Diane Bell (anthropologist) facts for kids

Diane Robin Bell OAM (born 1943) is an Australian anthropologist, author, and social justice advocate. An anthropologist is someone who studies human societies and cultures. Diane Bell's work mainly focuses on the Aboriginal people of Australia. She writes about their land rights, human rights, and traditional religions. She also writes about environmental issues and how women's roles impact society.

Diane Bell has done research in central and southeastern Australia, and also in North America. She has held important jobs at universities in both Australia and the USA. In 2005, she came back to Australia after living in the United States for 17 years. She worked on several projects in South Australia. As of 2025, she is a Professor Emerita of Anthropology at the George Washington University in Washington, D.C., USA. She is also an Honorary Professor at the Australian National University in Canberra.

Some of her well-known books include Daughters of the Dreaming (first published in 1983), Generations (1987), and Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin (1998). Her novel Evil (2005) was even turned into a play.

Diane Bell's Early Life and Education

Diane Robin Bell was born in 1943 in Melbourne, Victoria.

She left school when she was 16. She then trained to be a primary school teacher at Frankston Teachers College from 1960 to 1961. She taught in schools in Victoria and New South Wales between 1962 and 1970.

After her children, Genevieve (born 1967) and Morgan (born 1969), were born, she went back to school. She finished high school by taking night classes in 1970-71. She then earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology from Monash University in 1975. Later, she completed her PhD from the Australian National University (ANU) in 1981.

Diane Bell's Career Journey

In 1981, Diane Bell worked for the Northern Territory Aboriginal Sacred Sites Protection Authority. This group helps protect important Aboriginal sites. From 1982 to 1988, she ran her own anthropology consulting business in Canberra. She advised groups like the Central Land Council and the Australian Law Reform Commission.

She also held academic positions. She was a Research Fellow at the ANU from 1983 to 1986. After that, she became the Chair of Australian Studies at Deakin University in Geelong. She was the first female professor at that university.

In 1989, Bell moved to the United States. She took on a special teaching role at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts.

In 1999, she became the Director of Women's Studies and a Professor of Anthropology at the George Washington University (GWU) in Washington, D.C. She also worked with Virginia Tech to help them update their courses. When she retired from GWU in 2005, she was given the title "Professor Emerita of Anthropology." This means she keeps her professor title even after retiring.

After returning to Australia in 2005, she was a writer and editor at Flinders University. She was also a visiting professor at the University of Adelaide. As of December 2025, she is an Emerita Professor at the ANU.

Diane Bell's Work in Anthropology

Diane Bell's first major book about anthropology was Daughters of the Dreaming. This book looked at the religious and ceremonial lives of Aboriginal women in central Australia. The book has been printed many times since 1983. It helped show that Aboriginal women have important roles in managing land and making decisions. Because of her research, it is now common to have women's groups involved in Aboriginal affairs.

In 1986, Diane Bell wrote a book called Generations: Grandmothers, Mothers and Daughters. This book explored how special objects were passed down through generations of Australian women. It showed how these objects helped connect women in families. The book became a bestseller shortly after it was published.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Bell was very involved in issues about Aboriginal land rights. With lawyer Pam Ditton, she wrote Law: The old and the new (1980/1984). This book discussed changes needed in laws in Central Australia after the Land Rights Act 1976 was passed. Bell worked on about 10 land claims for Aboriginal groups.

Hindmarsh Island Bridge Controversy

In the late 1990s, Diane Bell became involved in a disagreement about a bridge. This was called the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy. In 1994, a group of Ngarrindjeri women objected to a plan to build a bridge. They said the bridge would harm sacred sites important to them as women. This special knowledge was called "secret women's business".

A government investigation in 1996 said the women had made up their beliefs. However, most of the women did not speak at this investigation because they felt it went against their religious beliefs.

Later, in 1997, a court case looked at the issue again. In 2001, the judge, Mr. Justice von Doussa, said that the evidence in his court was different from the earlier investigation. He was not convinced that the women's secret knowledge was made up. He believed it was a real part of Aboriginal tradition.

On May 4, 2009, the area the Ngarrindjeri women wanted to protect was officially registered by the Government of South Australia. On July 6, 2010, the South Australian government apologized for the pain caused to the Ngarrindjeri community. They recognized that the Ngarrindjeri knowledge was a real part of Aboriginal tradition.

Diane Bell got involved in this issue after the first investigation. She researched old records and worked with the Ngarrindjeri women. She was sure there was enough evidence to support the women's claims. Her book, Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin (1998), was highly praised. From 2005 to 2013, Bell lived on Ngarrindjeri lands. She researched and wrote a report for their Native Title Claim, which helps Aboriginal people claim their traditional lands.

Diane Bell's Writing

Diane Bell has written or edited 10 books and many articles. Her writings cover topics like religion, land rights, law reform, art, history, and social change.

Her first novel, Evil, is about secrets within the Roman Catholic church. It was turned into a play and performed in Washington, D.C., USA, in 2006 and in Adelaide, Australia, in 2008. Another play by Bell, "Weaving and Whispers," was performed in 2014.

Diane Bell's Political Involvement

In 2008, Diane Bell ran as an independent candidate in a special election called the 2008 Mayo by-election. This election was held because the previous politician had resigned. Her campaign was called Vote4Di. She received support from South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon.

In the election, there were eleven candidates. Diane Bell finished third, getting 16.3 percent of the votes. This was behind the Australian Greens and the Liberal Party of Australia.

River Advocate

Diane Bell has also worked to protect the River Murray, Lakes Alexandrina, Lake Albert, and the Coorong. In 2007, she helped start the 'StoptheWeir' website. She worked with a group to stop a dam from being built across the River Murray. She also managed the "Hurry Save The Murray" website. She often speaks and writes about environmental issues.

Other Activities and Roles

Diane Bell was on the board of trustees for Hampshire College for eight years.

She has also been on the editorial boards for several academic journals. These include Aboriginal History and Women's Studies International Forum. She also helped with major encyclopedias, such as the Encyclopedia of World Religions (2005).

Bell was a consultant for National Geographic for their Taboo TV series from 2002 to 2004.

Recognition and Awards

• 1999: Her book Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin won the NSW Premier's Gleebooks Prize for Critical Writing.
• 1999: Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin was also a finalist for The Age Book of the Year.
• 2000: Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin won the Australian Literature Society Gold Medal.
• 2021: She received the Medal of the Order of Australia for her "service to literature" in the 2021 Queen's Birthday Honours. This is a special award given by the Australian government.
• 2023: She received the Hazel Rowley Literary Fellowship.

Works by Diane Bell

As Author

• Evil: A novel (2005)
• Ngarrindjeri Wurruwarrin: A world that is, was, and will be (1998, new edition 2014)
• Generations: Grandmothers, Mothers and Daughters (1987)
• Daughters of the Dreaming (1983, 1993, 2002)
• Law: The Old and the New (with Pam Ditton) (1980)