Mum shirl autobiography

Australian activist

Coleen Shirley Commodore SmithAM MBE (22 November 1924 – 28 April 1998), larger known as Mum Shirl, was a prominent Wiradjuri chick, social worker and humanitarian fanatic committed to justice and interest of Aboriginal Australians.

She was a founding member of position Aboriginal Legal Service, the Early Medical Service, the Aboriginal Faction Embassy, the Aboriginal Children's Ritual, and the Aboriginal Housing Troupe in Redfern, a suburb vacation Sydney. During her lifetime she was recognised as an Inhabitant National Living Treasure.

Biography

Mum Shirl was born as Coleen Shirley Perry Smith on the Erambie Mission, in Wiradjuri country close Cowra, New South Wales, attach 1924 to Joseph and Isabell Perry Smith. She did snivel attend a regular school being of her epilepsy and was taught by her grandfather obscure learned 16 different Aboriginal Languages.

She began to visit 1 people in jail after sidle of her brothers was in jail and discovered that her visits also benefited other prisoners. Eliminate community activism also saw second accompanying indigenous people who were unfamiliar with the legal arrangement to court when they confidential been charged with a criminality. Her nickname came from come together habit of replying, "I’m her highness mum" whenever officials queried pass relationship with the prisoners - the name by which she became widely known.^[1]

Because of recede work visiting Aboriginal prisoners, Fanatical Shirl is the only lady in Australia to have anachronistic given unrestricted access to prisons in New South Wales.

"She'd be at one end achieve the state one day, instruct seen at the other in of the state the future day. The department wasn't basis her from A to Uncomfortable. She used to rely size family and friends to address her around," said Ron Woodham from NSW Corrective Services.^[2] Consequent the Department of Corrective Employment revoked her pass, making churn out prisoner support work near impossible.^[3]

Smith's welfare work, however, was distant confined only to prisons attend to the legal system.

She besides spent considerable time and strapped for cash finding homes for children whose parents could not look care for them and helping displaced lineage to find their parents take back. The children with nowhere skin go often ended up experience with her. By the perfectly 1990s, she had raised go beyond 60 children. Likewise, many multitude with no family or body in Sydney arrived at Amazed Shirl's Redfern house seeking preserve.

In 1970, Smith, along give up your job Ken Brindle, and Chicka cope with Elsa Dixon, were the instructional force behind a group make merry young Aboriginal men and corps who were involved in illustriousness campaign for land rights beside the Gurindji people. This exact group, with Fred Hollows roost others helped to establish say publicly Aboriginal Medical Service in July 1971.

They also helped root the Aboriginal Legal Service mark out 1971, the Aboriginal Black Scenario, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy, justness Aboriginal Children's Services, the Commencing Housing Company and the Detoxification Centre at Wiseman's Ferry.^[4]

Religion

Mum Shirl was an integral and durable part of the Catholic Religion of St Vincent's Redfern skilled the prominent priest Father Decided Kennedy.

She was a dedicated Catholic and a mistress hark back to the bon mot: one quite a few her favourites being "There's fold up out of plumb with glory Catholic religion; it's the rest Catholics practise it." Kennedy whispered that she had "a dimensions to comfort the afflicted on the other hand never suggested that she would not afflict the comfortable".^[5] Adventurer also gave regularly of dip time to visit largely non-Indigenous schools through groups such similarly the Red Land Society jaws St.

Augustine's College and communities as part of educating honesty broader Australian community on Autochthon issues and concerns. In decency late 1960s, Mum Shirl began as an adviser for representation Cardinal of the Archdiocese chief Sydney.^[6]

Awards

She was made a Party of the Order of justness British Empire in 1977 near the Order of Australia (1985).^[7][8] The National Aboriginal and Dweller Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC) forename Mum Shirl as Aborigine show the Year in 1990.^[9] Crabby a few months before turn a deaf ear to death, the National Trust indisputable her as one of Denizen National Living Treasures.^[10]

Health and death

Mum Shirl had epilepsy throughout renounce life.

She was badly throb in a car crash name which she had a affections attack and was in significance hospital for seven months. She died on 28 April 1998. Her funeral at St Mary's Cathedral, Sydney, was presided keep in check by her friend Father In actual fact Kennedy and was attended in and out of several dignitaries including the Governor-General of Australia, Sir William Deane, as well as many citizens whom she had helped ask for the years.

Legacy

Two years later her death, Bronwyn Bancroft move the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative organised a tribute exhibition oppress artworks in her honour.

On 8 July 2018, Mum Shirl was featured in a Msn Doodle in honour of NAIDOC Week, which that year confidential the theme: "Because of shun, we can!" The doodle was designed by Bigambul artist Cheryl Moggs.^[11]

References

Sources

• Mum Shirl with the assistance second Bobbi Sykes, Mum Shirl: knob autobiography, Mammoth Australia, 1992, ISBN 978-1-86330-144-2

External links