Aborigines Advancement League


The Aborigines Advancement League Inc., founded in 1957 as the Victorian Aborigines Advancement League also formerly known as '''Aborigines Advancement League, is the oldest Aboriginal rights organisation in Australia still in operation. It is primarily concerned with Aboriginal welfare issues and the preservation of Aboriginal culture and heritage, and is based in Melbourne.

History

The League was established in 1957 as a response to an enquiry by retired magistrate, Charles McLean, into the circumstances of Aboriginal Victorians. McLean was critical of conditions in the Lake Tyers and Framlingham Aboriginal Reserves. McLean recommended that persons of mixed Aboriginal and European descent be removed from the reserves. The people of Lake Tyers objected to this, and the League was formed out of their campaign.
The new League drew from two already existing organisations, the Australian Aborigines League, established 1934 and the Save the Aborigines Committee, which had been established in 1955 as a response to the Warburton Ranges crisis. Founding President of the League was Gordon Bryant, with Doris Blackburn as Deputy President, Stan Davey as Secretary and Douglas Nicholls as Field Officer.
An umbrella national organisation, the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement when founded in February 1958 in Adelaide, South Australia, but the Aborigines Advancement League of South Australia finally disaffiliated in 1966, because it thought the federal organisation was too centred on Victoria.
Early activities included lobbying for a referendum to change the Australian constitution to allow the Federal government to legislate on Aboriginal affairs, and an establishing a legal defence fund for Albert Namatjira, after he was charged with supplying liquor to an Aboriginal ward. By 1967 it had moved to being fully controlled by Aboriginal people with Bill Onus as the first Aboriginal President.

Publications

Smoke Signals is the official magazine of the AAL, first published in April 1960 and still being published as of 2019. The first editor was Pastor Doug Nicholls.

Current activities

The League provides a number of services to Koorie people, including family support, food assistance, home visits, advocacy, counselling and educational programs, drug and alcohol awareness and funeral services. It also has a Cultural Unit that provides information and speakers for schools.
is the official magazine of the AAL. Commencing publication in April 1960, it continues to the present day.

Headquarters and keeping place

In 1999 the Victorian government completed a $2,790,000 renovation of the Leagues headquarters in Watt St., Thornbury. As well as providing a community facility, the building houses a museum and "keeping place" for items of historical, cultural and spiritual importance to Aboriginal people.