On Friday 4 August over 30 volunteers attended Courage to Care headquarters for a morning tea to catch up over some delicious pastries and hear from guest speaker Sue Taffe. Sue is an author & historian who has written a biography of upstander Mary Montgomerie Bennett (1881-1961) entitled A White Hot Flame.
A member of a successful squatting family, Mary became a voice for reform at a time when Aboriginal Australians had their citizens’ rights curtailed by repressive state laws. Mary fought for justice on behalf of the first Australians. She was a teacher, a writer, and an advocate. A friend described Mary as ‘a white-hot flame’, relentless in pursuit of a better world for the people she loved.
Sue’s biography seeks the sources of Mary’s inspiring energy, maintained throughout her life, in her family background and early life experiences.
Sue has also written about the contributions of twentieth century activists to campaigns for Aboriginal rights. She is the author of Black and White Together FCAATSI: the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, as well as articles and book chapters about these activists.
Special thanks to Sue for spending the morning with us and introducing us to Mary.
