Transcript The Keepers of the Fire Our Aboriginal Liberators

WILLIAM BARAK: Born in 1824 of the Wurrundjeri Willum people, he lived a
traditional Aboriginal life until white settlement of Melbourne in 1836. After
the distruption and dispossession he moved with his family to Acheron in
1859, and then settled into Corranderk after its official formation in 1863. In
the late 1870’s when the management of Aboriginal affairs came under public
criticism, he emerged as a respected spokesperson, especially to the
government enquiry of 1881. He outlined a plan for autonomous
communities: “give us this ground and let us manage here ourselves ... and no
one over us ... we will show the country we can work and make it pay and I
know it will”; his plea was rejected. He became a noted contributor on
Aboriginal customs, culture and language, working with noted
anthropologists of the time, dying in 1903.
WILLIAM COOPER - A Yorta Yorta man born c1861 – as a young man
forced to work for pastoralists – he became a wide reader and learnt of
the Indigenous movements in North America and New Zealand... he
helped establish the Aboriginal Advancement League in 1935 he led the
first Aboriginal delegation to a Commonwealth Minister .....he established
National Aborigines Day first celebrated in 1940...
PASTOR SIR DOUG NICHOLLS: Born 1906 on Cumeroogunga Mission.
Superb sportsman – football, boxing, running .... in 1935 he preached as a lay
minister at the Gore Street Mission in Fitzroy – in 1942 he was requested by
the Victorian Police to assist with problems in the Fitzroy Aboriginal
community , commencing his career as a social worker ... – eventually he
became the pastor of the first Aboriginal Church of Christ in Australia. In 1957
he became a field officer for the AAL ... in the same year he was awarded a
Member of the British Empire (MBE) for his services to the community. He set
up hostels for Aboriginal children .... Founding member of the FCAATSI .. in
1962 he was Victoria's Father of the Year, in 1968 he was awarded the Order of
the British Empire (OBE) and became a founding member of the Ministry of
Aboriginal Affairs in Victoria. He was inaugural Chair of the National
Aboriginal Sports Foundation .... in 1972 he became the first Aboriginal person
to be knighted by the Queen in London and in 1976 he was appointed
Governor of South Australia.
WILLIAM ONUS: Born 1906 at Cumeroogunga on the banks of
the Murray River of Wiradjuri parents: activist – businessman –
radical trade unionist – civil libertarian – orator – actor - in 1967
he led Victoria in the campaign for a “yes” vote in the referendum
...first Aboriginal President of the Aborigines Advancement
League (Victoria) ...
HAROLD BLAIR: Born in 1924 in Cherbourg Queensland, dying in East
Melbourne in 1976. Harold was a world renowned tenor, who had gained his
Diploma of Music at the Melba Conservatorium in Melbourne in 1949. He
had been refused entry to Sydney Conservatorium because of his lack of
formal education. He became a teacher, a strong activist for Aboriginal
rights within Victoria, even standing, unsuccessfully, as the Labour
Candidate for Victorian Legislative Assembly in 1964. In 1976 he was
appointed A.O.
IRIS LOVETT-GARDINER: A Gunditjmara woman born in 1926 at Lake
Condah Mission, her early years were spent on the Mission with her family
.... a strong Aboriginal family woman.
One of her major concerns
became that state of some Aboriginal elders who were dying without
anyone from the Aboriginal community knowing about it. She said “I had
the idea of having a place, a hostel, for Aboriginal elders. I was tired of our
people dying in rooming houses and all sorts of places because they had
nobody and they were sick. I thought, .. we should make somewhere
where we can keep the elders under our eyes.” In 1991 the iris Lovett
Gardiner Aboriginal Elders Caring place was opened in East Brunswick.
Today ACES has 25 beds provided two levels of care – nursing home or more
independent living.
MOLLY DYER: A Yorta Yorta woman born 1927 - a member of the
Stolen Generations she became the inaugural programs director of
the newly formed Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency in 1977 .
She advocated for change to adoption legislation to prevent
Aboriginal families unnecessarily surrendering their children in
Victoria ... Reared 6 children and fostered 20 Aboriginal children ...
She received Order of Australia in recognition of her work with
Aboriginal families.
ELEANOR HARDING: Born in 1934 on Erub Island in the Torres Strait –
left her home in as young girl after the death of her parents and came to
Melbourne in the 1950s. She became a mother and a strong activist for
Indigenous rights both on the mainland and on her own home ... a
strong believer in education as an instrument of change – she
encouraged her children to be among the first Indigenous students at
Melbourne University. In 1992 she established premises in Thornbury
for Wongai Torres Strait Islander Corporation in Victoria.
HYLLUS MARRIS – Yorta Yorta woman born 1934 – co-founder of
the National Council of Aboriginal and Island women in 1970/
Co-wrote the award-winning Women of the Sun – a historical
document that became a TV series awakening the nation to the
true history of white settlement and its aftermath.
JOAN ROBINSON (KELLY): A Mutthi Mutthi woman born 1939 in Balranald,
NSW, Joan was the eldest daughter of Alice and Alf Kelly ... she travelled to
Melbourne as a young woman determined to break down the barriers to
employment for Aboriginal women. She stayed initially with Sir Doug Nicholls
and his wife and was employed at Footrest Shoes in Preston where she worked
for the next 35 years. She ensured that she passed on her values of pride in
identity and strong work ethic to her younger brothers and sisters and her own
family. Her home was always open for a meal, company and wise advice. Joan
saw no colour barriers and allowed no barriers to prevent her from achieving
what she set out to achieve. She challenged stereotypes and racism, just by
simply being who she was a hard worker and a woman of great faith that could
never be swayed always living by the ultimate law “Love one another as I Have
loved You”.