Hall Greenland

Hall Barry Greenland (born 1944), is an Australian political activist. He participated in the Freedom Rides. He studied history at the University of Sydney in the 1960s and was a president of the Labor Club[1] in 1964. As an editor of Honi Soit in 1966 he was highly critical of the war in Vietnam. During the 1970s he wrote for Rolling Stone and The Digger. He served on Leichhardt Council and is the recipient of a Walkley Award.[2] In 2013 he was the Australian Greens candidate for Grayndler.

Hall Greenland
Personal details
Political partyGreens NSW
SpouseFenella Souter
ProfessionPolitician, journalist, historian

He is the author of a biography of Nick Origlass, Red Hot: The Life and Times of Nick Origlass.[3]

Freedom Rides

He was one of the participants of the Australian Freedom Rides in 1965, along with figures such as activist Charles Perkins, QC Jim Spigelmen, journalist Darce Cassidy, and historian Ann Curthoys. The Freedom Ride was inspired by the Freedom Riders of the Civil Rights Movement. The Freedom Riders were all University students, and planned to go on a trip around country NSW exposing racism towards the indigenous community. They formed their own group, the Student Action for Aborigines (SAFA) The Freedom Riders had three purposes:[4]

  1. Draw attention to the state of Aboriginal health, education, and housing.
  2. Point out a lessen the barriers to racially equality.
  3. Encourage Aboriginal people to resist discrimination.

The Freedom Riders picketed the Walgett RSL about its refusal to allow Aboriginal ex-servicemen to use the facilities.[5] At Moree, they successfully desegregated the local swimming pool.[6] At Bowraville they protested against the segregation of a cinema there.

Resistance from local non-indigenous people was common. The tour bus was followed out of Walgett during the night and rammed off the road.

Hall Greenland states of the Freedom Ride: "I like to think the Freedom Ride was a success. It exposed the under-belly of small town racism and marked the renaissance of Aboriginal activism in Australia."[7]

Greens Candidature

In 2013 he was the Australian Greens candidate for the left-leaning, inner sydney seat of Grayndler.[1] He faced incumbent Labor candidate, Deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, where he came third with 23.03% of the first-preference vote.[8] The Greens experienced a swing of −2.87% in Grayndler,[8] however this was above the national average of a −3.11% swing against the Greens.[9] Greenland was elected Convenor of the NSW Greens on 19–20 October 2013.

References
  1. "Land of the Greens: Hall Greenland". Honi Soit.
  2. "2005 Walkley winners – National". smh.com.au. 2 December 2005. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  3. "Hall Greenland's Red Hot: The Life and Times of Nick Origlass". ASSLH. 5 December 1998. Retrieved 19 November 2013.
  4. "Freedom Ride, 1965". National Museum of Australia. Archived from the original on 25 January 2014. Retrieved 3 December 2013. Their purpose was threefold. The students planned to draw public attention to the poor state of Aboriginal health, education and housing. They hoped to point out and help to lessen the socially discriminatory barriers which existed between Aboriginal and white residents. And they also wished to encourage and support Aboriginal people themselves to resist discrimination.
  5. "Charles Perkins: Freedom Rides". Skwirk. Retrieved 3 December 2013. In the town of Walgett they decided to picket the Walgett RSL, as a protest against the treatment of Aboriginal people. The RSL was the home of the Anzac legend, which was the foundation of Australian ideas of 'mateship' and nationhood. This did not extend to ex-servicemen of Aboriginal descent, who were only allowed to use the RSL facilities on Anzac day, or not at all.
  6. "Charles Perkins: Freedom Rides". Skwirk. Retrieved 3 December 2013. At Moree, covered by an increasing press contingent, the students decided to address the segregation of the local swimming pool.
  7. Greenland, Hall. "Freedom Ride, February 1965 – Hall Greenland remembers". The NSW Greens. I like to think the Freedom Ride was a success. It exposed the under-belly of small town racism and marked the renaissance of Aboriginal activism in Australia. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |url= (help)
  8. "NSW Division – Grayndler". AEC. 2013.
  9. "First Preferences by Party". AEC. 2013.
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