Ysola Best facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ysola Best
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| Born |
Ysola Mary Best
15 November 1940 |
| Died | 19 May 2007 (aged 66) |
| Nationality | Australian |
| Occupation | Aboriginal elder and author |
| Known for | Researching and preserving the language, history and culture of the Yugambeh people |
Ysola Mary Best (born November 15, 1940 – died May 19, 2007) was an important Australian author and elder. She belonged to the Kombumerri clan, part of the larger Yugambeh Language Region. Ysola Best is celebrated for her efforts in protecting and sharing the language, history, and culture of the Yugambeh people. She wrote many books and articles about Aboriginal culture, especially focusing on the Yugambeh language group from South East Queensland.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Ysola Best was born on November 15, 1940. She was the youngest child of Edith Graham and Stanley Yuke. Her grandmother, Jenny Graham, was also an elder of the Kombumerri people. Ysola grew up in Southport, Queensland.
She went to the Star of the Sea Convent school in Southport. Later, she studied at the University of Adelaide, earning a Bachelor of Arts in Aboriginal Studies in 1990. The next year, she received a diploma in Community Museum Management from James Cook University.
Her Important Work
Ysola Best spent most of her life studying and writing about the Yugambeh people. She worked closely with her sister, Patricia O'Connor, to keep Yugambeh traditions and culture alive.
Protecting Ancestral History
In 1985, Ysola and Patricia successfully asked the University of Queensland to return the bones of their ancestors. These remains had been found at the Broadbeach burial grounds. This was a very important step in respecting their heritage.
The sisters also worked hard to create the Yugambeh Museum Language and Heritage Centre. This special place opened in 1995 in Beenleigh. It helps to preserve and share Yugambeh language and history.
Writing and Sharing Stories
In 1997, Ysola Best and Alex Barlow published a book called Kombumerri - Saltwater People. This book shared the history of the Kombumerri people. It also included Ysola's own family stories and experiences.
Ysola also wrote articles for the Royal Historical Society of Queensland. In 1994, she gave a speech at a conference in Beaudesert. Her paper, “Aboriginal and early settler relations on the Logan and Albert Rivers: an Aboriginal view,” was later published. It offered an Aboriginal perspective on the history of the area.
In 2005, Ysola, along with her sister-in-law Candace Kruger and Patricia, wrote Yugambeh Taiga. This book explores the music traditions of the Yugambeh people.
Ysola Best also worked at the State Library of Queensland. She was part of the library's Aboriginal Advisory Committee from 1993 to 2000.
Personal Life
Ysola Best married Robin Best in 1962. They had two sons, Hague and Shannon. In 1980, Ysola and Robin moved to Tamborine Mountain. This area is the traditional land of the Wangerriburra clan, who are also part of the Yugambeh people. Ysola spent her later years there, continuing to write and research her people's history.
She passed away from cancer on May 19, 2007, at 66 years old.
In 2011, a building at the Yugambeh Museum, called the Kungala building, was named in her honor. Some of her important writings are also kept at the museum.
Her Books and Papers
Ysola Best wrote many important works that help us understand Yugambeh culture and history. Here are some of them:
- Best, Ysola. (1994). AN UNEASY COEXISTENCE: AN ABORIGINAL PERSPECTIVE OF “CONTACT HISTORY” IN SOUTHEAST QUEENSLAND. This paper looks at how Aboriginal people and early settlers interacted.
- Best, Ysola. Jebbribillum Bora Ring: Our Learning Place. This piece is about a special learning place for the Yugambeh people.
- Best, Ysola (1997). Kombumerri - Saltwater people. This book, co-written with Alex Barlow, shares the history of the Kombumerri clan.
- Best, Ysola (2005). Yugambeh talga: music traditions of the Yugambeh people. Written with Candace Kruger and Patricia O'Connor, this book explores Yugambeh music.
- Best, Ysola (1998). Borobi and his friends. This book tells stories for children.
