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Peter Garret's Midnight Oil: Aboriginal Rights

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Peter Garret was born on the 16 April, 1953. He was raised in the northern suburbs of Sydney by his mother (Betty Garret) and his farther (also named Peter Garret). He attended Gordon West Public Primary school and later went to Barker College High school. He progressed to the Australian National University, and later, to the University of New South Wales, where he studied law. His father died whilst he was in primary school, and his mother whilst he was at University. Peter joined a band known as 'Farm' in 1973. As lead singer, Peter wrote and co-wrote their songs. 'Farm' later changed their band name to Midnight Oil. Midnight Oil became famous for singing songs about the environment, indigenous rights, homelessness and nuclear disarmament. …show more content…

The album was inspired after their outback tour with Aboriginal Bands Gondwanaland and Warumpi Band. The tour was known and the Blackfella/Whitefella Tour. The two most famous songs from the Diesel and Dust album were Dead Heart and Beds are Burning. Both songs related to aboriginal rights. This album brought Aboriginal positions to the Australian public. Peter Garret was chosen to be the president of the Australian Conservation Foundation, in 1998. The ACF deal with environmental issues such as, uranium mining policies, endangered species, resource management and global warming. Garret was the youngest ACF president ever. While Garret was president, the ACF achieved saving Tasmanian forests. They also prevented the production of a naval base, at Jervis Bay NSW. Garret resigned his presidency, in 1993, as he took a role on the International Board of Directors for Greenpeace. He recommenced his presidency of the Australian Conservation Foundation in 1998. In 1990, Midnight Oil played in front of the Exxon building in New York, after Exxon caused the world's most famous oil disaster at that time. Above stage was a banner that read "Midnight Oil makes you dance, Exxon makes us sick". The band played songs about pollution and the

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