David Unaipon (1872–1967)

David Unaipon didn't get his face on the Australian $50 note for nothing. An inventor, writer, theologian and more, Unaipon was for many years the most famous Australian Aboriginal around.

It's his writing that interests us here and Unaipon comes across as a highly literate writer who was trying to introduce western eyes to Australian Aboriginal thinking. A number of traditional stories and legends are included here, mostly from Unaipon's Ngarrindjeri people, and one is left thinking that had Unaipon been given the opportunity to write other books on this topic, then perhaps we would not have lost so much traditional knowledge as we have.

Sadly, Unaipon did not live to see this book published with his name on it, as the manuscript was basically stolen from him by a non-Indigenous writer, who made some basic edits and released it under his name.… (meer)