John Thomas Patten (27 March 1905 – 12 October 1957) was an Aboriginal Australian civil rights activist and journalist.

In April 1938, Patten established a short-lived monthly newspaper, The Australian Abo Call, the first such Aboriginal-focused publication of its kind.

[1] The newspaper "laid the groundwork for political action and linked Aboriginal people together, giving them a common sense of themselves that was unprecedented".

Patten raised the subject of New South Wales government plans for the removal of Aboriginal children and gave clarity to the station's residents regarding their rights.

He subsequently joined the Civil Constructional Corps and worked for a period in Tennant Creek, Northern Territory.

[2] Patten died in hospital in October 1957 after being involved in a motor vehicle accident in Fitzroy in Melbourne.