The Australian Human Rights Commission has accepted a racial discrimination complaint against NSW Police and Belgravia Leisure following the forced removal of several First Nations families from the Inverell public pool.
The complaint marks a crucial step toward justice for the families, who say they were humiliated and traumatised by the incident in March 2025.
At the time, several families, including children, parents, carers and an Elder, were ordered to leave the pool after staff called police, alleging some children were “not complying with the rules.” The families say they were never asked by staff to leave before police arrived.
When officers arrived, the families were warned they could be arrested for trespass if they did not leave, before being escorted from the premises.
Read more: First Nations families speak out after police throw children out of Inverell pool
Represented by the National Justice Project, the families allege the actions of pool staff and NSW Police breached the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.
Lucy Schroeder, Solicitor at the National Justice Project, described the Commission’s decision as an important step toward accountability for the families and the harm caused by NSW Police.
She said what happened at Inverell pool had lasting impacts on children, parents and the wider community.
“We’re calling on Belgravia Leisure and NSW Police to make this right, not only for the families directly affected, but to help ensure no other First Nations family is subjected to this kind of discrimination again. This must lead to real accountability, meaningful change and safer public spaces for everyone.”
For the families involved, the harm has continued far beyond the day of the incident. As Thomas Davis previously said:
“It saddens me that things like this are still happening to our babies not just in this community but all over Australia. See it too much these days and nothing gets done about it. I personally went through it myself as a child, so did my Mum, Grandmother and other generations and they have all worked so hard to try and pave the way for future generations to not have to experience, and we sadly still are.
“The children affected by this have not wanted to return to the pool even for school sport which is once a week and also not wanting to go when asked by friends if they would like to attend on weekends and after school either. I’m in a position to speak up and show these kids and all Aboriginal kids that this sort of stuff isn’t right and that they can also take a stand and call it out just like my elders showed me.”
The incident occurred just a few towns away from Moree Baths and Swimming Centre, the site of historic protests against segregation during Australia’s Freedom Rides led by Charles Perkins. More than 60 years later, First Nations families are still being excluded from public spaces.
It is a stark reminder that racism targeting First Nations families in everyday public spaces is not a thing of the past, and continues to cause deep and lasting harm.
Racism against First Nations peoples can be reported to Call It Out, the First Nations Racism Register operated by the Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research with support from the National Justice Project.
