Charles Perkins

Charles Nelson Perkins, AO, (born c.1936/1937 in Alice Springs, Northern Territory — died October 19, 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales) was an Australian Aboriginal activist, football (soccer) player and administrator. He was also known as Charlie Perkins and known as Kumantjayi Perkins in the period immediately following his death. Kumantjayi is a name used to refer to a deceased person in Arrernte culture. Charlie Perkins was born to an Arrernte... more

Charles Nelson Perkins, AO, (born c.1936/1937 in Alice Springs, Northern Territory — died October 19, 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales) was an Australian Aboriginal activist, football (soccer) player and administrator. He was also known as Charlie Perkins and known as Kumantjayi Perkins in the period immediately following his death. Kumantjayi is a name used to refer to a deceased person in Arrernte culture. Charlie Perkins was born to an Arrernte woman and a Kalkadoon man and had 11 brothers and sisters. Perkins was a cousin of artist and soccer player John Moriarty. He married Eileen Munchenberg on 23 September 1961 and had two daughters (Hetti and Rachel) and one son (Adam). Perkins was educated at St Mary's Church School in Alice Springs, St Francis College for Aboriginal Boys in Adelaide, the Metropolitan Business College, Sydney and the University of Sydney from where he graduated in 1965 with a Bachelor of Arts, being the first Indigenous Australian to graduate from university.... less