Chicka Dixon funeral: State funeral for Aboriginal warrior

Mr Dixon’s legacy was evident in the sea of tears on the Sydney town hall steps today. This man waged a war against injustice and his hand-print will be forever stamped on Australian history through his involvement the campaign for the yes vote for citizenship for indigenous Australians in the 1967 referendum, the 1972 Aboriginal Tent Embassy and the establishment of the Aboriginal Legal Service.

In the 1950s, Mr Dixon was involved in the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. With the development of funded Aboriginal organisations in the 1970s, Mr Dixon became a foundation member of the Aboriginal Arts Board and was effective in pressing for reforms in funding for Indigenous artists. He also worked with Mum Shirl, Fred Hollows to establish the Redfern Aboriginal Medical Service.

“Mr Dixon spent his life fighting for the rights of indigenous Australians,” NSW Premier Kristina Keneally said.

Mr Dixon, who died in a La Perouse nursing home on March 20 aged 81, worked on the Sydney wharves where his association with the Waterside Workers’ Federation saw him rise to political prominence but there was also a terrible legacy from this time. He suffered from asbestos poisoning and this is what claimed his life. He is survived by his two daughters, Rhonda and Christine, and a large extended family.

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Source: http://southern-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/chicka-dixon-funeral-state-funeral-for-a-aboriginal-warrior1/