Sister Eileen: A Life with the Lid Off by Annette Roberts

Book Description

Secondhand. Very good condition. Minor wear to book corners and edges.

Born in Fremantle in 1905, Sister Eileen was involved with the Anglican Church from a young age and went on to become a deaconess. Her first posting, at age 30, was to the notorious Moore River Native Settlement near Mogumber since immortalised in the film Rabbit-Proof Fence.

There was no sanitation or electricity, and visitors were not encouraged. Sister Eileen later described it as a dumping ground for unwanted people, out of sight and out of mind. In 1944, she raised the conditions with the Anglican headquarters in Perth. When her report became public, it sparked a government inquiry.

Sister Eileen moved to Alice Springs in 1946 to become the superintendent of St Mary's boarding school for part-Aboriginal children. She was in charge until the end of 1955, when she moved to Darwin to set up a home for abused and neglected children.

She was awarded the MBE in 1968 and retired in 1992. Sister Eileen was 106 when she passed away in 2011. (back cover and The West Australian 30 October 2011)

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers, please note that this book may contain descriptions and/or images of people who have passed away.