21 Aug 2020 | Hardie Grant Books

Nova Peris is an Olympic gold medallist and former senator. She was the first Indigenous Australian elected to Federal Parliament, the first Indigenous athlete to win an Olympic gold medal and the only person to appear in consecutive Olympic finals representing two different sporting codes.

Gavin Wanganeen is an artist, activist and former AFL player. He was the first Indigenous player to win a Brownlow Medal and has been inducted into the AFL Hall of Fame.

Cathy Freeman is an Olympic gold medallist. She was the first Indigenous athlete to win an Olympic medal. She established the Cathy Freeman Foundation, where the focus is on supporting Indigenous children to reach their full potential both in school and beyond.

Dr James Little, known as Jimmy Little, is a musician whose popular single ‘Royal Telephone’ was the first number one song in Australia by an Indigenous artist. He was an ambassador and advocate for many Indigenous health and education programs.

Emma Donovan is a celebrated musician. She started her musical career playing in a family band before going on to tour locally and internationally to great acclaim.

Miranda Tapsell is an actress, writer and producer. She has won two Logies and is a passionate advocate for diverse representation in Australian media.

Dan Sultan is a popular musician with multiple ARIA and NIMA awards to his name. He has also worked as an actor.

Evonne Goolagong is a former star tennis player. She was ranked the number one player in the world in 1971 and 1976 and won 92 pro tournaments. She established the Evonne Goolagong Foundation to promote better health, employment and education through tennis.

Sir Doug Nicholls is a dedicated activist who fought for the rights of Indigenous Australians. He served as the Governor of South Australia and of Australia and was the first Indigenous Australian to be knighted. He was also a star footballer - the annual Indigenous AFL round was named in his honour.

Thelma Plum is a musician with a host of NIMA, Deadly and ARIA awards. Her debut album received six ARIA nominations. She is an advocate for diverse representation and Indigenous rights through her music.

William Cooper is a staunch advocate for Indigenous rights. He fought for many things, including the rights of Indigenous workers and communities, for land rights and for Indigenous representation in Parliament.

Lance Franklin, also known as Buddy, is a star AFL player. He is a leading goalkicker, has played in two premierships, is a four-time Coleman medallist and has been named an All- Australian player eight times.

Jessica Mauboy is a musician and actress. She has four platinum albums, a host of hit singles and has won multiple awards. She is an ambassador for the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and an advocate for various education and arts initiatives.

Archie Roach is a music legend. His song ‘Took the Children Away’ is the only song to be awarded an International Human Rights Achievement Award. He established the Archie Roach Foundation to provide opportunities for First Nations artists.

Lionel Rose is a champion boxer. He won the world bantamweight title at nineteen years old and was the first Indigenous Australian

to be awarded Australian of the Year. He was also a musician and an advocate for reconciliation and for indigenous health.

Patty Mills is a basketball player in the NBA. He is the only Indigenous Australian to win an NBA championship. He represents Australia in basketball and is a triple Olympian.

Adam Goodes is an activist, advocate and former AFL player. He works with the GO Foundation, which creates opportunities through education for Indigenous youth. As an AFL player, Adam played in two premierships, won two Brownlow medals, was awarded the AFL Rising Star Award, was named an All-Australian player four times, won the club Best and Fairest award three times and was a member of the AFL Indigenous Team of the Century.

The Sapphires are an all-female singing group. The four members, Laurel Robinson, Beverly Briggs, Naomi Mayers and Lois Peeler, are all related - they grew up singing together as children. An acclaimed film was made about their musical career, with the script written by Beverly’s son Tony Briggs.