Mum (Shirl) Smith
Encyclopedia
Shirley Smith better known as Mum Shirl, was a prominent Aboriginal Australian and activist committed to justice and welfare of Aboriginal Australians. She was a founding member of the Aboriginal Legal Service, Aboriginal Medical Service
, Aboriginal Tent Embassy
, the Aboriginal Children’s Service,and the Aboriginal Housing Company in Redfern
, a suburb of Sydney
, Australia
.
descent in 1921 at Erambie Reserve, Cowra, in New South Wales
. Her married name was Shirley Smith.
Smith attended the Erambie Mission School, although her education was impaired by epilepsy, at a time when medication for the disease did not exist. She moved with her family in the mid 1930s and became a well-known resident of South Sydney. Although Smith could not read or write, she spoke sixteen Aboriginal dialects.
Because of her work visiting aboriginal prisoners, Mum Shirl is the only woman in Australia to have been given unrestricted access to prisons in New South Wales. "She'd be at one end of the state one day, and seen at the other end of the state the next day. The department wasn't getting her from A to B. She used to rely on family and friends to get her around." said Ron Woodham from NSW Corrective Services.. Later the Department of Corrective Services revoked her pass, making her prisoner support work near impossible.
Smith's welfare work, however, was not confined only to prisons and the legal system. She also spent considerable time and money finding homes for children whose parents could not look after them, and helping displaced children to find their own parents again. The children with nowhere to go often ended up living with her. By the early 1990s she had raised over 60 children. Likewise, many people with no family or friends in Sydney arrived at Mum Shirl’s Redfern
house seeking shelter.
In 1970, Smith, along with Ken Brindle, and Chicka and Elsa Dixon, were the guiding force behind a group of young Aboriginal men and women who were involved in the campaign for land rights by the Gurindji people
. This same group, with Fred Hollows
and others helped to establish Aboriginal Medical Service
in July 1971. They also helped establish the Aboriginal Legal Service in 1971, the Aboriginal Black Theatre, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy
, the Aboriginal Children’s Service, the Aboriginal Housing Company and the Detoxification Centre at Wiseman’s Ferry.
and a mistress of the bon mot: one of her favourites being "There's nothing out of plumb with the Catholic religion; it's the way Catholics practise it". Local clergyman Father Kennedy said of her: "She comforted the afflicted - but she didn't promise not to afflict the comfortable". Smith also gave regularly of her time to visit Australian (largely) caucasian schools and communities as part of educating the broader Australian community on Aboriginal issues and concerns.
(1985). The National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee named Mum Shirl as Aborigine of the Year in 1990. Just a few months before her death, the National Trust acknowledged her as one of Australia’s living national treasures.
Mum Shirl died on 28 April 1998 and is survived by her daughter Beatrice, her sister Harriet and her brother Joe along with her grandchildren, great-grandchildren nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and great, great nieces and nephews. Two years after her death, Bronwyn Bancroft
and the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative organised a tribute exhbition of art works in her honour.
Aboriginal Medical Service
The Aboriginal Medical Service was established in Redfern from 1971. It was the first Aboriginal community controlled health service in Australia, and it is now a key Indigenous community organisation, from which most Aboriginal medical services around the State of New South Wales have stemmed...
, Aboriginal Tent Embassy
Aboriginal Tent Embassy
The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is a controversial semi-permanent assemblage claiming to represent the political rights of Australian Aborigines. It is made of a large group of activists, signs, and tents that reside on the lawn of Old Parliament House in Canberra, the Australian capital...
, the Aboriginal Children’s Service,and the Aboriginal Housing Company in Redfern
Redfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, a suburb of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Early life
Colleen Shirley Perry was born of WiradjuriWiradjuri
The Wiradjuri are an Indigenous Australian group of central New South Wales.In the 21st century, major Wiradjuri groups live in Condobolin, Peak Hill, Narrandera and Griffith...
descent in 1921 at Erambie Reserve, Cowra, in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. Her married name was Shirley Smith.
Smith attended the Erambie Mission School, although her education was impaired by epilepsy, at a time when medication for the disease did not exist. She moved with her family in the mid 1930s and became a well-known resident of South Sydney. Although Smith could not read or write, she spoke sixteen Aboriginal dialects.
Building community
Smith began to visit Aboriginal people in jail after one of her brothers was incarcerated and she discovered that her visits were beneficial to other prisoners as well. Her community activism also saw her accompanying indigenous people who were unfamiliar with the legal system to court when they had been charged with a crime. Her nickname came from her habit of replying, "I’m his Mum," whenever officials queried her relationship with the prisoners - the name by which she became widely known.Because of her work visiting aboriginal prisoners, Mum Shirl is the only woman in Australia to have been given unrestricted access to prisons in New South Wales. "She'd be at one end of the state one day, and seen at the other end of the state the next day. The department wasn't getting her from A to B. She used to rely on family and friends to get her around." said Ron Woodham from NSW Corrective Services.. Later the Department of Corrective Services revoked her pass, making her prisoner support work near impossible.
Smith's welfare work, however, was not confined only to prisons and the legal system. She also spent considerable time and money finding homes for children whose parents could not look after them, and helping displaced children to find their own parents again. The children with nowhere to go often ended up living with her. By the early 1990s she had raised over 60 children. Likewise, many people with no family or friends in Sydney arrived at Mum Shirl’s Redfern
Redfern, New South Wales
Redfern is an inner-city suburb of Sydney. Redfern is 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney...
house seeking shelter.
In 1970, Smith, along with Ken Brindle, and Chicka and Elsa Dixon, were the guiding force behind a group of young Aboriginal men and women who were involved in the campaign for land rights by the Gurindji people
Gurindji people
Gurindji are a group of Indigenous Australians living in northern Australia, 460 km southwest of Katherine in the Northern Territory's Victoria River region....
. This same group, with Fred Hollows
Fred Hollows
Frederick "Fred" Cossom Hollows, AC was an ophthalmologist who became known for his work in restoring eyesight for countless thousands of people in Australia and many other countries...
and others helped to establish Aboriginal Medical Service
Aboriginal Medical Service
The Aboriginal Medical Service was established in Redfern from 1971. It was the first Aboriginal community controlled health service in Australia, and it is now a key Indigenous community organisation, from which most Aboriginal medical services around the State of New South Wales have stemmed...
in July 1971. They also helped establish the Aboriginal Legal Service in 1971, the Aboriginal Black Theatre, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy
Aboriginal Tent Embassy
The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is a controversial semi-permanent assemblage claiming to represent the political rights of Australian Aborigines. It is made of a large group of activists, signs, and tents that reside on the lawn of Old Parliament House in Canberra, the Australian capital...
, the Aboriginal Children’s Service, the Aboriginal Housing Company and the Detoxification Centre at Wiseman’s Ferry.
Committed Catholic
"Mum Shirl" was an integral and committed part of the Catholic Church of St Vincent's, Redfern with the renowned Fr Ted Kennedy. She was a devout CatholicCatholic
The word catholic comes from the Greek phrase , meaning "on the whole," "according to the whole" or "in general", and is a combination of the Greek words meaning "about" and meaning "whole"...
and a mistress of the bon mot: one of her favourites being "There's nothing out of plumb with the Catholic religion; it's the way Catholics practise it". Local clergyman Father Kennedy said of her: "She comforted the afflicted - but she didn't promise not to afflict the comfortable". Smith also gave regularly of her time to visit Australian (largely) caucasian schools and communities as part of educating the broader Australian community on Aboriginal issues and concerns.
Awards
Smith's work has been commemorated with an Member of the British Empire (1975), and an Order of AustraliaOrder of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(1985). The National Aboriginal and Islander Day Observance Committee named Mum Shirl as Aborigine of the Year in 1990. Just a few months before her death, the National Trust acknowledged her as one of Australia’s living national treasures.
Mum Shirl died on 28 April 1998 and is survived by her daughter Beatrice, her sister Harriet and her brother Joe along with her grandchildren, great-grandchildren nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews and great, great nieces and nephews. Two years after her death, Bronwyn Bancroft
Bronwyn Bancroft
Bronwyn Bancroft is an Aboriginal Australian artist, notable for being the first Australian fashion designer invited to show her work in Paris...
and the Boomalli Aboriginal Artists Co-operative organised a tribute exhbition of art works in her honour.