Sally Morgan (artist) facts for kids

Sally Jane Morgan (born in 1951) is an important Aboriginal Australian author, writer for plays (dramatist), and artist. Her artworks are shown in many private and public collections in Australia and around the world.

Sally Morgan's Early Life and Family

Sally Morgan was born in Perth, Western Australia, in 1951. She was the oldest of five children. Her mother, Gladys, and her grandmother, Daisy, raised her. Her mother was from the Bailgu people of the Pilbara region in Western Australia. She grew up in a children's home as part of the Stolen Generations. This was a time when many Aboriginal children were sadly taken away from their families. Sally's father, William, was a plumber. He passed away after struggling with stress from his time in the war.

Sally has several talented siblings. Her sister Jill Milroy is a university expert. Another sister, Helen Milroy, is a child psychiatrist. She was the first Aboriginal Australian to become a medical doctor! Her brother David writes plays, and her brother William has worked for the government.

Discovering Her Heritage

When Sally was a child, she noticed she looked different from other kids at school. They often asked about her family. Her mother had told her they were from India and Bangladesh. But when Sally was 15, she learned the truth: she and her siblings were actually of Aboriginal descent. This discovery was a very important moment in her life.

Education and Marriage

After finishing school, Sally worked in a government office and then as a lab assistant. She then went to the University of Western Australia. In 1974, she earned a degree in psychology. She continued her studies, getting more diplomas in counselling, computing, and library studies.

In 1972, Sally married Paul Morgan, a teacher she met at university. They later divorced. They have three children: Ambelin, Blaze, and Ezekiel Kwaymullina. All of her children have worked with Sally on her books.

Sally Morgan: An Amazing Author

Sally Morgan's most famous book is called My Place. It was published in 1987. This book tells the story of her family's past and how she discovered her Aboriginal heritage. It sold over half a million copies in Australia! The book also came out in Europe, Asia, and the United States. My Place shared a story that many people didn't know. It spoke about children being taken from their mothers, and the fear and unfairness people faced just because their skin was a different color.

Sally Morgan's second book, Wanamurraganya, was about her grandfather's life. She has also worked with artist Bronwyn Bancroft on books for children, like Dan's Grandpa (1996).

Sally Morgan is also the director of the Centre for Indigenous History and the Arts at the University of Western Australia.

Awards and Recognition

Sally Morgan has received many awards for her important work. Her book My Place won the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission humanitarian award in 1987. It also won the Western Australia Week literary award for non-fiction in 1988. In 1990, it received the Order of Australia Book Prize.

In 1993, art experts from around the world chose Sally Morgan's print called Outback. It was one of only 30 artworks chosen to be put on a stamp. This stamp celebrated the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Here are some of her other awards:

• 1987 – Human Rights Literature and Other Writing Award for My Place
• 1989 – Human Rights Literature and Other Writing Award for Wanamurraganya, the story of Jack McPhee
• 1989 – Winner, FAW Patricia Weickhardt Award to an Aboriginal Writer
• 1990 – Winner, Order of Australia Book Prize
• 1993 – Joint winner Fremantle Print Award with Bevan Honey
• 1998 – Notable Book, Children's Book Council of Australia
• 2012 – Notable Book, Children's Book Council of Australia
• 2022 – Co-Winner Picture fiction, Environment Award for Children's Literature

In 2023, The West Australian newspaper named 100 people who helped shape the state of Western Australia. Sally Morgan was on this important list. Other people included were senator Jo Vallentine, politician Carmen Lawrence, and health activist Fiona Stanley.

Art Collections

Sally Morgan's art is part of several important collections, including:

• Robert Holmes à Court collection
• Dobell Foundation
• Australian National Gallery
• Muscarelle Museum of Art

See also