1940s

1940

The Koori Historian James Miller writes, ‘My family was evicted from Singleton Reserve because of the Second World War’. Jean Miller, James’ grandmother, moves to Redfern where his aunt, Daisy, is already living in Lawson Street. (Miller, p. 157) For more, see Stories

Koori orators like Jack Patten and Bill Ferguson speak regularly at the Domain on Aboriginal and workers rights.

  • Protest, Aboriginal Rights

In the 1940s Elsa Dixon becomes the first Aboriginal woman to gain her pilot's license.

1941

Pearl Gibbs gives a talk on radio, the first time an Aboriginal person has given a scripted address on a state radio network. (Horner p. 12)

1942

Paul Behrendt, father of Larissa Behrendt, is separated from his father’s care after his mother Lavinia Boney dies, and is placed in the Burnside Homes, Parramatta, with his siblings. (Read and Edwards, pp. 57-9)

The Housing Commission begins building houses throughout the metropolitan region. In 1969, Aboriginal Housing, formerly managed by the Aborigines Welfare Board is amalgamated with the Housing Commission’s housing program. (Morgan, p. 72)

1943

Doretta Williams from Cowra, after an adolescence in the Cootamundra Home, is working in domestic service in North Sydney. She gives birth to Eileen Williams. Her baby is removed from her at three weeks and taken to the Bomaderry Infants home, and re-named Joy Williams. (Read 2008)

  • Cootamundra Girls Home

The Ancient Briton in Glebe is known as the ‘Blackfellers Pub’.

1944

At the cemetery at St Stephen’s Anglican Church, Newtown, is an obelisk erected in tribute to the Aboriginal people buried in the cemetery. It reads ‘Erected by the Ranger’s League of New South Wales at the inspiration of the late Aldwin J. S. Stanton in memory of Mogo, Perry, Tommy and other Aborigines buried in this cemetery, and as a tribute to the whole of the Aboriginal race. Mogo was a Koori from the Upper McCleay River and is buried in what was known as ‘Koori Corner’ of the cemetery, on the Lennox Street side. His grave was originally decorated with shells taken from an Aboriginal midden at Pittwater. The other remains have been identified as belonging to Perry who died in 1849 aged 76. Wandalina, died in 1960, while Tommy has no details. (Hinkson and Harris, p. 91)

1945

Koori families are living, as are others, among the boat-wrecking and boat building businesses on the waterfront in Cook St, Glebe Point.

1946

Chicka Dixon comes to Sydney from the south coast. He recalls, ‘It was the big thing to come for young Aboriginal people, I was 17. Mum used to tell him, ‘Oh don’t fight with the manager Chicka. He’ll cut off our rations'. Everyone said go to Redfern. Chicka goes on, ‘There were two lots of Blacks living in Sydney then, in La Perouse, the La Pa [La Perouse] people and the Redfern people. The La Pa people were mainly south coast, and Redfern were all the western blackfellas’. According to Plater, ‘there was a half-baked animosity between the two settlements’. Plater, pp. 43, 122-123. (V12, ‘Working life in Redfern’)

  • Chicka Dixon, Activist with mouth taped and Paul Coe

 

A popular Koori place for dances and meetings is Boot Trade Union Hall, 122 Eveleigh St.

1947

There are about 158 factories, most employing Koori people, in the Redfern/Alexandria region. Chicka Madden works in Redfern. (V12, ‘Working life in Redfern’)

1948

Merv Maynard in his first season, rides eight winners. (Maynard 2002 p. 85)

1949

Mum Shirl is living in Albion Way, Surry Hills. In 1985 she recalls other Koori people living in the same area - the Lalors in number 7 Caroline Street. Daisy Robinson, Granny Robinson, and Granny Waters all lived in number 34, 35 and 38 Caroline Street. (Sykes p. 33)

  • Corner of Margaret and Regent Streets, Redfern, where the first  Aboriginal Legal Service meeting was held

Ruby Ginibi Langford arrives in Sydney from Box Ridge, Coraki. She lives with her family, in Great Buckingham St, Redfern.

  • Ruby Langford Ginibi