Ningali Cullen facts for kids

Ningali Cullen (1942-2012) was an important Aboriginal activist. She worked hard to help Indigenous Australians. She was also a leader of the National Sorry Day Committee. This group works to remember and heal from past wrongs.

Ningali Cullen's Early Life

Ningali Cullen was born in Ooldea, South Australia in 1942. When she was just four years old, she was taken from her family. Her brother and sister were also taken. Ningali and her brother went to the Koonibba Lutheran Mission Home. This home was near Ceduna, South Australia.

Later, she attended Concordia College. Ningali Cullen was the first Aboriginal girl to study there.

Working as a Nurse

After finishing college, Ningali Cullen became a nurse. She worked at places like Royal Adelaide Hospital. She also worked for the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia. In 1964, she moved to Port Augusta.

While working in hospitals, she saw much unfair treatment. Aboriginal people often faced discrimination. This made her want to help even more. During this time, she married Lawrie Kinnear. They had three children together.

Becoming an Activist

Ningali Cullen had not seen her mother, May Cobby, for a long time. She found out where her mother lived and visited her. In 1965, her mother disappeared. May Cobby was with her daughter Mabel when this happened. Mabel was the only child who had not been taken from May when she was little.

Police were called and asked May and Mabel to leave. Mabel was arrested, but May was left behind. Ningali asked the police for information about her mother. They refused to tell her anything. No one could find May after that day.

After her mother disappeared, Ningali Cullen became an activist. She worked to improve healthcare for Aboriginal people. She also helped communities with well-being challenges. In 1990, she worked for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC). ATSIC was a government body that helped Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

In 1992, she moved to Canberra. There, she continued her work in healthcare for ATSIC.

Helping the Stolen Generations

Ningali Cullen did a lot of work with groups that helped find missing Aboriginal people. She helped start National Sorry Day. She was also a member of the Stolen Generations. The Stolen Generations were Aboriginal children who were taken from their families. Ningali worked with many families and people affected by this.

Later Life and Death

In 2003, Ningali Cullen married for a second time. She married a man named Derick Cullen. Ningali Cullen passed away on May 10, 2012.