Many of the Australians I know who are now in their forties or older participated in the convergence on the Woomera detention center for refugees just after Easter, 2002.  It was a protest that became especially legendary because it was during this protest that a successful breakout of refugees detained in the facility took place.

It would be hard to overstate what an impact this protest, and the Woomera Breakout, seems to have had on both Australian refugee policies going forth, as well as elsewhere in the world that I have witnessed.  Off-shoring refugees as well as dramatically increasing security measures at such facilities in many different countries followed.  But the Woomera Breakout inspired many, and continues to do so.  Many of those refugees who escaped detention then are still free people today, known collectively as the Skippies.