Margaret Tucker facts for kids

Margaret Lilardia Tucker (born March 28, 1904 – died August 23, 1996) was an amazing Aboriginal Australian activist and writer. She was one of the first Aboriginal authors to publish her life story in a book, which came out in 1977. She received an award called the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her important work.

Margaret Tucker's Early Life

Margaret Tucker was born in 1904 at Warrangesda Mission near a town called Narrandera. Her father, William Clements, was a Wiradjuri man, and her mother, Theresa Clements, was from the Yorta Yorta Nation. Margaret grew up at the Cummeragunja Aboriginal Reserve.

When she was 13 years old in 1917, Margaret was sadly taken away from her family. She was sent to the Cootamundra Domestic Training Home for Aboriginal Girls. Life there was very difficult. After two years of learning how to work in white households, she was sent to work for a family in Sydney in 1919. The Aboriginal Protection Board helped her get another job, but she ran away from there. In 1925, the Board finally let her go, and she moved to Melbourne.

Fighting for Rights

In the 1930s, Margaret Tucker started working hard to get better rights for Indigenous people. She joined forces with other important activists like William Cooper, Bill Onus, and Douglas Nicholls. In 1932, she was one of the people who helped start the Australian Aborigines' League, a group that fought for Aboriginal rights.

During this time, Margaret got married and had a daughter named Mollie. She was involved with different groups that wanted to bring about change. In the 1960s, she started the United Council of Aboriginal and Islander Women. In 1964, she became the first Indigenous person to be appointed to the Victorian Aborigines Welfare Board, which was a big step forward.

Awards and Recognition

Margaret Tucker was given the MBE award in 1968. This award recognized all the great work she did to help Aboriginal Australians.

In 1977, she published her autobiography, a book about her own life, called If Everyone Cared. This book was one of the first to share the stories of how Aboriginal people were mistreated, helping many more people understand their experiences.

In 2001, Margaret Tucker was honored again when she was included in the Victorian Honour Roll of Women. She was one of the first women to receive this special recognition.