Here are two tributes to Jon ‘Darce’ Cassidy who participated in the 1974 Long March to North-West Cape and Charlie Perkins’ 1965 Freedom ride. The first tribute is from long time Land Rights activist, Gary Foley, and the second from Peter Gray, independent filmmaker and archivist from Radical Times. Condolences to Darce’s family and friends.
The Long March
In May 1974, several hundred demonstrators travelled in convoy by bus across Australia to North-West Cape in Western Australia to protest against the US military base used to communicate with submerged submarines equipped with nuclear missiles. The “marchers” wanted to symbolically reclaim the base for the Australian people. They formed part of a long march of resistance to foreign domination of these lands by Britain, and by the United States.
Ian Curr
Editor
WBT
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Important history that Australians should not forget. A report narrated by recently deceased Darce Cassidy (who was on the 1965 NSW Freedom ride with Charlie Perkins). This report is about the bravery of young Australians who in 1974 were opposed to the installation of USA military bases in Australia in North West Cape in WA and who were beaten and bashed by WA police protecting the interests of the USA military. Among the faces in this clip, you will catch glimpses of Aboriginal Embassy legend Ambrose Golden-Brown
I post this as a tribute to Darce Cassidy, Ambrose Golden-Brown and all of the brave young Australian anti-imperialists of my generation who tried to take a stand.
Gary Foley
https://www.facebook.com/goori
Darce was also on the Freedom Ride in 1965. He recorded a 46-minute vérité radio documentary during the trip that was (eventually) broadcast on ABC Radio in 1978. See audio streams on Radical Times, Resources 5: Indigenous Australia, under tile 1A.
The original Freedom Riders were: Charles Perkins, Gary Williams, Aidan Foy, Alan Outhred, Alex Mills, Ann Curthoys, Barry Corr, Beth Hansen, Bob Gallagher, Brian Aarons, Chris Page, Colin Bradford, Darce Cassidy, David Pepper, Derek Molloy, Hall Greenland, Helen Gray, Jim Spigelman, John Butterworth, John Gowdie, John Powles, Judith Rich, Louise Higham, Machteld Hali, Norm Mackay, Paddy Dawson, Pat Healy, Ray Leppik, Rick Collins, Robyn Iredale, Sue Johnston, Sue Reeves, Warwick Richards and Wendy Golding.
Radical Times have a 6-minute excerpt of Darce Cassidy’s ‘on-the-spot’ radio documentary of the 1965 Freedom Ride that he made for the ABC. The doco is streaming on Radical Times (Aboriginal Australia 1A).
The Long March Director and Editor: Garry Lane Camera: Roger Hudson, Phil Bull and Peter Murphy Narrator: Jon “Darce” Cassidy Production Manager: Lyall Kennedy Sound mix: Alasdair McFarlane (Palm Studios, Sydney) Sponsor: The Campaign Against Foreign Military Bases Campaign Coordinators: Peter Galvin (National), Lyall Kennedy (Sydney), Peter Bell (Melbourne), Mike Williss (Adelaide) Producers: Garry Lane and Crowsfoot Films, Sydney, 1975
Peter Gray
Radical Times