Daisy Kadibil

Daisy Kadibil (née Burungu; 1923 - 30 March 2018) was an Aboriginal Australian woman whose experiences shaped the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence and subsequent film Rabbit-Proof Fence. She was a member of the Stolen Generations, which were Aboriginal children forcibly removed from their families by the Australian government.[1]

Early life

Kadibil 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 cousins Molly and Gracie, whose mothers were Daisy's aunts, were also taken from home and sent to Moore River as well.[1][3] Daisy and Molly shared a father, Thomas Craig, making them both half-sisters and cousins.[4] The girls stayed only one night in the internment camp before making their escape to travel home.[5] Estimates of their journey range from 800–1,000 mi (1,300–1,600 km) long.[1][6] 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

Kadibil'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 and death

Kadibil worked as a housekeeper and cook on stations in the Pilbara of Western Australia.[1] She married and had four children.[5] She had children in Wiluna, Western Australia, then returned to Jigalong.[7] Members of her family established and still head the Parnngurr Community. She died in a nursing home in South Hedland, Western Australia on March 30, 2018.[1]

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See also

References
  1. Wililams, J. (27 June 2018). "Daisy Kadibil, 95, Whose Australia Trek Inspired a Film, Dies". The New York Times. The New York Times Company. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  2. Fickling, David (15 January 2004). "Woman who inspired Rabbit-Proof Fence dies at 87". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  3. Pilkington, Doris (1996). Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence. University of Queensland Press. ISBN 1442980605.
  4. "Journey ends for one of the 'Stolen Generation'". The Waikato Times. Hamilton, New Zealand. 26 June 2018. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  5. Olsen, Christine (22 June 2018). "Youngest of three girls who followed the rabbit-proof fence". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
  6. Stephens, Tony (15 January 2004). "Daughter dies with her story still incomplete". The Sydney Morning Herald. The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
  7. Feng, Sonia (30 May 2018). "Last of Rabbit-Proof Fence girls, whose trek home was made into famous film, dies". ABC News. ABC. Retrieved 28 June 2018.
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