WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are warned that this story includes images of a person who has died.
A statue of trailblazing Yankunytjatjara woman Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue has been unveiled, the first of six statues planned to memorialise prominent Aboriginal South Australians and acknowledge their extraordinary contributions to our State.
The bronze statue of Dr O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG was designed by renowned artist Robert Hannaford AM and is located at Tarntanya Wama (Elder Park).
Dr O’Donoghue – who died in 2024 at the age of 91 – led the way for Aboriginal women from an earl
y age.
In her early 20s she was the first Aboriginal person to train as a nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, and in 1977 she was the first Aboriginal woman to be appointed a Member of the Order of Australia, an honour that was later elevated to Companion of the Order of Australia.
Among many other achievements, in 1990 Dr O’Donoghue was appointed the inaugural Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission and in 1992 she became the first Aboriginal person to address the United Nations General Assembly.
Work is now underway on the next statue in the series, with the State Government committing $1 million to the six statues in total, celebrating the lives and legacies of Dr O’Donoghue, David Unaipon, Gladys Elphick, Garnett Wilson, Dr Alice Alitya Rigney and Yami Lester.
Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation head Deb Edwards said Dr O’Donoghue would be "profoundly moved to be memorialised on Kaurna Country for a higher purpose".
"Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue was a proud South Australian," Ms Edwards said.
"A Yankunytjatjara woman of the Aṉangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands of north-west South Australia, whose significant contributions over many decades reflect her enduring commitment to Aboriginal people and communities and to her home state.
"The inspirational achievements and legacies of Aboriginal leaders who created pathways and opened doors in this state will now be powerfully symbolised for our young people and future leaders to follow. Dr O’Donoghue’s story empowers us all to stand up and be counted."
Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue AC CBE DSG (1932 – 2024)
- Yankunytjatjara/Pitjantjatjara woman, born near De Rose Hill, South Australia (SA). At age two she and two sisters were removed from their mother and taken to Colebrook Children’s Home at Quorn, Flinders Ranges SA, where they were reunited with their eldest sister and only brother.
- First Aboriginal person to train as a nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, achieving triple certificate qualifications in nursing, midwifery, and mental health. As a nurse she practiced in remote and regional areas of SA, and in India for the Australian Baptist Missionary Society.
- First Aboriginal woman to become a Member of the Order of Australia and th
e first Aboriginal person to address the United Nations General Assembly. - In 1991, appointed the inaugural Chair of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC).
- Co-founder and Secretary of the Council of Aboriginal Women of South Australia, and an active campaigner for the 1967 Referendum.
- In 1983, invested as Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for service to the Aboriginal community.
- Australian of the Year in 1984. Declared an Australian National Living Treasure in 1998.
- Received numerous awards and honours throughout her service, patron to numerous institutions, also serving on numerous Boards and Committees.
- In 1999, invested as Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) for public service through leadership to Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians in the areas of human rights and social justice.
- In 2006, invested as Dame of the Order of St Gregory the Great (DSG), a Papal Honour by Pope John Paul II.
- In 2009, honoured with the NAIDOC Lifetime Achievement Award.
- In 2010, the Lowitja Institute is established as Australia’s only national Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health research institute.
- In 2022, commemorating her 90th birthday, the establishment of the Lowitja O’Donoghue Foundation is announced to acknowledge, recognise, and preserve the extraordinary legacy of Dr O’Donoghue’s dedicated lifetime of work through the creation of opportunities for advancement and change for First Nations people.
Picture credits: Guildhouse, Lana Adams; Lowitja O’Donoghue Collection
