Sally Morgan (artist)
Encyclopedia
Sally Jane Morgan is an Australian Aboriginal author
, dramatist
, and artist
. Morgan's works are on display in numerous private and public collections in both Australia
and around the world.
, the eldest of five children. As a child, Morgan became aware that she differed from other children at her school, because of her non-white
physical appearance, and was frequently questioned by other students about her family background. She understood from her mother that her ancestors were from India
. However, when Morgan was 15, she learnt that she and her sister were in fact of Aboriginal descent, from the Palku (or Bailgu) people of the Pilbara
.
After leaving school, Morgan commenced university. In 1972, she married Paul Morgan, a fellow student, and over the next decade she finished her studies and had three children.
She also had a hard time in school due to the hate of teachers, but she loved her English teacher who read her the Pooh
books. Sally felt she was similar to Winnie in many ways.
, which sold over half a million copies in Australia. It has also been published in Europe, Asia and the United States.
The claims made in this book are disputed by Judith Drake-Brockman, daughter of Howden Drake-Brockman. Judith's version of events is detailed in her book "Wongi Wongi." In 2004, she requested that Sally Jane Morgan undergo a DNA test to prove her claims that Howden fathered Morgan's Aboriginal grandmother Daisy, then committed incest with Daisy and fathered Gladys - Sally Morgan's mother.
Sally Morgan's second book, Wanamurraganya, was a biography of her grandfather. She has also collaborated with artist and illustrator Bronwyn Bancroft
on children's books, including Dan's Grandpa (1996).
Morgan is the director at the Centre for Indigenous History and the Arts at the University of Western Australia
. She has received several awards: My Place won the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
humanitarian award in 1987, the Western Australia Week literary award for non-fiction in 1988, and the 1990 Order of Australia Book Prize. In 1993, international art historians selected Morgan's print Outback, as one of 30 paintings and sculptures for reproduction on a stamp, celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
.
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, dramatist
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, and artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
. Morgan's works are on display in numerous private and public collections in both 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...
and around the world.
Early life
Morgan was born in Perth, Western AustraliaPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
, the eldest of five children. As a child, Morgan became aware that she differed from other children at her school, because of her non-white
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
physical appearance, and was frequently questioned by other students about her family background. She understood from her mother that her ancestors were from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
. However, when Morgan was 15, she learnt that she and her sister were in fact of Aboriginal descent, from the Palku (or Bailgu) people of the Pilbara
Pilbara region of Western Australia
The Pilbara is a large, dry, thinly populated region in the north of Western Australia known for its vast mineral deposits, in particular iron ore...
.
After leaving school, Morgan commenced university. In 1972, she married Paul Morgan, a fellow student, and over the next decade she finished her studies and had three children.
She also had a hard time in school due to the hate of teachers, but she loved her English teacher who read her the Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh
Winnie-the-Pooh, also called Pooh Bear, is a fictional anthropomorphic bear created by A. A. Milne. The first collection of stories about the character was the book Winnie-the-Pooh , and this was followed by The House at Pooh Corner...
books. Sally felt she was similar to Winnie in many ways.
Author
The story of her discovery of her family's past is told in the 1987 multiple biography My PlaceMy Place (book)
My Place is an autobiography written by artist Sally Morgan in 1987. It is about Morgan's quest for knowledge of her family's past and the fact that she has grown up under false pretences. The book is a milestone in Aboriginal literature and is one of the earlier works in indigenous writing.-...
, which sold over half a million copies in Australia. It has also been published in Europe, Asia and the United States.
The claims made in this book are disputed by Judith Drake-Brockman, daughter of Howden Drake-Brockman. Judith's version of events is detailed in her book "Wongi Wongi." In 2004, she requested that Sally Jane Morgan undergo a DNA test to prove her claims that Howden fathered Morgan's Aboriginal grandmother Daisy, then committed incest with Daisy and fathered Gladys - Sally Morgan's mother.
Sally Morgan's second book, Wanamurraganya, was a biography of her grandfather. She has also collaborated with artist and illustrator 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...
on children's books, including Dan's Grandpa (1996).
Morgan is the director at the Centre for Indigenous History and the Arts at the University of Western Australia
University of Western Australia
The University of Western Australia was established by an Act of the Western Australian Parliament in February 1911, and began teaching students for the first time in 1913. It is the oldest university in the state of Western Australia and the only university in the state to be a member of the...
. She has received several awards: My Place won the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission
The Australian Human Rights Commission is a national human rights institution, a statutory body funded by, but operating independently of, the Australian Government. It has the responsibility for investigating alleged infringements under Australia’s anti-discrimination legislation...
humanitarian award in 1987, the Western Australia Week literary award for non-fiction in 1988, and the 1990 Order of Australia Book Prize. In 1993, international art historians selected Morgan's print Outback, as one of 30 paintings and sculptures for reproduction on a stamp, celebrating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly . The Declaration arose directly from the experience of the Second World War and represents the first global expression of rights to which all human beings are inherently entitled...
.
Awards
- 1987 - Human Rights Literature and Other Writing Award for My Place
- 1989 - Human Rights Literature and Other Writing Award for Wanamurraganya, the story of Jack McPhee
Biography
- Sally's story (Narkaling productions, 1995) edited by Barbara Ker Wilson
- My PlaceMy Place (book)My Place is an autobiography written by artist Sally Morgan in 1987. It is about Morgan's quest for knowledge of her family's past and the fact that she has grown up under false pretences. The book is a milestone in Aboriginal literature and is one of the earlier works in indigenous writing.-...
(Fremantle: Fremantle Arts Centre Press. 1999 - first published 1987) ISBN 1863682783 - Wanamurraganya, the story of Jack McPhee (Narkaling Productions, 1990)
- Mother and daughter: The story of Daisy and Glady's Corunna (Narkaling Productions, 1994) Edited by Barbara Ker Wilson
- Arthur Corunna's story (Narkaling Productions, 1995) edited by Barbara Ker Wilson
Children's books
- Little piggies (Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 1991) with Paul Morgan
- The flying emu and other Australian stories (Viking, 1992)
- Hurry up, Oscar! (Puffin Books, 1993) illustrated by Bettina Guthridge
- Pet problem (Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 1994)
- Dan's grandpa (Sandcastle, 1996) illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft
- In your dreams (Sandcastle Books, 1997) illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft
- Just a little brown dog (Fremantle Arts Centre Press, 1997) illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft
Plays
- Cruel wild woman and David Milroy (Yirra Yaakin Noongar Theatre, 1999) performed in the 1999 Festival of PerthPerth International Arts FestivalThe Perth International Arts Festival is Australia's longest running cultural festival, held annually in Western Australia between February-March. The program features contemporary and classical music, dance, theatre, opera, visual arts, large-scale public works, Lotterywest Festival Films and the...
season.
Edited
- Gnyung Waart Kooling Kulark (released as Going Home) (Centre for Indigenous History & the Arts, School of Idigenous Studies, University of Western Australia, 2003) co-edited with Jill Milroy and Tjalaminu Mia.
- Echoes of the past : Sister Kate's home revisited (Centre for Indigenous History and the Arts 2002) with Tjalaminu Mia, photography by Victor France
External links
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation, "SALLY MORGAN (1951 - )" (Biography, including anecdotes and quotations. Access date: 28 May 2007.)