COMMUNITIES across New South Wales are being asked which towns and specific locations should be commemorated with a blue plaque to create a Freedom Ride Blue Plaque Trail – and Moree residents are encouraged to nominate Moree Artesian Aquatic Centre.

The 1965 Freedom Ride brought national attention to racial injustice and discrimination against Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, and pit Moree on the map for all the wrong reasons.

Taking inspiration from the US Civil Rights Freedom Rides, a group of 30 University of Sydney students, the Student Action for Aborigines group, hired a bus and set off on a 15-day journey through regional New South Wales.

Led by civil rights activist Charles Perkins – who went on to become the first Aboriginal man to graduate from an Australian University – the Freedom Ride aimed to bring attention to the poor living conditions and discrimination faced by Aboriginal people.

The group travelled through regional New South Wales, starting in Wellington, Gulargambone and Walgett, and then moving through Moree, Boggabilla, Tenterfield, Grafton, Lismore, Bowraville and Kempsey.

Along the way the exposed racial injustice and forged momentum for reconciliation action in Australia.

All personal stories, memories, and documents relating to the Freedom Ride are welcome, and with permission, may be shared to ensure the legacy is widely known.

The Freedom Ride Blue Plaque Trail will capture the stories and events that took place at the key stops on the Freedom Ride journey and join with the existing Freedom Ride blue plaques at the Wayside Chapel in Potts Point and Walgett Freedom Ride Park.

Earlier this year, the 60th anniversary of the 1965 Freedom Ride was marked with funding to complete a community pavilion in Walgett, along with unveiling a blue plaque in the town to commemorate the historic event.

Moree mayor Billy Lloyd escorts a university student from Moree Bore Baths in 1965 during the Freedom Ride (Image courtesy of Mitchell Library, State Library of New South Wales).

To contribute your story or suggest a location, please visit our website and fill out the submission form at Have Yor Say on Freedom Ride Blue Plaque for Moree.

The submission form will be open from today, September 29, 2025 to 11:59 pm, November 30, 2025.

Heritage NSW will also be consulting with stakeholders, including relevant First Nations groups, and visiting towns along the trail to hear directly from communities.

Blue plaques are located throughout New South Wales, recognising the events, groups and people who contributed to the rich history of the state.

To learn more, go to Heritage NSW Blue Plaques Program.

Heritage NSW director Renae Patterson invites all New South Residents to submit suggestions and submissions.

“This is a unique opportunity for the people of New South Wales to have their say and directly contribute to helping us determine where the plaques will be located and how this important piece of our history is commemorated,” Ms Patterson said.

“We want to hear from those who were there, those who remember the events, and those who have personal connections to the towns, people and locations on the route.

“We encourage everyone to share their stories; your input will be vital in shaping this memorial and bringing the history of the Freedom Ride to life for generations to come,” she said.

The read about the 1965 Freedom Ride, go to 1965: Moree Bore Baths Freedom Ride protest happened 60 years ago this month.