Ruth Hegarty facts for kids

Ruth Hegarty (born in 1929 in Mitchell, Queensland) is an Aboriginal Elder and author. She is known for her books that share her personal story as one of the Stolen Generations. These were Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who were taken from their families by Australian governments.

Her first book, Is That You, Ruthie?, tells about her time at the Cherbourg Aboriginal Mission. She lived there until she was 14 years old. Her second book, Bittersweet Journey, shares her early married life. It also talks about her dealings with the Native Affairs Department. This was a government department that controlled the lives of Aboriginal people. The book also covers her work in community groups and Indigenous organisations.

Is That You, Ruthie? won the David Unaipon Award in 1998. This award is for Indigenous writers who have not yet published a book. In 2023, a play by Leah Purcell was made based on this book. In 2010, Ruth Hegarty received a prize at the Queensland Greats Awards.

Ruth Hegarty's Life Story

Ruth Hegarty and her mother, Ruby, first lived together in dormitories at the Cherbourg Aboriginal Mission. When Ruth was four years old, they were separated. Her mother was sent away to work. After that, they only saw each other sometimes.

Life at Cherbourg Mission

At the mission, Ruth became good friends with the other girls in the dormitories. They were always watched and often punished for small things. The girls stayed together to support and protect each other. There was no fair system, just strict rules and punishment. Ruth said that they were punished from a very young age. She described the mission as being like a prison for children. She felt they had done nothing wrong at all.

In 1943, when she was 14, Ruth Hegarty was sent away from Cherbourg. She went to work as a domestic servant. This was the first time she had travelled alone. She did not know the people she was going to work for. She felt very alone and unsafe.

Community Work and Family

In the 1960s, Ruth found her old records from Cherbourg. She learned that many letters she wrote to her friends had not been delivered. Because of this, she organised a reunion for the girls she grew up with at Cherbourg.

Ruth married Joe Hegarty, whom she had known since childhood. They have eight children together.

For over 30 years, Ruth Hegarty has volunteered for community projects. She has helped with services for young people and older people. In 1998, she won the Premier's Award for Queensland Seniors Year. This was for her help to the community. She also helped start the Koobara Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Family Resource Centre.

In 2007, there was a government inquiry about "Stolen Wages." These were wages that Aboriginal workers earned but were often held back or not paid to them. Ruth Hegarty was part of the Queensland Stolen Wages Working Group. This group worked to help people get their unpaid wages back.

Awards and Recognition

• 1998 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards
• 2010 Queensland Greats Awards