Doris Pilkington
Doris Pilkington: A Trailblazing Australian Writer
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Full Name and Common Aliases
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Doris Pilkington was born on November 3, 1937, in the Northern Territory of Australia. She is also known as Doris Pilkington Garimara.
Birth and Death Dates
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Doris Pilkington passed away on July 29, 2016, at the age of 78.
Nationality and Profession(s)
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Pilkington was an Australian writer and educator of Aboriginal descent. She identified with the Arrernte people from Central Australia.
Early Life and Background
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Doris Pilkington grew up in the Northern Territory's remote communities, where she faced significant challenges due to racism and cultural suppression. Her early life experiences profoundly influenced her writing, which often explored themes of identity, culture, and social justice. She attended the Maryvale Convent School in Darwin and later studied at the Batchelor College.
Major Accomplishments
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Pilkington's most notable achievement is authoring the critically acclaimed novel Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, a semi-autobiographical account of her own experiences as an Aboriginal girl forcibly removed from her family. This powerful story of survival, identity, and resilience has become a classic in Australian literature.
Notable Works or Actions
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In addition to Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, Pilkington wrote several other novels and short stories that shed light on the struggles faced by Indigenous Australians. Her writing often highlighted the importance of preserving cultural heritage and promoting reconciliation between different communities.
Impact and Legacy
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Doris Pilkington's work has had a profound impact on Australian society, raising awareness about the historical injustices perpetrated against Aboriginal people. Her writing has also contributed to the growing recognition of Indigenous Australians' contributions to the country's history and culture.
Why They Are Widely Quoted or Remembered
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Pilkington is widely quoted for her insightful commentary on social justice issues and her courageous storytelling, which continues to inspire new generations of readers. Her legacy extends beyond her writing, as she paved the way for other Indigenous Australian authors and advocates for greater representation and recognition.
Throughout her life, Pilkington received numerous awards and accolades for her work, including the 1998 Nita Kibble Literary Award for her novel Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence. Her influence extends beyond the literary world, as she has inspired educators, policymakers, and community leaders to address the ongoing challenges faced by Indigenous Australians.
Doris Pilkington's remarkable life and writing continue to leave a lasting impact on Australian society. Her courage in sharing her story and advocating for social justice has made her one of the most celebrated authors of our time.
Quotes by Doris Pilkington
Doris Pilkington's insights on:
Numbers, dates, in fact mathematics of any kind, have little or no relevance in our traditional Aboriginal society. Nature was their social calendar, everything was measured by events and incidents affected by seasonal changes. For example, summer is pink-eye.
Yellagonga had no answer or words of encouragement for his cousins. He wasn't certain about anything anymore. Where there was once bush, there were now tents, huts or houses. Soon the white people would take his land from him and there would be no recourse for any injustices committed against his people.
The white settlers were a protected species; they were safe with their own laws and had police and soldiers to enforce these rules.
It became apparent then, that the Aboriginal social structure was not only crumbling, but it was being totally destroyed."It seems," added Moody, "that our laws are not being recognised by these strangers." The Nyungar people were hurt and confused when they were punished for carrying out their own traditional laws, handed down to them by the Dreamtime spirit beings.
Only twelve months before this, Mr A.J. Keeling, the Superintendent at the Government Depot at Jigalong, wrote in his report that, "these children lean more towards the black than white and on second thoughts, think nothing would be gained in removing them". (Department of Native Affairs file no. 173/30.) Someone read it. No one responded.
We gunna walk alongside it all the way to Jigalong," Molly said confidently. It would stand out like a beacon that would lead them out of the rugged wilderness, across a strange country to their homeland.
After roll call and lights out, Molly listened to the slide of the bolt and the rattle of the padlock, then silence. It was at that moment this free-spirited girl knew that she and her sisters must escape from this place.
You girls can't talk blackfulla language here, you know," came a warning from the other side of the dorm. "You gotta forget it and talk English all the time.
The "boob" was a place of detention once described as a small, detached concrete room with a sandy floor, with only a gleam of light and little ventilation coming through a narrow, barred opening in the north wall. Every inmate of the settlement dreaded being incarcerated in this place. Some children were forced to spend up to fourteen days in that horrible place.
But you'd better make your beds first," she said. This was easy, you just straightened the blanket over the mattress. There were no sheets on the beds. They were stored away to be issued only on special occasions to impress special visitors.