myself come from an area where there was massive poverty, welfare class. The key is to give such people a sense of value, not just blame whitey like Perkins did.

It was those policies which have held back real progress in this area.

Nitwits walking over a bridge have done nothing for indigenous affairs.

Those who think they can still be indigenous though, and live in this world, are kidding themselves.

That culture is long gone, just like it was for Europe, and everyone else who has embraced the modern, westernised world.

Tribal values are never coming back, nor should they. Child brides married off to elders, slavery, outdated revenge cycles, are values and concepts that belong in the past.

Perhaps this is what Keysar Trad means when he says Aboriginies had a lot in common with Islam.

I well remember the hatred spewed by Perkins against the white Australians. There is no doubt that Aboriginals had to fight for rights but the activists have done far more hurt to the Aboriginal culture than white society ever did. And the damage is self evident today.

What was it Perkins said? It was something like 'get off your white arse' or words like that. Imagine if a white person said 'get off your black arse'. We'd still be chopping down trees to provide paper to enable the commentariat to lash that person and white society in general.

I'm with Noel Pearson and his approach. I just remember Charlie as an incredible nasty and racist person.

Stephen,

What wonderful support you give to the idea of removal of aboriginal children from reserves. By removing him from the Alice, Perkins had a series of opportunities which would otherwise have been unavailable to him. Opportunities which he seems to have capitalised on.

He lived to the age of 64; well above aboriginal life expectancy at the time. He completed High School, he did a trade at age 16, his sporting talent was recognised, he studied at university.

I can only conclude from this that you consider his removal to have been a good thing - otherwise he would just have been an unfortunate statistic.

Charlie Perkins could have done much for Australian Aborigines with the education and status he achieved through the untiring efforts of the many unsung progressive white Australians who fought against the racism that permeated our society in the early part of the last century and without recognition created the environment for Charlie Perkins and his contemporaries to rise above the squalor and neglect their forebears endured.

Charlie rode on the crest of the popular wave of Aboriginal activism that emerged from the Wave Hill walk off and leadership of Vincent Lingiari in 1966. The Gurindji are generally credited with being the leaders of the land Rights struggle that inspired so many people claiming Aboriginal ancestry to express pride in their Aboriginality.

Unfortunately, Charlie dropped the ball. When he could have been consolidating reconciliation with all Australians he fomented anti-white sentiments,alienating many long time white supporters, playing on the anger and frustration of marginalised fringe dwelling Urban Aborigines at the expense and detriment of Remote area Traditional people who are still living in an environment of a past era.

Forty years on from the Referendum voting for Aboriginal recognition as citizens,Traditional Aboriginal people have yet to be elevated to the status where they enjoy equality with their Urban relatives.

Now is not yet the time to be erecting monuments because there is yet much to do if Aboriginal people are to take their place as equals in Australian Society