Bobby McLeod facts for kids

Bobby McLeod (1947 – 30 May 2009) was an amazing Aboriginal leader, poet, healer, and musician. He was also a respected elder of the Yuin people. Bobby came from Wreck Bay Village, Jervis Bay Territory. He worked hard for Aboriginal rights in Australia and traveled the world. He shared his knowledge about cultural traditions, health, and healing.

Bobby McLeod's Early Life

Bobby was born in 1947. He was the oldest of six children. His family came from the Jaimathang, Gunai Kurnai, Monero, Wandandian, and Yuin peoples of southeastern Australia. He grew up in Worragee, an Aboriginal community near Nowra. His father, Arthur, worked as a labourer and was a boxer. His mother, Isabelle, was active in community groups like the Country Women's Association and the local Baptist church. Her father, Robert Brown, was the first Aboriginal stipendiary magistrate. Bobby learned to sing in Baptist Youth Fellowship choirs. He also learned to play the guitar from the family of famous musician Jimmy Little.

Bobby finished his Intermediate schooling at Nowra High School in 1963. He was very good at sports. Later, his family moved to Green Valley in Sydney. This was a new suburb. In 1966, a report said that Green Valley had problems with community life and family support. Bobby faced some tough times after moving there.

After a difficult period, Bobby was released in 1968. He then played rugby league for the Redfern All Blacks. In 1973, he faced another challenge when his father passed away. Bobby wrote his first song, "Wayward Dreams," after attending the funeral.

Standing Up for Aboriginal Rights

After his release, Bobby lived at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra. This was a place where Aboriginal people protested for their rights. On 28 February 1974, Bobby became well-known for an incident at the Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA) offices.

Earlier that day, there had been a protest for land rights. This happened when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip arrived at Parliament House.

Bobby went to the DAA office with Reuben John Smith and Neville Foster. They were looking for the department head, who was away. They held four DAA staff members in the office for about an hour and a half. Bobby wanted to make a strong point about the struggles of Aboriginal people.

After some time, Charlie Perkins, another Aboriginal activist, arrived. He convinced Bobby to give him the item he had. Charlie removed the parts that made it dangerous. This meant Bobby was only charged with having an unlicensed item. He was fined $40 and put on a 12-month good behaviour bond. Bobby was always thankful to Charlie Perkins for his quick thinking. This event was even talked about in parliament.

A few days later, Bobby said in an interview, "I would die for my people, I'm not frightened of that." This showed how dedicated he was to his community.

Music and Healing

After the incident, Bobby moved to Melbourne. There, he played with a group called the Kooriers. The group included Paul and Dudley Meredith, who were musicians from Cherbourg. They played many shows for unions and recorded a demo tape. Bobby said their music showed "the confusion and frustration of Aborigines and their cultural dilemma which came as a result of westernisation."

When the Meredith brothers left Melbourne, Bobby continued to sing sometimes. However, he also faced personal struggles. In 1983, he had a very serious health issue and nearly died. This was a turning point for him. He decided to return to Nowra after twenty years away. He made a big change in his life by giving up drinking permanently.

In 1987, Bobby performed at the Tamworth Country Music Festival. There, he met people from a recording studio called Enrec. He ended up recording with them, along with Buddy Knox and Mick Lieber. This led to his first album, Culture Up Front, released by Larrikin Records in 1987.

In 1990, Bobby, along with Vic Simms, Roger Knox, and the Euraba band, were invited to North America by Indigenous Americans. They played in prisons and on reservations. When he returned to Australia, he recorded his second album, Spirit Mother, with the Flying Emus. Bobby explained that he wanted this album to be more hopeful. He said, "if you sing about the sorrow of things, it sort of keeps people in that sadness. So what I did [with Spirit Mother] was to try and change it to find out what was good about being me and stuff."

Inspired by his experiences with Indigenous people in Canada, Bobby started the Doonooch Aboriginal Healing and Cultural Centre in Wreck Bay in 1990. He wanted to help address challenges faced by Aboriginal communities. 'Doonooch' refers to the owl dreaming, which is a significant cultural story.

In the early 1990s, he also started the Doonooch dance group. His main goal was to help young Aboriginal people avoid harmful habits. He wanted to give them good jobs and help them connect with their culture and spirituality. In 2000, the Doonooch dancers performed at the Olympic Games opening ceremony. They also performed at the World Indidgenous Forum in Noumea.

In 2002, Bobby McLeod co-taught an engineering class at Worcester Polytechnic Institute in the United States. The class was called Indigenous Wisdom and Modern Technology. It focused on how engineers should consider traditional knowledge when designing projects.

McLeod's album Dumaradje was nominated for Best World Music Album at the 2005 ARIA Awards. His song "Wayward Dreams" was also featured in an SBS documentary and a CD called Buried Country: The Story of Aboriginal Country Music.

Selected Performances

• Oz Against Apartheid, 26 June 1986, Selina's Coogee Bay Hotel
• With Roger Knox and Euraba Band, 5 December 1986, The Settlement, Chippendale
• Tamworth Country Music Festival, 1987, Tamworth
• Festival of Pacific Arts, August 1988, Townsville
• Building Bridges Music Festival, 26 January 1990, Bondi Pavilion
• Afrika Night, 24 March 1990, Paddington Town Hall
• Support People of the Rainforests, 14 October 1990, Paddington Town Hall

His Music Albums

Awards

The ARIA Music Awards are a big awards ceremony in Australia. They celebrate great music from all different styles. They started in 1987.