David Unaipon

David Unaipon ( born September 28, 1872 in Raukkan at the point Mcleay near the Murray River; † 7 February 1967 Tailem Bend ) was an Aborigine from the Ngarrindjeri tribe, inventor, writer and political activist and speaker for the rights of Aborigines. He was the first Aborigine, who wrote a book and published. His portrait is located since 1995 on the 50 - dollar bill in Australia.

Life

Unaipon examined and tried to improve the health care of Aboriginal and dismissed the Australian Government on its responsibility for Aboriginal life back. He was with Katherine Carter, a woman of Tangani strain married. He returned to his birthplace in old age and died in Tailem Bend Hospital on 7 February 1967. He was buried in the graveyard of Raukkan mission station. According to him, the FAW Patricia Weickhardt Award is named since 1985. Since 1988 awards the University of Queensland David Unaipon Award to, as a prize for outstanding writers of the Aborigines.

Work

His most famous books he published, Aboriginal Legends were in 1927, Native Legends in 1929 and Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals from 1930 that has not been published under his name and without his permission. He has authored numerous articles in newspapers and magazines, such as the Sydney Daily Telegraph, about the traditions and rights of the Aborigines. More of his writings have not been published. They rest in part in the magazines of the Mitchell Library ( State Library ) of New South Wales.

He held several patents, including one in 1909 for an apparatus for shearing of sheep. He could not economically exploit its patents due to financial hardships and was referred to as the Leonardo of Australia, as he experimented with the boomerang and using this rotation principle as Leonardo da Vinci wanted to develop a flyable helicopter.

50 - dollar bill

The family of Unaipon indicates that the Reserve Bank of Australia ( Federal Bank of Australia), his portrait without the family's permission reprinted on the 50 - dollar bill.