SA Logo

Artefacts about Autobiographies & Oral Histories

Portrait photograph of Dr Dawn Casey, speaking with a microphone in front of her. She is wearing glasses and a purple woollen top.
Public servant shares wide-ranging impacts of discrimination
At the 2015 Mabo Oration, Dr Dawn Casey discussed the discrimination her family faced when seeking a government payment in the 1970s and her own experiences of discrimination throughout her career in the Australian Public Service.
Cover of 'The two worlds of Jimmie Barker' with the title and a subtitle that reads 'The life of an Australian Aboriginal 1900-1972 as told to Janet Matthews'. There is a picture of 2 footprints.
Autobiography details one man’s pension experience
Social services impacted people in different ways. This excerpt from Jimmie Barker’s autobiography details his experience of having to stop work and beginning to get the pension.
Clipping of an article showing a photo of Kevin Coombs at a desk and the title 'Kevin Coombs - disabled but able'. The title of the page reads 'International Year of Disabled Persons'.
DSS promotes payments for people with disability
In a special edition of Aboriginal Quarterly, the government promoted help for Aboriginal people with disability and featured Aboriginal voices in articles for the International Year of Disabled Persons.
Somebody Now front page
Torres Strait Islander’s activism leads to change
In her autobiographies, Ellie Gaffney discussed her work advocating for direct payments for Torres Strait Islander people and for a DSS office to be established on Thursday Island.
A black and white photograph of young Bevan Nicholls. He is standing by himself in front of a chaff bag tent. He is wearing a light collared shirt, cardigan and dark pants.
Oral history reveals difficulties seeking financial security
Even when government help was available, it was often not enough to help disadvantaged Aboriginal families out of poverty. One man’s oral history shows years of upheaval trying to find security for his family.
Subscribe to Autobiographies & Oral Histories