Shirley Andrews an Architect of the National Aboriginal Civil Rights Movement, 1952–1968

Abstract

Shirley Andrews was a key thinker and strategist in the movement to create a national Aboriginal rights body in the 1950s. She brought research skills, the ability to write, organisational powers and effective social networking skills to the problem of creating a federation of bodies working for Aboriginal rights and justice. Working within the civil rights paradigm, which valued equality, she nonetheless also argued for Aboriginal people’s right to their own culture and customs. This article considers early influences, her notable achievements and examples of the campaigns that she ran. It also outlines her reasons for leaving the movement in 1968 and speculates as to why she has received less recognition than she deserves.This article has been peer-reviewed.