Molly Kelly (Australian Aboriginal) facts for kids

Molly Kelly (born Craig, 1917–2004) was an Australian Martu Aboriginal woman. She is famous for escaping from the Moore River Native Settlement in 1931. She then walked about 1,600 km (990 mi) (1000 miles) home with her half-sister Daisy Kadibil and cousin Gracie.

Molly was part of the Stolen Generations. These were children who had both Aboriginal and white parents. The Australian government forcibly removed them from their families. Molly's incredible story inspired the book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence and the movie Rabbit-Proof Fence.

Molly's Early Life

Molly Craig was born in Jigalong, Western Australia, around 1917. Her mother, Maude, was a Martu Aboriginal woman. Her father, Thomas Craig, was a white Australian fence inspector.

Jigalong was set up in 1907 in far north-west Australia. It was a place where workers building the rabbit-proof fence could get supplies and food. The rabbit-proof fence was a very long fence built between 1901 and 1907. Its purpose was to stop rabbits and other farm pests from the east from getting into Western Australia.

In the early 1900s, many children with both Indigenous and white parents were taken from their families. They were often placed in special homes or sent to live with white families as servants. This was part of the "Stolen Generations" policy.

In 1931, Molly (who was probably 14), her half-sister Daisy (about 11), and her cousin Gracie (about 8) were taken from their families. They were transported over 1,600 kilometres (990 mi) to the Moore River Native Settlement, which was north of Perth.

The very next day, the three girls bravely escaped on foot. They decided to find the rabbit-proof fence and follow it north all the way back to Jigalong. Molly often carried the younger girls on her back when they got tired. Molly's daughter, Doris Pilkington Garimara, wrote about this amazing journey in her book Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence. In 2002, the book was made into a movie called Rabbit-Proof Fence, directed by Phillip Noyce.

Later Years and Family

Molly married Toby Kelly, an Aboriginal stockman. They worked on Balfour Downs station. Molly's first daughter, Nugi Garimara (Doris), was born in 1936. Her second daughter, Annabelle, was born in 1937.

Molly was taken to the Moore River settlement again in 1940, this time with her daughters. She ran away in 1941, carrying 18-month-old Annabelle. She left Doris (who was 4) with a relative. In 1943, Annabelle (later known as Anna Wyld) was taken away from Molly. She was told she was an orphan. Annabelle never saw her mother again, but they were able to send each other gifts before Molly died.

Doris was reunited with her mother 21 years later. This reunion led to Doris writing her famous books, including Caprice, A Stockman's Daughter (1991), Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence (1996), and Under the Wintamarra Tree (2002). A children's version of Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence was published as Home to Mother in 2006.

Molly died peacefully in her sleep in January 2004, in Jigalong, Western Australia. She was about 87 years old.

See also

In Spanish: Molly Kelly para niños