"Give us a hand, stand by your own...and fight for liberty and freedom for yourself and your children." Fred Maynard --- Opposition to the British colonization of Australia did not spring from the landmark Mabo decision by the High Court of Australia, nor from the Native Title Act, nor was it born in the vibrant 1960s, which culminated in the famous Aboriginal Tent Embassy in 1972. Rather, the first politically organized and united all-Aboriginal activist group was the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association (AAPA), begun in 1924 under the leadership of Frederick Maynard. For the first time Aboriginal people voiced their disapproval in public, in a well-organized way. They opened offices in Sydney, held street rallies, conducted public meetings, gained newspaper coverage, wrote letters and petitions to governments at all levels, and collaborated with the international black labor movement. The AAPA's demands resonate today. They centered on Aboriginal rights to land, stopping A
