Daisy Kadibil (née Burungu; 1923 – 30 March 2018) was an Aboriginal Australian woman whose experiences shaped the 1996 book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, written by her niece Doris Pilkington Garimara and the subsequent 2002 film Rabbit-Proof Fence.
Daisy Kadibil | |
|---|---|
 Daisy Kadibil, undated photo | |
| Born | Daisy Burungu 1923 Australia |
| Died | 30 March 2018 (aged 95) Port Hedland, Western Australia, Australia |
| Known for | Inspiration for the novel Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence |
| Family | Doris Pilkington Garimara (niece) Molly Craig (sister) Gracie (cousin) |
| Awards | Deadly Annomination Award (1995) |
Kadibil was a member of the Stolen Generations, who were Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their families by the Australian government.[1]
Early life
editKadibil was born in 1923, her mother was of the Martu people and her father Thomas Craig was of English descent, making her "half-caste" in the eyes of the Australian government.[2] In 1931 when Kadibil was about 8 years old, she was removed from her family in the Jigalong Community by the Australian government and sent to the Moore River Native Settlement.
Her sister Molly Craig and cousin Gracie, whose mother was Daisy's aunt, were also taken from home and sent to Moore River as well.[1] Daisy and Molly shared a father, Thomas Craig, making them both half-sisters and cousins.[3]
The girls stayed only one night in the internment camp before making their escape to travel home.[4] Estimates of their journey range from 800–1,000 mi (1,300–1,600 km) long.[1][5] The trip took the girls 8 weeks to complete; they used Australia's rabbit-proof fence as a guide to travel north.[1] The journey home was difficult, as the girls had to sleep under bushes or in rabbit burrows. Molly carried each of the younger girls in turn as they evaded search parties sent out by A. O. Neville; they also found their own food. Farmers and hunters aided the girls by giving them food as well.[2]
Book based on her experiences
editKadibil's niece Doris Pilkington Garimara, who was Molly's daughter, authored Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence, which was published in 1996.[1] Doris had also been sent to the Moore River internment camp, and was not reunited with her mother Molly for 20 years.[2]
Later life, legacy and death
editAfter winning the Deadly Annomination Award in 1995 for her community work and abilities, Kadibil worked as a housekeeper and cook on stations in the Pilbara of Western Australia.[1] She married and had four children.[4] She had children in Wiluna, Western Australia, then returned to Jigalong.[6] Members of her family established and still head the Parnngurr Community.
She died in a nursing home in South Hedland, Western Australia on 30 March 2018.[1]
See also
edit- Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence (book inspired by her experience)
- Rabbit-Proof Fence (film based on the above book)
References
edit- ^ a b c d e f g Williams, Jacqueline (27 June 2018). "Daisy Kadibil, 95, Whose Australia Trek Inspired a Film, Dies". The New York Times. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ^ a b c Fickling, David (15 January 2004). "Woman who inspired Rabbit-Proof Fence dies at 87". The Guardian. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ^ "Journey ends for one of the 'Stolen Generation'". The Waikato Times. Hamilton, New Zealand. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018 – via Pressreader.com.
- ^ a b Olsen, Christine (22 June 2018). "Youngest of three girls who followed the rabbit-proof fence". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
- ^ Stephens, Tony (15 January 2004). "Daughter dies with her story still incomplete". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- ^ Feng, Sonia (30 May 2018). "Last of Rabbit-Proof Fence girls, whose trek home was made into famous film, dies". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 28 June 2018.