Lowitja O'Donoghue facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Lowitja O'Donoghue AC CBE DSG
Born	Lowitja O'Donoghue (1932-08-00)August 1932 Indulkana, South Australia
Died	4 February 2024(2024-02-04) (aged 91) Adelaide, South Australia
Other names	Lois Smart, Lois O'Donoghue
Known for	Public service
Spouse(s)	Gordon Smart (deceased)

Lowitja O'Donoghue (born August 1932 – died 4 February 2024) was an important Australian leader. She worked to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. She was also known as Lois O'Donoghue and Lois Smart.

From 1990 to 1996, Lowitja was the first leader of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). This was a government group that worked for Indigenous Australians. She was also the special supporter (patron) of the Lowitja Institute. This institute does research to help Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people stay healthy and well.

Lowitja's Early Life and Education

Lowitja O'Donoghue was born in August 1932. Her birth was not officially recorded. Later, missionaries gave her the birth date of 1 August 1932. She was born on a cattle station in northern South Australia.

Lowitja was the fifth of six children. Her father, Tom O'Donoghue, was a stockman of Irish background. Her mother, Lily, was an Aboriginal woman from the Yankunytjatjara people.

Life at Colebrook Home

When Lowitja was just two years old, she and two of her sisters were taken from their mother. Missionaries took them to the Colebrook Home in Quorn. This was done on behalf of the Aboriginal Protection Board. Lowitja later said she had no memory of living with her parents as a baby.

At Colebrook, Lowitja met her older brother and sister. The missionaries called her Lois. She later changed her name back to Lowitja. She remembered being happy at Colebrook and getting a good education there. She also went to Quorn Primary School.

In 1944, Colebrook Home moved to Eden Hills, South Australia. This allowed Lowitja to go to Unley High School. She earned her Intermediate Certificate there.

The Stolen Generations

Lowitja was part of what is known as the Stolen Generations. This refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were taken from their families. She was two years old when she was removed. She did not see her mother again for 33 years. Her mother did not know where her children had been taken.

When she was 16, Lowitja went to work as a house helper for a family in Victor Harbor.

Becoming a Nurse

After working for two years in Victor Harbor, Lowitja decided to become a nurse. She first worked as a nursing aide. Then, she wanted to train as a student nurse in Adelaide.

It was hard for her to get into the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH). She even asked the leader of South Australia for help. In 1954, she became the first Aboriginal person to train as a nurse in South Australia. She wanted to open doors for other Aboriginal women to become nurses.

Lowitja worked at RAH for ten years. After she finished her training, she became a senior nurse. She also worked as a nurse in Assam, northern India, helping missionaries.

Working for the Community

After returning to Australia in 1962, Lowitja worked for the South Australian Government. She helped Aboriginal people with education and welfare. She worked mostly in the northern part of the state, including Coober Pedy. There, she learned her true name, Lowitja. She also found out her mother was living in difficult conditions in Oodnadatta.

In 1967, Lowitja started working for the Australian Government. She became a senior officer in the Department of Aboriginal Affairs in South Australia. In this role, she helped put national policies for Aboriginal welfare into action.

Leading ATSIC

In 1990, Lowitja O'Donoghue was chosen to be the Chairperson of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). She held this important job until 1996. ATSIC was a main government body for Indigenous Australians.

In 1991, Lowitja and two other Aboriginal leaders were the first Indigenous people to attend a meeting with the Australian government's most important ministers (the Cabinet). She used this chance to share ATSIC's views on how the government should respond to the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody. This commission looked into why so many Indigenous people were dying in police custody.

In December 1992, Lowitja made history again. She was the first Aboriginal Australian to speak at the United Nations General Assembly. This happened when the UN launched its International Year of Indigenous People.

Awards and Recognition

Lowitja O'Donoghue received many awards for her work.

In 1976, she was the first Aboriginal woman to be given the Order of Australia. This award recognized her work in helping the Aboriginal community in South Australia.

In 1983, she received the Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE). The next year, in 1984, she was named Australian of the Year. These awards were for her efforts to improve the lives of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In 1999, she received an even higher honour, the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC). This was for her leadership in human rights and social justice for all Australians.

Lowitja also received special degrees from many universities. In 2000, she was given the Olympic Order for her contributions to the Olympic movement.

In 2005, Pope John Paul II gave her a special award, making her a Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great.

In 2017, Australia Post honoured her with a special stamp. This was part of a series celebrating Indigenous leaders.

The Lowitja O'Donoghue Oration

Since 2007, the Don Dunstan Foundation has held an annual event called the Lowitja O'Donoghue Oration. An "oration" is a formal speech.

This event happens every year during Reconciliation Week. It celebrates the 1967 referendum, which changed the Australian Constitution to include Aboriginal people. Each speaker for the oration is chosen by Lowitja O'Donoghue herself. They talk about the past and future of Indigenous Australians in society.

The Lowitja Institute

The Lowitja Institute is a national research centre. It focuses on improving the health of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. It was started in 2010 and named after Lowitja O'Donoghue, who was its patron.

The Institute helps fund research projects. These projects are led by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups. The research must help improve Indigenous health and well-being. It focuses on themes like empowerment, self-determination, connection, and making healthcare safe and respectful for Indigenous cultures.

Personal Life

In 1979, Lowitja married Gordon Smart. He passed away in 1991 or 1992. They did not have children together, but Gordon had six adult children from a previous marriage.

Lowitja O'Donoghue passed away in Adelaide, South Australia, on 4 February 2024. She was 91 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Lowitja O'Donoghue para niños