James
Unaipon photograph Reproduced in: My life story by David Unaipon.
Adelaide:Aborigines Friendly Association. (1954) National Library of
Australia
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THE NATIONAL
LIBRARY OF AUSTRALIA'S FEDERATION
GATEWAY
JAMES UNAIPON (NGUNAITPONI) (1834-1908)
During the 1890s, the only place
where Aboriginal Australians were present on the electoral roll, and did vote,
was Point McLeay in the colony of South Australia. The Point McLeay settlers
voted in the election of delegates to attend the 1897 Federal Constitutional
Convention and the Federation referenda of 1898 and 1899.
James Unaipon
(or Ngunaitponi), father of David, was an early convert to Christianity who was
elected the first Ngarrindjeri deacon of the church at the Raukkan (Point
McLeay) settlement. He worked as a deputy to the missionary, George Taplin,
teaching in the school, assisting with church services and undertaking general
pastoral work. Unaipon co-authored, with Taplin, the anthropological work,
The Narrinyeri, which recorded the cultural and linguistic heritage of
the Ngarrindjeri people. After the death of Taplin in 1879 Unaipon continued as
a spiritual leader of his people.
Books of
interest
Jenkin, Graham. (1995). Conquest of the
Ngarrindjeri. Point McLeay: Raukkan Publishers].
Stretton, Pat and
Christine Finnimore. (1991). How South Australian Aborigines Lost the Vote:
Some Side Effects of Federation. Adelaide: Old Parliament House.
Taplin, George. The Narrinyeri. Adelaide: E.S. Wigg & Son,
1878. |