Margaret Lawrie facts for kids
Margaret Elizabeth Lawrie (born Hayes, 1917–2003) was a special person who helped save many myths and legends of the Torres Strait Islander people. Her collection is so important that it's on UNESCO's Australian Memory of the World Register. This means it's recognized as a valuable part of human history.
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Margaret Lawrie: Storyteller of the Torres Strait
Her Life and Work
Margaret was born in Victoria, Australia, in 1917. She studied English and music and later became a music teacher. She married Ellis Lawrie, who was a senator for Queensland. A senator is a person who helps make laws for a state in the government.
Margaret became interested in many social issues, which are problems that affect people's lives. She helped her husband with his work. Because of this, the Queensland Government asked her to travel. She went with Oodgeroo Noonuccal and a health worker to communities in Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands. Her job was to report on children’s health and other important issues there.
Helping Communities
Margaret spent a lot of time in these communities during the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. She often stayed for months at a time. During these visits, she built strong friendships with the people.
A very important part of her work was documenting many Torres Strait Islander family trees, also called genealogies. These family trees show how families are connected across the seventeen communities she visited. Today, these records are used a lot by families researching their history. They are also used for Native Title claims, which are legal claims by Indigenous people for their traditional lands.
Collecting Stories and Histories
Because of her strong connections, many people asked Margaret to write down their personal stories and family histories. This led Margaret to research the cultural history of the Torres Strait. She collected many things, including written stories, audio recordings, photos, slides, artworks, and oral stories.
All these materials became the basis for her two famous books: Myths and legends of the Torres Strait (published in 1970) and Tales from Torres Strait (published in 1972). She worked closely with the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies to record these important oral histories.
The Margaret Lawrie Collection
What's in the Collection?
Margaret Lawrie's amazing collection was given to the State Library of Queensland in 1996. The State Library has made the family tree charts available online. You can search for names in the index of the Margaret Lawrie Collection.
However, some parts of the collection, like the full family tree charts, are private. This is because they contain sensitive personal information. Copies are given to individuals and families who are researching their family history. They are also provided to Land Councils for Native Title claims, if they make an official request.
Why is it Important?
The Margaret Lawrie Collection adds to the earlier work done by Alfred Cort Haddon. He was a researcher from Cambridge University. His team visited the Torres Strait in 1898 and published their findings in several books between 1901 and 1935.
In 2008, the Margaret Lawrie Collection was added to UNESCO's Australian Memory of the World Register. This means it is recognized globally as a very important collection of historical documents and cultural heritage.
