Barbara Miller is married to Norman, an Aboriginal Australian. She has a son, Michael. They live in Cairns, North Queensland, Australia. She is a pastor, mediator, psychologist and teacher and has had a keen interest in working for Aboriginal advancement since 1970 when she got involved as a university student.
Barbara was instrumental in the movement of the Mapoon Aboriginal people back to their land in 1974 after they had been moved off by police to make way for a mining company and she recorded their stand. Also she was very involved in the setting up of the North Queensland Land Council in 1975 to work for land rights and self-determination for Aboriginal people against the background of the discriminatory Queensland Aborigines Act. The Human Rights Commission asked her to write a report on this and she did a case study on Yarrabah.
In the early 1990’s, working as the CEO of the Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council which represented Aboriginal local government in remote communities, she lobbied state and federal governments and wrote a number of reports including reports on Aboriginal deaths in custody and crime prevention on Aboriginal communities. Barbara and Norman take groups of Australians to Israel each year for Christian conferences and prayer tours and minister regularly in other nations.
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WRITING BY BARBARA MILLER
Books
- Miller, B. (2018) “White Woman Black Heart: Journey Home to Old Mapoon, A Memoir”
- Miller, B (2018 2nd ed), The Dying Days of Segregation in Australia: Case Study Yarrabah
- Miller, B (2014) THE EUROPEAN QUEST TO FIND TERRA AUSTRALIS INCOGNITA: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon
- Miller, B (2012) William Cooper, Gentle Warrior: Standing Up for Australian Aborigines and Persecuted Jews, Xlibris.
- Miller, B (2006) “The Re-Founding of Australia” in Maeliau, M, Maki, J, Miller, B and Siilata, M. Uluru: the Heart of Australia, Honiara, Solomon Is.
- Miller, B (1992) “A Social-Historical and Psychological Perspective on Aboriginal Intra-Cultural Aggression” in Thomas, D. and Veno, A. (Eds) Psychology and Social Change, Creating an International Agenda, The Dunmore Press, Palmerston North, New Zealand.
- Roberts, J P (ed) and co-authored by Roberts, J, Russell, B (now Miller), McLean, D & Parsons, M. The Mapoon Story (1975) 3 vols. (Book I: The Mapoon Story by The Mapoon People; Book II: The Mapoon Story according to the Invaders; Book III: The Cape York Aluminium Companies and the Native Peoples). International Development Action, Fitzroy, Victoria.
Journal Articles
- Miller, B. “Learned Helplessness and Aboriginal Intra-Cultural Violence” South Pacific Journal of Psychology Vol 5, P38-44, 1992.
- Miller, B. “Crime Prevention and Socio-legal Reform on Aboriginal Communities in Queensland” Aboriginal Law Bulletin Vol 2 No 49 1991
- Miller, B. “Green Fingers Across Black Land” Aboriginal Law Bulletin Vol 2 No 58 1992
- Miller, B. “Clayton’s Land Rights, The Qld Aboriginal Land Act – An Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council Perspective” Aboriginal Law Bulletin Vol 2 No 52 1991.
- Miller, B. N.Q. Messagestick, numerous articles 1975-1978.
Conference papers
- Miller, B. (1993) Psychology and Aboriginal People Conference paper, Curtin University, Perth, WA, 13-14 Dec.
- Miller, B. (1992) “A Community Development Approach to Crime Prevention in Aboriginal Communities”, Australian Institute of Criminology Conference, Cairns. Printed in “Proceedings of the Australian Institute of Criminology Conference in S. Killop (ed.), Aboriginal Justice Issues, Canberra 23-25 June 1992 P17-23. (www.aic.gov.au/publications)
- Miller, B. (1992) Race and Class: an Overview of Australian Policing Australian Institute of Criminology Conference on Aboriginal Justice Issues, Cairns.
- Miller, B. (1991) Working Together for Crime Prevention, Australian Institute of Criminology Conference, Alice Springs. (www.aic.gov.au/publications)
- Miller, B (1990) Crime Prevention and Socio-Legal Reform on Aboriginal Communities in Queensland, Australian Institute of Criminology Conference, Brisbane. (www.aic.gov.au/publications)
- Miller, B. (1991) ATSI Land (Consequential Amendments) Bill 1991 presented to the Aborigines and Conservationists Working Together for Our Future Workshop at Yarrabah.
Reports
- Miller, B. (2005) Community Transformation – Building Spiritual Capital at Aurukun Project Report. Dept of Communities, Cairns.
- Miller, B (1995) Youth Advisory Forum Report, Aboriginal and Islander Child Care Agency, Brisbane.
- Miller, B. (1994) Options for the Future: Local Government and Native Title on Queensland Aboriginal Communities Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council, Cairns. (about 100 pages)
- Miller, B. (1994) Bama Healing Centre 5 Year Strategic Plan.
- Miller, B. (1993) Queensland Trust Community Initiatives in Taking Responsibility for Social Control. Cairns: Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council
- Miller, B. (1986) The Aspirations of Aborigines Living at Yarrabah in Relation to Local Management and Human Rights. Canberra: Human Rights Commission, Discussion Paper no 7
Submissions
- “Green Fingers Across Black Land: The nature Conservation Bill as it Relates to Aboriginal Land Rights and Self-Determination” 1992
- “ACC Submission on Coastal Protection Bill 1992”, “Submission by ACC on the Draft National Strategy for Ecologically Sustainable Development” 1992
- Submission by ACC to the Resource Assessment Commission Coastal Zone Inquiry” 1992
- ACC Submission on the Wet Tropics Plan: Strategic Directions” 1992
- “ACC Submission on Keeping it Great: A 25 year Strategic Plan (Great Barrier Reef Marine Park) 1992
- “Eating the Crumbs From Under the Table: Native Title, Unalienated Crown Land and the Crown’s Land Management Reform” 1993
- “Preserving the Past, Protecting the Future: An ACC Response to the Resource Assessment Commission Coastal Zone Inquiry Draft Report” 1993
- “A Monument Made Big For Nothing or the Restoration of Collective Rights for Aboriginal People Through a Qld Bill of Rights and a Qld Constitution” 1993
- “A Regional Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Tourism Strategy as Part of a National Strategy” 1993.
- “ACC Submission to the Royal Commission to Deaths in Custody” 1990 (about 100 pages).
Media
Barbara, White Light for Black Days, Bulletin Jan 95
Barbara, White Woman Black Heart, the Sunday Age 2.12.90
70’s Rebel is stirring for justice. Sunday Mail 14.10.90
Aboriginals Triple State Death Rate, Cairns Post 28.9.90