Check out my instagram page where I put regular updates and subscribe here And follow me on my Facebook page where I also post regularlyhere
Barbara Miller re her 2 memoirs – White Woman Black Heart and Secrets and Lies – brief interview find them HERE
As always, it’s such a pleasure to connect with you through our monthly newsletter. I’ve been busy with voluntary work I do and helping my husband with his art gallery as he is an Aboriginal artist – Munganbana. You can glimpse his work here
However I do have a new writing project which is writing the story of a Holocaust survivor called Eva from Austria who has lived in Sydney for a long time now. I have known her for a few years and interviewed her before with the option of maybe one day writing her story. She is now keen to move it forward so I will be in Sydney 23-26 Sept to do more interviews and to meet someone who will make a documentary on her. So the 2 projects will go hand in hand.
I want to thank you for being a part of my reader community and I would love to hear more from you. What led you to pick up one of my books and what would you like to hear from me in future? What have you been reading lately and who are your favourite authors?
Photo of Barbara interviewing Eva on the left and Eva at the Sydney Jewish Museum.
QUOTES ABOUT BOOKS
“The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest minds of past centuries.” – Rene Descartes
“That’s the thing about books. They let you travel without moving your feet.” – Jhumpa Lahiri, The Namesake
“I love the way that each book — any book — is its own journey. You open it, and off you go…” – Sharon Creech
“Reading is an exercise in empathy; an exercise in walking in someone else’s shoes for a while.” – Malorie Blackman
PLENTY OF BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM. GET YOURS TODAY! find them here
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out HERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website.
Check out my instagram page where I put regular updates and subscribe here And follow me on my Facebook page where I also post regularlyhere
Where would you like to keep your books? In an outdoor garden you can retreat to at night or do you like to read in a sunny lounge room by day? As always, it’s such a pleasure to connect with you through our monthly newsletter. Sorry it’s been 2 months. Time flies. I’ve acturally been busy helping my husband with his art gallery as he is an Aboriginal artist – Munganbana. You can glimpse his work here
However I want to thank you for being a part of my reader community and I would love to hear more from you. What led you to pick up one of my books and what would you like to hear from me in future? What have you been reading lately and who are your favourite authors?
Right now, I’m at the Cairns Indigenous Art Fair at the Cairns Convention Centre where my books are available along with my husband’s art so below is a photo of our stall. We have visitors from all over the world and people are lapping up my books and the art.
AMAZON REVIEWS
If I Survive
foxden53 5.0 out of 5 stars Never forget! Reviewed in the United States on May 25, 2024 Verified Purchase This is a story of a survivor of one of the worst chapters of history. We all need to remember all those who died during this horrendous chapter of the 1940s and never ever forget the atrocities that lost so many lives. WE ARE ALL EQUAL IN GOD’S EYES AND WE NEED TO “NEVER FORGET “
This is an older review but so worth a read:
White Australia Has A Black History
Brian Aird 5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, Inspirational and Illuminating Reviewed in the United States on November 6, 2019 Verified Purchase White Australia Has a Black HIstory: William Cooper And First Nations Peoples’ Political Activism by Barbara Miller is a compelling narrative that chronicles the Aboriginal movement in Australia and their quest for human rights.
Specifically, the book covers the time frame spanning the years of 1860 to 1941. The main inspirational leader is William Cooper as well as a number of other visionary leaders are highlighted and their impact on the nation of Australia.
This historical and exhaustive work is an engaging read that reflects the plight of the Aborigines of Australia. It details the discrimination placed on the indigenous peoples of this down under country by white settlers. Additionally, in an effort to move towards assimilation, the book moves the reader through the other injustices inflicted upon the Aborigines. Some of those injustices include the removal of children from their families, economic destruction, land grab, rationing of food, etc.
However, the proud native Australians push back and utilize peaceful means to secure their people and bring about change and improvement for their lives.
Adding to the impact of the book is the actual verbiage penned from existing diaries of those who fought for equality. This dimension along with actual published photos adds to the impact of the book and personalizes those victims of one race being devalued significantly by another race.
Above all, in addition to being educational, the book is inspirational as it details the value and effectiveness of making a difference when leaders promote a vision of a greater good for all involved. Adding to the inspiration is the display of powerful impact when leaders from both races work together for the benefit of their homeland.
The author, Barbara Miller, has gifted the reader with a truly inspirational narrative of vision, motivated leaders and an oppressed people fighting for equality. Furthermore, it is a relevant read for the people of today who can relate to discriminatory acts of being marginalized either personally or as a group of people. Both books available on Amazon or my website.
PLENTY OF BOOKS TO CHOOSE FROM. GET YOURS TODAY!
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out HERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website.
As always, it’s such a pleasure to connect with you through our monthly newsletter.
First, I want to extend my heartfelt gratitude to you for being a part of our community. Your support means the world to me, and it’s what keeps me inspired to delve deeper into the realms of Australian Aboriginal history, the Holocaust, and beyond.
What books have you been reading lately? What do you prefer, novels, nonfiction, newspapers, magazines or journals? I must admit, I’m addicted to newspapers and still like the feel of paper in my hands. When I want a quick read of a book and can’t wait for it to be posted, I select an eBook from amazon. What about you? What topics are like a magnet for you?
Have You Read These Lesser-Known Australian Tales?
I wanted to take a moment to reconnect and share some hidden gems from my collection of books that delve into the rich tapestry of Australian history, particularly focusing on Indigenous affairs.
Many of you know my passion for bringing these stories to life. But with 12 books under my belt, it can be hard to know where to start!
This month, I want to highlight a few lesser-known titles that might pique your interest:
Voice Treaty Truth: Has the Christian Voice Been Heard?
Even though this was a hot topic prior to the referendum late last year, it is a continuing issue with South Australia having set up its own voice and other state governments continuing with treaty and truth telling. While the Christian view is covered in this book, it also covers the main arguments of supporters and opponents of the Voice.
This book explores key issues. What is happening in Australian race relations is a mirror of what is happening in the Western world. Australia is currently divided 60/40 over a recent referendum to enshrine an Indigenous representative body in the constitution which would be a Voice to parliament and the executive government. There was pushback about creating a race-based body in the constitution and the inequality of having two classes of citizens. This is likely to continue with division over the need for a treaty and debating about the truth of Australia’s history. This book, Voice Treaty Truth, examines both sides of the argument in a passionate and balanced way and looks at the issues from political, historical, and spiritual viewpoints.
In this book, Barbara Miller, a pastor, sociologist, and historian, offers an insightful Christian response to the Uluru Statement From the Heart. She shares her 50 years of experience as an activist and researcher in First Nations affairs to help readers understand this debate which is potentially nation-changing.
If I Survive – Interview with Holocaust Survivor Lena Goldstein by Author Barbara Miller
See https://barbara-miller-books.com/ for her full story in the book “If I Survive: Nazi Germany and the Jews, 100-Year Old Lena Goldstein’s Miracle Story.” Lena passed away in her sleep Tuesday night, 14 May 2019. The timing was not lost on me – the anniversary of the rebirth of the state of Israel. This video was uploaded overnight 13 May 2024 in her honour.
Unveiling the Stories That Shaped Australia, Myself and Maybe You
In Secrets and Lies: the Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal History, A Memoir, I weave together memoir and historical research to tell the story of First Nations Australians. It is not a story of the past but current events and recent history.
Barbara Russell, a young woman from a white working-class family. A ruthless Premier Bjelke-Petersen enforcing legal discrimination. What secrets lie hidden? What lies are being told?
Barbara couldn’t stand by and watch the feud of the people with governments and miners strip Australian Aboriginal communities of all they held dear. Not if she could help.
Would her passion make a way for her? Was she strong enough to make a difference for the people, resist the temptation of love, and stand up to her family too?
In this story of secrets, lies, ideological conflict and racial discrimination laws, Barbara teams up with Mick, an Aboriginal schoolteacher. They organise remote Australian Aboriginal people to fight Bjelke and the mining companies that encroach on their land. But Bjelke has a few tricks up his sleeve and will use all in his powers in this police state to stop them. If the Aboriginal people fail, more of them will die in poverty and desperation.
Can the church take on the state and win in this epic battle as the church stands with the Aboriginals to challenge racism? This historical memoir is another sizzling story in the First Nations True Stories series.
With the current debate in Australia of Voice Treaty Truth and the worldwide issue of Black Lives Matter, this book gives many key Aboriginal people a voice and reveals the shocking truth of the hidden history of 1975 to 2021 in a near-novel like manner. Every important historical event is covered. This is one of the social justice books that you will want on your shelf. The political activism examples are not those of keyboard warriors but those of a people who took to the trenches.
If you like fast-paced action, real-life heroes, and the window opened on another culture, this book is for you. If you like books with political intrigue that bring to life an interesting historical period, you’ll love Secrets and Lies. These books offer unique perspectives and I truly believe they’ll resonate with anyone fascinated by Australia’s past.
Looking for something different? Don’t forget I also delve into topics like the Holocaust and Christian themes in some of my other works.
Click on the titles above to learn more about these books, or visit my website to discover your next captivating read!
Happy reading,
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out HERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website – www.barbara-miller-books.com.
With all the bad news the last few months, I hope you have some light reading you can do occasionally. Or even some books to read that are stimulating and intriguing and take you on an interesting journey.
These are my two memoirs which are really histories as well and how I came to be part of the story. Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal HIstory, A Memoir is my second memoir. This is one interesting review:
This passionate and deeply researched book shines a light on what Aboriginal really means. The author’s unique style of gonzo journalism is fascinating, and illustrates the power of on-the-ground reporting. Despite it being a work of history, this story feels incredibly timely, given the ongoing political battles for First Nation rights in other parts of the globe. All told, Secrets and Lies is an eye-opening and fearless reflection on a vital topic.
Self-Publishing Review
White Woman Black Heart: Journey Home to Old Mapoon, A Memoir. See one of many reviews: This is a highly engaging and inspiring memoir. At its centre is the story of Mapoon which has all the elements of a great drama with the violent expulsion of the community in 1963 and their triumphant return eleven years later. As the author explains she came almost by chance to be at the very centre of the drama which in turn dramatically changed her life. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in political and social change over the last 50 years.
Professor Henry Reynolds,FAHA FASSA University of Tasmania, eminent historian and award-winning author
Picking up a new book and losing yourself between its pages for the afternoon — or into the early hours of the morning — is one of life’s simplest pleasures. And 2024 is already shaping up to be a brilliant year for books. Let’s have a look at refinery29.com’s list of the 27 Best New Books of 2024.
William Cooper Gentle Warrior: Standing Up for Australian Aborigines and Persecuted Jews is the first book by Barbara Miller on William Cooper and tells his amazing story and that of the Australian Aborigines’ League as they work for the uplift of their people and stand up for Jews at Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust when Aborigines were not citizens in their own nation. The two books pictured here are updates on that book, one focusing on his contribution to Aboriginal causes and the other on his support for Jewish people.
FIND THESE WILLIAM COOPER BOOKS WHCH GO TOGETHER- HERE
Launch of Dying Days of Segregation book launch at Yarrabah Aboriginal community
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out HERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and here on my website.
Happy reading!!
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – Available as an audio book – a first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
Happy reading!!
Do you like to read on your holidays? Or on weekends? Do you like to munch as you eat or have a favourite spot like an armchair or the beach? Welcome to 2024 and a great year of reading!
Left – My 3 journals for Bible study reflections, prayer musings and sermon notes or reflections on youtube messages you watch. Right – Presenting Munganbana Norman Miller’s book Reef and Rainforest: An Aboriginal Voice Through Art and Story with 200 paintings in it to former Lord Mayor of Brisbane Sallyanne Atkinson at the Writers Festival in Cairns. For more information see
BOOK OF THE MONTH FEATURE
Picking up a new book and losing yourself between its pages for the afternoon — or into the early hours of the morning — is one of life’s simplest pleasures. And 2024 is already shaping up to be a brilliant year for books. Let’s have a look at refinery29.com‘s list of the 27 Best New Books of 2024.
FIND THESE WILLIAM COOPER BOOKS WHCH GO TOGETHER- HERE
FIND THESE WILLIAM COOPER BOOKS WHCH GO TOGETHER- HERE
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out HERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website.
Happy reading!!
Michele Klawitter 5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Reviewed in the United States on 8 November 2023 Verified Purchase
Barbara Miller’s “Voice Treaty Truth: Has the Christian Voice Been Heard?” offers a comprehensive exploration of Australian race relations, mirroring global trends. It examines the recent divisive referendum for an Indigenous representative body in the constitution, known as a Voice to parliament. As a pastor, sociologist, and historian with extensive experience in First Nations affairs, Miller provides a balanced Christian perspective on this critical issue.
The book fosters understanding of the consequences of colonialism, the Christian role in reconciliation, and the potential for a more united nation. It also sheds light on racism, inequality, and separatism, giving readers insight into these complex issues. “Voice Treaty Truth” is a vital read, providing a deep understanding of the complexities of Australian race relations.
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – Available as an audio book – a first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
The Dying Days of Segregation in Australia: Case Study Yarrabahgives a blow-by-blow description of the days of apartheid in Qld and how an Aboriginal community lobbied tirelessly for local government and finally got it in 1984 and their progress to today with land rights and native title. Hear the words of Aboriginal leaders themselves. Find it HERE.
William Cooper Gentle Warrior: Standing Up for Australian Aborigines and Persecuted Jews is the first book by Barbara Miller on William Cooper and tells his amazing story and that of the Australian Aborigines’ League as they work for the uplift of their people and stand up for Jews at Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust when Aborigines were not citizens in their own nation. Find it HERE
7 Steps on How to Change Your Nation Community Find out more
Nothing like a good book to read! What do you like to read- fiction or non-fiction? I mostly like non-fiction with a strong interest in current affairs and history. Hence I like to stay in touch with the daily news. Still, I like to dig into the history behind the news as well – to understand the context.
Which reading space do you like the best? I’m afraid I might go to sleep if I pick the second one. It looks too too comfortable.
Barbara Miller’s book “Voice Treaty Truth” offers a comprehensive guide to understanding the Voice to Parliament and government referendum. Drawing on their extensive experience in First Nations affairs, the writer provides valuable insights into the complexities of this crucial issue. The book presents a balanced evaluation of arguments from both sides from a neutral perspective and the author does ever so well to shed light on the role of different social factors such as inequality in the said debate. The book serves as an informative resource for readers seeking clarity on this significant topic, offering potential avenues towards overall unity in Australia.
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out HERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website – https://barbara-miller-books.com
Happy reading!!
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – Available as an audio book – a first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
The Dying Days of Segregation in Australia: Case Study Yarrabahgives a blow-by-blow description of the days of apartheid in Qld and how an Aboriginal community lobbied tirelessly for local government and finally got it in 1984 and their progress to today with land rights and native title. Hear the words of Aboriginal leaders themselves. Find it HERE.
William Cooper Gentle Warrior: Standing Up for Australian Aborigines and Persecuted Jews is the first book by Barbara Miller on William Cooper and tells his amazing story and that of the Australian Aborigines’ League as they work for the uplift of their people and stand up for Jews at Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust when Aborigines were not citizens in their own nation. Find it HERE
Voice Treaty Truth: Has the Christian Voice Been Heard? Book Trailer
DISCOUNT ON VOICE TREATY TRUTH EBOOK
I have a 5-day 99c USD special on Amazon from 7 November 8am PST or 8 November 1am AEST. I would love a review.
What is happening in Australian race relations is a mirror of what is happening in the Western world. Australia is currently divided 60/40 over a recent referendum to enshrine an Indigenous representative body in the constitution which would be a Voice to parliament and the executive government.
There was pushback about creating a race-based body in the constitution and the inequality of having two classes of citizens. This is likely to continue with division over the need for a treaty and debating about the truth of Australia’s history. This book, Voice Treaty Truth, examines both sides of the argument in a passionate and balanced way and looks at the issues from political, historical, and spiritual viewpoints. GRAB IT WHILE IT’S ON SALE!!!
Left – Synagogue in Seigen Germany burning during Kristallnacht Right – Magdeburg Germany with shopfront glass broken during Kristallnacht 1938.
READ AN EXCERPT ON KRISTALLNACHT FROM MILLER’S BOOK SHATTERED LIVES BROKEN DREAMS HERE
WHERE ARE TODAY’S WILLIAM COOPERS? FREE RESOURCE AVAILABLE
Aboriginal leader, William Cooper, led the Australian Aborigines’ League in a protest to the German Consulate in Melbourne against Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust or Shoah in 1938. Where are today’s William Coopers? The Indigenous Friends of Israel is continuing his legacy. See more
You can do something too. If you want to lead a group in your home, workplace, place of worship or social group learning how to deal with antisemitism today and find out more about the Holocaust, then there is a free resource available. If you don’t want to lead it yourself, you can put this resource in the hands of someone who can and is willing to. It is a resource I wrote at the request of Eli Rabinowitz of the WE ARE HERE! Foundation.
HANDBOOK – THE HOLOCAUST AND THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL RESPONSE
The author Barbara Miller would like to thank Eli Rabinowitz, founder of the WE ARE HERE! Foundation and Gabriele Maluga, the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Western Australia for initiating and sponsoring this handbook which can be used for upper secondary students and adult education in Australia and internationally.
We also acknowledge the support of Yad Vashem Photo Archives Jerusalem.
Maahi 4.0 out of 5 stars Colonialism and Legacy of First Nations Community Reviewed in the United States on 1 November 2023 Verified Purchase
The book “Voice Treaty Truth” by Barbara Miller is an educational and thought-provoking book that offers readers an essential guide to understanding the Voice to Parliament and government referendum in Australia. The author provides a balanced evaluation of the arguments on both sides of the referendum, delving into the profound legacy of colonialism and the impact it has had on First Nations communities.
Based upon the extensive research experience of the writer, the book also addresses the impact of several factors and issues of inequality in the society, while offering practical solutions for a more unified nation. It is a detailed and insightful read that encourages readers to make an informed decision on this important issue in Australian history.
BOOK OF THE MONTH FEATURE See this in the next newsletter
FIND THESE WILLIAM COOPER BOOKS WHCH GO TOGETHER – HEREFIND THESE MEMOIRS WHCH GO TOGETHER – HERE
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out HERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website – www.barbara-miller-books.com.
Happy reading!!
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – Available as an audio book – a first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
The Dying Days of Segregation in Australia: Case Study Yarrabahgives a blow-by-blow description of the days of apartheid in Qld and how an Aboriginal community lobbied tirelessly for local government and finally got it in 1984 and their progress to today with land rights and native title. Hear the words of Aboriginal leaders themselves. Find it HERE.
William Cooper Gentle Warrior: Standing Up for Australian Aborigines and Persecuted Jews is the first book by Barbara Miller on William Cooper and tells his amazing story and that of the Australian Aborigines’ League as they work for the uplift of their people and stand up for Jews at Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust when Aborigines were not citizens in their own nation. Find it HERE
Voice Treaty Truth: Has the Christian Voice Been Heard?
Book Trailer
DISCOUNT ON VOICE TREATY TRUTH EBOOK
I have a 5-day 99c USD promotion on Amazon from 7 November 8am PST or 8 November 1am Brisbane time. I would love a review.
Race relations in Australia has become more divisive. Is reconciliation dead? Activist and pastor explores the issues not just facing Australia but the West generally.
Australia is currently divided 60/40 over a referendum that has just been held to enshrine an Indigenous representative body in the constitution. There was pushback into creating a race-based body in the constitution and having two classes of citizens. This is likely to continue with division over the need for a treaty and debating about the truth of Australia’s history. This book, Voice Treaty Truth, examines all the issues from political, historical, and spiritual viewpoint.
Amazon AU link:
Amazon US link:
Left – William Cooper. Right – the Miller family meeting with Israel Ambassador to Australia Amir Maimon when he spoke recently at a function in Cairns along with Norman and Barbara Miller of Indigenous Friends of Israel.
WHERE ARE TODAY’S WILLIAM COOPERS? FREE RESOURCE AVAILABLE
Aboriginal leader, William Cooper, led the Australian Aborigines’ League in a protest to the German Consulate in Melbourne against Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust or Shoah in 1938. Where are today’s William Coopers? The Indigenous Friends of Israel is continuing his legacy. See more
You can do something too. If you want to lead a group in your home, workplace, place of worship or social group learning how to deal with antisemitism today and find out more about the Holocaust, then there is a free resource available. If you don’t want to lead it yourself, you can put this resource in the hands of someone who can and is willing to. It is a resource I wrote at the request of Eli Rabinowitz of the WE ARE HERE! Foundation.
HANDBOOK – THE HOLOCAUST AND THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL RESPONSE
The author Barbara Miller would like to thank Eli Rabinowitz, founder of the WE ARE HERE! Foundation and Gabriele Maluga, the Honorary Consul of the Federal Republic of Germany in Western Australia for initiating and sponsoring this handbook which can be used for upper secondary students and adult education in Australia and internationally.
We also acknowledge the support of Yad Vashem Photo Archives Jerusalem.
V.E. VINE VOICE 5.0 out of 5 stars Great Read Reviewed in the United States on October 29, 2023 Verified Purchase In “Voice Treaty Truth,” Barbara Miller delves into the impending Australian referendum concerning the Voice to Parliament, alongside the profound legacy of colonialism on First Nations communities. If this is a new issue to you, this is a great book to become more educated on this tenuous subject. Drawing on her wealth of experience as an activist and researcher, Miller offers a Christian point of view, looking at how religion, racism, and inequality come into play. The book is quite detailed and is a balanced evaluation of arguments on both sides of the referendum while offering real ideas for unity in Australia. With extensive research and insightful information, this book is an indispensable resource for individuals seeking a well-informed perspective on this important problem.
BOOK OF THE MONTH FEATURE See this in the next newsletter
FIND THESE WILLIAM COOPER BOOKS WHCH GO TOGETHER- HERE
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it outHERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website – www.barbara-miller-books.com
Happy reading!!
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – Available as an audio book – a first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
The Dying Days of Segregation in Australia: Case Study Yarrabahgives a blow-by-blow description of the days of apartheid in Qld and how an Aboriginal community lobbied tirelessly for local government and finally got it in 1984 and their progress to today with land rights and native title. Hear the words of Aboriginal leaders themselves. Find it HERE.
William Cooper Gentle Warrior: Standing Up for Australian Aborigines and Persecuted Jews is the first book by Barbara Miller on William Cooper and tells his amazing story and that of the Australian Aborigines’ League as they work for the uplift of their people and stand up for Jews at Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust when Aborigines were not citizens in their own nation. Find it HERE
Discover the essential guide to making an informed decision about the Voice to Parliament and government referendum. In this book, Barbara Miller, a pastor, sociologist, and historian, offers an insightful Christian response to the Uluru Statement From the Heart. She shares her 50 years of experience as an activist and researcher in First Nations affairs to help readers understand why she has changed her opinion. Readers will gain a deeper understanding of the issues at stake and the consequences of voting yes or no.
The book will empower readers to:
Make an informed decision on this critical issue in Australian history
Reconcile the impact of colonialism on First Nations people
Develop a vision for a more unified nation
Transform their lives with deeper insight into racism, inequality, and separatism
Inside this book, readers will find:
An expert look at the original sin of colonialism
A comprehensive view of the referendum’s consequences
A reflection on the impact of the Christian voice
Don’t wait – get your copy now before the price changes!
BOOK OF THE MONTH FEATURE See this in the next newsletter
FIND THESE WILLIAM COOPER BOOKS WHCH GO TOGETHER – HERE
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out HERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website – www.barbara-miller-books.com.
Happy reading!!
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – Available as an audio book – a first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
The Dying Days of Segregation in Australia: Case Study Yarrabahgives a blow-by-blow description of the days of apartheid in Qld and how an Aboriginal community lobbied tirelessly for local government and finally got it in 1984 and their progress to today with land rights and native title. Hear the words of Aboriginal leaders themselves. Find it HERE.
William Cooper Gentle Warrior: Standing Up for Australian Aborigines and Persecuted Jews is the first book by Barbara Miller on William Cooper and tells his amazing story and that of the Australian Aborigines’ League as they work for the uplift of their people and stand up for Jews at Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust when Aborigines were not citizens in their own nation. Find it HERE
A Conflict of Visions: Ideological Origins of Political Struggles By Thomas Sowell (a famous black American economist)
Controversies in politics arise from many sources, but the conflicts that endure for generations or centuries show a remarkably consistent pattern. In this book, which the author calls a “culmination of thirty years of work in the history of ideas,” Sowell attempts to explain the ideological difference between liberals and conservatives as a disagreement over the moral potential inherent in nature.
Those who see that potential as limited prefer to constrain governmental authority, he argues. They feel that reform is difficult and often dangerous, and they put their faith in family, custom, law, and traditional institutions. Conversely, those who have faith in human nature prefer to remove institutional and traditional constraints. Controversies over such diverse issues as criminal justice, income distribution, or war and peace repeatedly show an ideological divide along the lines of these two conflicting visions. Get book HERE
Daughter of the River Country by Dianne O’Brien & Sue Williams (Dianne is William Cooper’s great-granddaughter)
A heartbreaking, redemptive memoir of raw power, Daughter of the River Country is the story of an extraordinary journey from a childhood as one of Australia’s Stolen Generation to Aboriginal Elder
Born in rural Australia in the 1940s, baby Dianne is immediately taken from her parents and placed with a white family. Raised in an era of widespread racism, she grows up believing her Irish adoptive mother is her birth mother.
When her adoptive mother tragically dies and she is abandoned by her adoptive father, Dianne is raped, sent to the brutal Parramatta Girls Home and forced to marry her rapist in order to keep her baby. After suffering years of domestic abuse, but refusing to let her spirit be broken, Dianne finally discovers she is a Yorta Yorta woman, a daughter of the river country, and is reunited with her birth mother. She learns that her great-grandfather was a famous Aboriginal activist and from here she becomes a powerful leader in her own right, vowing to help others in any way she can.
Daughter of the River Country explores for the first time the devastation caused to Australia’s Aboriginal Stolen Generation, who were forcibly placed with white families as part of a government assimilation programme.
‘A compelling memoir about the power of love and staying the course.’ LINDA BURNEY, the first Aboriginal Member of Australia’s House of Representatives. Find it HERE
REQUEST A FREE HANDBOOK ON THE HOLOCAUST AND THE AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL RESPONSE WRITTEN BY BARBARA MILLER & PUBLISHED BY ELI RABINOWITZ OF THE WE ARE HERE FOUNDATION
This contains educational modules with videos and activities and is suitable for high school students, tertiary education and adult education. It also contains antisemitism education. It is highly suitable for the Australian context using examples from the life of Aboriginal William Cooper and the Australian Aborigines’ League. It is a highly engaging and free resource on a difficult topic and is highly relevant today. Get it HERE
Fun Facts About Books!
The largest collection consists of 1.5 million books!
According to the Guinness World Records, the largest privately owned collection of books is a massive 1.5 million.
They are owned by John Q. Benham who lives in Indiana in the USA.
He has to keep them in lots of different places because he doesn’t have enough space in his house.
They are in the garage, in his two-storey building and even outside!
If you read 20 minutes a day, you would have read 1.8 million words in a year
All it takes is 20 minutes a day.
If you read for this long every day for a year, then you would have read 1.8 million words.
You will be like a human dictionary!
You can read books in many different ways including e-books & audiobooks!
There used to be a time where we only had books to read.
Lucky for us, we can access them in lots of different ways now.
Whether it’s online, an e-book or even an audiobook there are lots of ways to access your favourite stories.
The person who draws pictures in books is called an illustrator.
Take a look at your books and they will say “Illustrated by…”.
The illustrator is the person who draws all the pictures in the book.
Books don’t always have to have one illustrator, there can be multiple.
If you love art then you might like to work as an illustrator when you are older!
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press.
We need to thank Johannes Gutenberg for the books we have today.
He invented the printing press, which prints words on to paper.
This was in 1440.
It meant that thousands of books could be produced very quickly!
Send us your favourite facts! Above facts are from:
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out HERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website – www.barbara-miller-books.com.
Happy reading!!
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.”Check it out here.
Right – Available as an audio book – a first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
The Dying Days of Segregation in Australia: Case Study Yarrabahgives a blow-by-blow description of the days of apartheid in Qld and how an Aboriginal community lobbied tirelessly for local government and finally got it in 1984 and their progress to today with land rights and native title. Hear the words of Aboriginal leaders themselves. Find it HERE.
William Cooper Gentle Warrior: Standing Up for Australian Aborigines and Persecuted Jews is the first book by Barbara Miller on William Cooper and tells his amazing story and that of the Australian Aborigines’ League as they work for the uplift of their people and stand up for Jews at Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust when Aborigines were not citizens in their own nation. Find it HERE
Is it hard to choose what to read next? Is it a juggling act?
BOOK OF THE MONTH FEATURE
In Beyond Belief: Rethinking the Voice to Parliament, twelve distinguished Australians set out their reasons why we need to question the wisdom of enshrining a Voice to parliament by amending the Constitution.
Some of these reasons are legal, political and constitutional; but others express concern that constitutional amendment will do nothing to address the social disadvantage endured by many Indigenous Australians – a burden which weighs heavily on each of the contributors.
Beyond Belief: Rethinking the Voice to Parliament will equip Australians who have their own doubts about the proposed referendum with informed and compelling reasons for deciding to vote ‘No’ when asked to change our nation’s founding document.
The Voice to Parliament Handbookis an easy-to-follow guide for the millions of Australians who have expressed support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, but want to better understand what a Voice to Parliament actually means.
‘We invite you to walk with us in a movement of the Australian people for a better future.’ These words from the Uluru Statement from the Heart are a heartfelt invitation from First Nations People to fellow Australians, who will have the opportunity to respond when the Voice referendum is put to a national vote by the Albanese Government.
Indigenous leader Thomas Mayo and acclaimed journalist Kerry O’Brien have written this handbook to answer the most commonly asked questions about why the Voice should be enshrined in the Constitution, and how it might function to improve policies affecting Indigenous communities, and genuinely close the gap on inequalities at the most basic level of human dignity.
A handy tool for people inclined to support a ‘yes’ vote in the referendum, The Voice to Parliament Handbook reflects on this historic opportunity for genuine reconciliation, to right the wrongs and heal the ruptured soul of a nation. This guide offers simple explanations, useful anecdotes, historic analogies and visual representations, so you can share it among friends, family and community networks in the build-up to the referendum.
I had a scoop about the Path to Treaty Bill being likely to pass through Qld parliament at its sitting in Cairns May 9-11. This had not surfaced in the national or even the state or local media so I wrote an article for The Spectator which would have been breaking news had it been a newspaper. It was approved to be published on 13 May and came out in the magazine cover attached. Since then, there has been a lot of coverage in Qld and national newspapers and national TV. Most people were surprised the opposition LNP supported the bill which has wide-reaching ramifications.
L – Author Barbara Miller with Cheryl Buchanan, co-chair Interim Truth and Treaty Board at the Path to Treaty workshop in Cairns 9 May. R – Barbara and Norman Miller with Cheyl Buchanan after the Premier’s breakfast when she announced to media the Path to Treaty Act had been passed the afternoon before.
Fun Facts About Books!
The largest collection consists of 1.5 million books!
According to the Guinness World Records, the largest privately owned collection of books is a massive 1.5 million.
They are owned by John Q. Benham who lives in Indiana in the USA.
He has to keep them in lots of different places because he doesn’t have enough space in his house.
They are in the garage, in his two-storey building and even outside!
If you read 20 minutes a day, you would have read 1.8 million words in a year
All it takes is 20 minutes a day.
If you read for this long every day for a year, then you would have read 1.8 million words.
You will be like a human dictionary!
You can read books in many different ways including e-books & audiobooks!
There used to be a time where we only had books to read.
Lucky for us, we can access them in lots of different ways now.
Whether it’s online, an e-book or even an audiobook there are lots of ways to access your favourite stories.
The person who draws pictures in books is called an illustrator.
Take a look at your books and they will say “Illustrated by…”.
The illustrator is the person who draws all the pictures in the book.
Books don’t always have to have one illustrator, there can be multiple.
If you love art then you might like to work as an illustrator when you are older!
Johannes Gutenberg invented the printing press.
We need to thank Johannes Gutenberg for the books we have today.
He invented the printing press, which prints words on to paper.
This was in 1440.
It meant that thousands of books could be produced very quickly!
Send us your favourite facts! Above facts are from:
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it outHERE
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website – www.barbara-miller-books.com. Happy reading!!
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – Available as an audio book – a first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
Below Left Norman Miller, David Hudson MC, and Barbara at the Writers dinner, and Below Right, Barbara giving Norman’s book Reef and Rainforest: An Aboriginal Voice Through Art and Story to former Lord Mayor of Brisbane, Sallyanne Atkinson AO who hosted a session in conversation with Torres Strait Islander actor and author Aaron Fa’Aoso.
Sallyanne, along with Cheryl Buchanan, is now co-chair of the Interim Truth and Treaty Body in Qld. I gave Sallyanne a copy of my book Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal History, A Memoir to give to Cheryl, an old friend of mine from University days.
Left – Welcome to Country at the Writers Festival and Right – Aaron Fa’Aoso with a friend
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
My books can be found at the Munganbana Reef and Rainforest Aboriginal Art Gallery at 33 Lake St Cairns, at Cairns Books bookshop at Cairns Central Shopping Centre, on Amazon, and on my website – www.barbara-miller-books.com. Happy reading!!
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – A first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
My book Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Aboriginal History, A Memoir has continued to be no 1 bestseller in Civil Law and Public Law on Amazon Au for over a year. it is no 2 in International Treaties.
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. You can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
My book Secrets and Lies is no 9 and White Woman Black Heart: Journey Home to Old Mapoon, A Memoir is no 10 in Civil Rights and Liberties on Amazon Au. My book The Dying Days of Segregation in Australia: Case Study Yarrabah is no 14 in Civil Rights Law on Amazon Au.
BOOK PUNS
Bookriot.com brings us the following library puns:
What building has the most stories? The library.
Mind if I check you out?
Libraries are good for circulation.
Dewey belong together?
Are you paying attention? You seem a bit checked out.
What does one library book say to the other? “Can I take you out?”
ISBN thinking about you.
Books stay warm with book jackets.
A man goes into a library and asks for a book on cliffhangers. The librarian says:
Ice cream for a good book.
Beverages are allowed in the library, but please don’t pour milk on our serials.
Page me if you want to read me.
Did you return your books late? Because you have fine written all over you.
I just can’t help my shelf.
May the library bring you many happy returns.
I’ve never metadata I didn’t like.
My love for you is overdue.
I asked the librarian if she knew the author of a dinosaur book. She said try Sarah Topps.
Believe in your shelf.
I wanted to visit the world’s biggest library but it was overbooked.
Exciting Musical Composition
There is an exciting musical composition with Jewish and Aboriginal collaboration. The article in the Jewish Chronicle says:
“In the ‘cinematic’ song cycle, Lior narrates the story in English, while Lou Bennett — Cooper’s great-great niece — “occupies the spirit” of Cooper, singing in Yorta Yorta. Lior, a fluent Hebrew speaker, opens the piece in his native language — with an extract from Psalm 137.”
The article also quotes William Cooper’s grandson Uncle Boydie’s comments in the foreword of my (Barbara Miller’s) book William Cooper Gentle Warrior.
“Uncle Boydie — whose voice is used in the culminating song by Lior and Westlake — wrote in the foreword to William Cooper: Gentle Warrior, a book by Barbara Miller: ‘Grandfather could sadly recognise that same affliction of fear, desperation, bewilderment and a sense of hopelessness which the Jewish people faced in Europe. When many countries around the world would not act, he did’.”
Handbook – The Holocaust and the Australian Aboriginal Response
by Barbara Miller
This 100+ page online resource is offered free of charge to educators and students, as long as the source is credited. To arrange your copy, or for more information, email the publishers, the WAH! Foundation – elirab@iinet.net.au
It covers the current worldwide definition of antisemitism and what we can do today to stand up against it.
Photo: William Cooper and the Australian Aborigines’ League who protested Kristallnacht in 1938 Plenty of books to choose from in the Miller Collection. As a special, I will send a free copy (PDF) of the book of your choice to the first 3 readers who email me.
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – A first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
L-R WE ARE HERE! Foundation – Dr Bill Allen, Prof Lynne Cohen, Eli and Jill Rabinowitz, based in Perth, Western Australia but working internationally
Handbook – The Holocaust and The Australian and Australian Aboriginal Responses by Barbara Miller
Written by Barbara Miller at the request of Eli Rabinowitz of the WE ARE HERE! Foundation, this handbook is a resource for educators and teachers and for upper secondary students and adult education programs in Australia and internationally. The handbook focuses on Australia’s response to the events leading up to and during the Holocaust, and in particular the specific responses of Aboriginal political and social activist William Cooper and fellow members of the AAL.
This online handbook is free. These online resources are offered free of charge to educators and students, as long as the source is credited. To arrange your copy, or for more information, email: elirab@iinet.net.au
WAH! Foundation chose Aboriginal William Cooper as their ambassador, a fine example of the compassion of an Upstander. He was a prominent activist who set out against the odds to protest the plight of the Jews in Nazi Germany, culminating in the tragedy of Kristalnacht in 1938.
Success is not always achieved overnight. William Cooper marched to the Melbourne German Consulate on 6 December 1938 to present his petition in support of Germany’s Jews. His petition was not accepted. This deed was only fully recognised by the German government in 2017.
“Some say that William Cooper only performed one act of solidarity in protesting the Germans’ cruel treatment of the Jews. However, I sense that he has become more than a Christian Aboriginal upstander. He has become a symbol of the bond between Jews and Aborigines which was formed through his protest and which has deepened with the commemoration of his actions.” Barbara Miller, biographer.
The Handbook was launched at Southern Cross Alliance for Israel (SCAFI) zoom meeting in time for International Holocaust Remembrance Day on 27 January 2023. We acknowledge the support of the German Consulate in Perth for this project as well as the WAH! Foundation.
William Cooper statue in Shepparton, Victoria. He is holding the letter of protest to Germany
To arrange your free copy, or for more information, email: elirab@iinet.net.au
Have You Always Dreamed of Being a Published Author? – The Successful Author Kit is for You.
Bestselling author Barbara Miller has produced the following guides to help you on your way to fulfilling your dream. It is called the Successful Author Kit. She knows what it takes to have a successful writing career. For a limited time and at the reduced price of $7 Au, you can get the following guides in the kit:
Guide to Choosing Your Niche
Guide to Finding Your Book Topic and Title
Guide to Structuring Your Non-Fiction Book, and as a bonus
List of Resources for Authors
If you would like more information, check it out here
BOOK PUNS
Bookriot.com brings us the following – Book puns are not only good for a laugh or an eye roll. They’re great for libraries, for teachers, and for other book lovers who want to find clever, catchy ways to draw attention to books and reading. There’s a reason that book puns show up on fun t-shirts, tote bags, and mugs: readers can’t get enough.
Tequila Mockingbird.
Never read Fitzgerald? You Gatsby kidding me!
“Never mind” —a passive-aggressive Raven.
Dystopian novels are so 1984.
But first, Kafka.
Why is John Milton a terrible guest at game nights? Because when he’s around, there’s a pair of dice lost.
What do you call 2000 mockingbirds? Two-kilo mockingbird.
Brontë? What a breath of fresh Eyre.
Forever Jung.
You’re nothing but a Wilde thing.
Who wants some stunning (and Free!) rainforest art? I’m giving away a complimentary physical art print of my latest Collection, the Rainforest Collection, to anyone who wants one (Yes even you!)
The perfect art to bring the colour green, known for symbolizing life, renewal, nature, energy, and healing to your special space!
Plenty of books to choose from in the Miller Collection. As a special, I will send a free copy (PDF or ebook) of the book of your choice to the first 5 readers who email me.
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – A first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
A message from my rainforest Aboriginal artist husband, Munganbana
Who wants some stunning (and Free!) rainforest art? For the next 7 days I’m giving away a complimentary physical art print of my latest Collection, the Rainforest Collection, to anyone who wants one (Yes even you!)
The perfect art to bring the colour green, known for symbolizing life, renewal, nature, energy, and healing to your special space!
Plenty of books to choose from in the Miller Collection. As a Christmas and Hanukkah special, I will send a free copy (PDF or ebook) of the book of your choice to the first 10 readers who email me.
Left – Who were the first Europeans to set foot on Australian soil and where did it happen? Find out in “The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros, Torres and Janszoon.” Check it out here.
Right – A first-hand account of the Holocaust from a Polish Jewish woman who faced death daily in “If I Survive.” Find out more here.
My husband Munganbana Norman Miller and I are a creative duo. I am a writer and he is a rainforest Aboriginal artist. However, he is an internationally acclaimed author too. He wants to share his art with you. He says:
I’m giving my art print away for free. No kidding!
As a rainforest Aboriginal artist, I live and breathe the rainforest, hear its soothing sounds and get strength from walking on it barefoot and touching its healing leaves.
The collection on offer is called “The Rainforest Collection”, and is perfect to bring that breath of fresh air and beauty from the rainforest into your life and home.
My prints are part of the 200 paintings in my book “Reef and Rainforest: An Aboriginal Voice Through Art and Story” that won an international award.
Looks like I’m being mobbed with orders but I don’t want to leave you out.
BOOK LAUNCHWED 30 NOV 6PM MUNGANBANA ABORIGINAL ART GALLERY 33 LAKE ST CAIRNS OF BOOK SECRETS AND LIES: THE SHOCKING TRUTH OF RECENT AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL HISTORY, A MEMOIR.
This book was no 1 on Amazon USA in the Civil Rights and Liberties category on the weekend.
This book has previously been launched on zoom only because of COVID so we are taking the opportunity of presenting the prizes for a Big Boomerang Colouring In Competition for primary and high school students in Cairns and region that we have organised to combine events. The competition is to build awareness of a project we are promoting to build a Big Icon in Cairns like the Big Pineapple, the Big Banana, the Big Prawn etc. It would be Australia’s only Big Icon focusing on Indigenous heritage. Prizes for the Colouring In Competition are family passes to Green Island on the Big Cat, Event Movies and Ten Pin Bowling and vouchers for accommodation at Coconut Resort and food at McDonalds and the Coffee Club. Norman and Barbara will also be giving away books.
REVIEW OF SECRETS AND LIES
Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Aboriginal History, A Memoir, is both a political chronicle and a personal memoir – a journey the young Barbara took into political activism and personal transformation, which became life-long. Barbara Miller shows the political and the personal can be two sides of a life journey of service.There is critical history in this book from an activist on the inside. Yet the book also shows that political activism is not enough. It must be balanced by personal integrity and pursuit. The journey from the political into the personal, with fulfillment in spiritual practice, is also illuminating. Can we do one without the other? I think not, whatever the spiritual practice is.
Barbara’s book bought memories of the days of the Aboriginal Co-ordinating Council (ACC), both of us working at different levels within the ACC to respond to the directions and needs of the old reserve mission controls moving into deeds of grant in trust and ‘self-management’. Barbara’s political background provided essential insight and sound analysis. Mine saw the failure of the services delivered by a racist regime, with the ACC working to meet their legislative responsibilities. Barbara supported this work through research. Hers has been an inspirational journey of service at many levels.
Judy Atkinson, Emeritus Professor, PhD AM
Plenty of books to choose from in the Miller Collection
Left – Norman and Barbara with William Cooper Gentle Warriorbook and right – Lena Goldstein on her 100th birthday as Norman and Barbara present her with Barbara’s book on Lena’s life story – If I Survive.
Would you like the freshness and tranquility of the rainforest in your home? This is an opportunity to have a free gift of a print by rainforest Aboriginal artist Munganbana Norman Miller. Choose your favourite and enjoy. At the same time, help the artist get his beautiful work more widely known. Please feel free to forward on this great opportunity. Check here for more details – https://www.artprintsbymunganbana.com/
Munganbana means Mountain Water and aptly describes his work – powerful and peaceful – and the land from which he comes – crystal cascades and volcanic lakes. Munganbana is of the Jirrbal, Bar-Barrum and Tableland Yidinji tribes of the North Queensland rainforest, a World Heritage-listed area. He specializes in limited edition lino prints, acrylic on canvas, greeting cards, batik wall hangings, batik dress lengths, and silk scarves. Munganbana has a workshop in his own gallery in Cairns, one of the few Aboriginal artist-owned galleries in the region and his work is very popular with international tourists. He regularly does art classes for schools or has school groups come into his gallery for workshops. He has a book with 200 paintings and stories to go with them. See https://munganbana.com.au/books/
BOOK LAUNCHWED 30 NOV 6PM MUNGANBANA ABORIGINAL ART GALLERY 33 LAKE ST CAIRNS OF BOOK SECRETS AND LIES: THE SHOCKING TRUTH OF RECENT AUSTRALIAN ABORIGINAL HISTORY, A MEMOIR.
This book has previously been launched on zoom only so we are taking the opportunity of presenting the prizes for a Big Boomerang Colouring In Competition for primary and high school students in Cairns and region that we have organised to combine events. The competition is to build awareness of a project we are promoting to build a Big Icon in Cairns like the Big Pineapple, the Big Banana, the Big Prawn etc. It would be Australia’s only Big Icon focusing on Indigenous heritage. Prizes for the Colouring In Competition are family passes to Green Island on the Big Cat, Event Movies and Ten Pin Bowling and vouchers for accommodation at Coconut Resort and food at McDonalds and the Coffee Club. Barbara will also be giving away books.
REVIEW OF SECRETS AND LIESThis passionate and deeply researched book shines a light on what Aboriginal really means. The author’s unique style of gonzo journalism is fascinating, and illustrates the power of on-the-ground reporting. Despite it being a work of history, this story feels incredibly timely, given the ongoing political battles for First Nation rights in other parts of the globe. All told, Secrets and Lies is an eye-opening and fearless reflection on a vital topic.
Self-Publishing Review
BOOK PRICE SLASHED FROM $29.95 TO $7ea
Crazy discount for one more week only. William Cooper Gentle Warrior, a biography and history, is on sale and you can get 10 or more copies for the amazing price of $5 each – much less than what it costs to produce them. I have some special projects coming up that will make books on William Cooper in high demand so get in while you can. They will make great gifts and are good teaching tools. William Cooper started the first national Aboriginal organisation back in the 1930’s and was the father of NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Week.) He led his people on one of the few private protests worldwide against Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust. His legacy lives on and this book is highly acclaimed.
Shattered Lives Broken Dreams: William Cooper and Australian Aborigines Protest Holocaust covers the story of the Australian Aborigines’ League, led by William Cooper to protest Kristallnacht which he did on 6 Dec 1938 in a protest march to the German Consulate in Melbourne. They protested because the Nazis murdered 91 Jews, smashed the windows of numerous synagogues and Jewish businesses, set synagogues ablaze, and arrested thousands of Jews who they sent to concentration camps. The book is on my website https://barbara-miller-books.com/ or on Amazon
What was Kristallnacht or the Night of the Broken Glass? This is an excerpt from my book:
What happened that day in 1938 in Australia? A fire, not lit by arsons but by the Australian Government in 1949, burnt the pre-1939 records of the German Consulate in Melbourne. News reports of the 1938 event lay buried in archives for decades. What happened was hidden from our eyes. But when researchers unearthed it, the reverberations were felt as far away as Israel. It catapulted a humble Aboriginal man into the limelight, making him a hero, and it linked the hearts of Jews and Aborigines.
Let’s reconstruct it as best we can. It was Tuesday 6 December 1938. The German Consulate was at 419-425 Collins Street, in the heart of the Melbourne CBD. Collins Street was one of the most desired addresses in the city, and its Victorian architecture was imposing. World War 2 had not yet been declared. An elderly white-haired Aboriginal gentleman with a bushy white moustache named William Cooper made an appointment to see consular officials on 6 December at 11.30 am. However, he was just a name at that point. No doubt the Consulate would have seen the article in the The Argus newspaper on Saturday 3 December alerting them that this appointment was not so routine. The paper revealed that a deputation from the Australian Aborigines’ League (AAL) would meet with the German Consul to protest the “cruel persecution” of Jewish people and ask that they convey it to their government.
Perhaps it was a startled guard who first raised the alarm. A large group of Aborigines was fast approaching. It looked like a mob, not a deputation of two or three. They didn’t appear to have any weapons, but they were striding with purpose and getting closer. Would they try to overrun the Consulate? Bust their way inside? Damage any property? Perhaps their dark skin itself was threatening enough with Nazi Germany’s theories of the supremacy of the white race.
The tension mounted. Gruff voices. Commands. Keep them out! Lock the door! We can’t meet with a rowdy mob! No telling what might happen. Don’t take any chances!
If the Consulate had not been located in a peaceful country like Australia, would warning shots have been fired over their heads – or worse?
By now, William Cooper and the AAL were close enough that the fierce determination in their eyes could be seen. This was the only protest march the AAL ever embarked on, and it was for Jewish people in faraway Europe, not for themselves, even though they were not citizens in their own land. Having lived under racism and discrimination in Australia, they felt empathy with another persecuted group. They were cut to the core by what happened to the Jewish people and wanted it to stop. They wanted to stand up and do whatever was in their power to stop the death and persecution of Jews.
Perhaps the Aborigines were simply met with silence and locked doors that day. Closed hearts; closed minds. Or maybe they received curt orders and shouts to disperse. Maybe William Cooper knocked on the door to no avail. Did he push the AAL’s protest letter under the door or did a security guard receive it? The letter has not survived, but its contents contained the AAL resolution recorded in The Argus:
“At a meeting of the Australian Aborigines’ League, a resolution was passed voicing, on behalf of the aborigines of Australia, a strong protest against ‘the cruel persecution of the Jewish people by the Nazi Government of Germany, and asking that this persecution be brought to an end.’
A deputation of aborigines who are members of the league will wait on the German Consul on Tuesday at 11.30 a.m. to present the resolution and ask him to convey it to his Government.”
Early that morning, they had gathered at William and his wife Sarah’s Footscray home. Today it has been renovated in the style of heritage houses that dated back to the 1880s by new owners. They would like to see it made into a museum as a tribute to William Cooper’s stand. It has a white picket fence, heritage iron lacework under the roof and over the verandah and a small garden in front with green bushes. Its wooden walls are painted yellow ochre with darker yellow ochre window frames. White lace curtains decorate the front windows. It is like a spruced-up step back in time. Amazing that when William Cooper lived here, he could not afford lighting or heating. He had no gas or electricity. He wrote numerous letters to politicians and newspapers by candlelight, sitting up in bed trying to keep warm in the very cold Melbourne winters. He gathered driftwood to keep a fire burning when he could.
William formed the Australian Aborigines’ League in 1932, formalising its structure in 1935. It became the first national organisation for Indigenous people and still exists today under the name of the Aborigines Advancement League. The earliest Aboriginal organisation in Australia was set up in 1924 by Charles Fred Maynard and called the Australian Aborigines Progressive Association (AAPA). Active only until 1927 due to police harassment and internal divisions, it was, nevertheless, a notable achievement.
The Cooper home was the venue for many of the meetings of the AAL, warming themselves in winter over hot soup and sitting close to a fire as they met in the front room of the house. Candles flickered on the mantelpiece. People like Lynch Cooper, William’s son, Thomas James, Shadrach James, Doug Nicholls, Margaret Tucker, Bill and Eric Onus, Caleb and Anne Morgan and white supporters Arthur Burdeau and Helen Baillee were the regulars William and Sarah hosted. These were among the people who likely marched with William that morning to the German Consulate although the AAL did not keep a list of names of those there that day. William would also walk to meeting places as he could not afford a car or public transport. He saved his pension money for stamps for his innumerable letters. But he was a proud man and did not complain …
William probably moved the motion as he was an avid reader of newspapers and tried to keep up with news in Australia and overseas. It was approved. There would have been a passionate discussion as William told them that the Nazis had murdered 91 Jews, smashed the windows of numerous synagogues and Jewish businesses, set synagogues ablaze, and arrested thousands of Jews who they sent to concentration camps. There would have been outrage mixed with tears.”
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Farmers or Hunter-gatherers?: The Dark Emu Debate by Peter Sutton & Keryn Walshe has just been short-listed for the Prime Minister’s Literary Award. This is interesting as it is a criticism of the controversial and acclaimed book called Dark Emu by Bruce Pascoe. The book description on Amazon says:
An authoritative study of pre-colonial Australia that dismantles and reframes popular narratives of First Nations land management and food production.
Australians’ understanding of Aboriginal society prior to the British invasion from 1788 has been transformed since the publication of Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu in 2014. It argued that classical Aboriginal society was more sophisticated than Australians had been led to believe because it resembled more closely the farming communities of Europe.
In Farmers or Hunter-gatherers? Peter Sutton and Keryn Walshe ask why Australians have been so receptive to the notion that farming represents an advance from hunting and gathering. Drawing on the knowledge of Aboriginal elders, previously not included within this discussion, and decades of anthropological scholarship, Sutton and Walshe provide extensive evidence to support their argument that classical Aboriginal society was a hunter-gatherer society and as sophisticated as the traditional European farming methods.
Farmers or Hunter-gatherers? asks Australians to develop a deeper understanding and appreciation of Aboriginal society and culture.
Would you like the freshness and tranquility of the rainforest in your home? This is an opportunity to have a free gift of a print by rainforest Aboriginal artist Munganbana Norman Miller. Choose your favourite and enjoy. At the same time, help the artist get his beautiful work more widely known. Please feel free to forward on this great opportunity. Check here for more details – https://www.artprintsbymunganbana.com/
BOOK PRICE SLASHED FROM $29.95 TO $7ea
For October, William Cooper Gentle Warrior, a biography and history, is on sale and you can get 10 or more copies for the amazing price of $5 each – much less than what it costs to produce them. I have some special projects coming up that will make books on William Cooper in high demand so get in while you can. They will make great gifts and are good teaching tools. William Cooper started the first national Aboriginal organisation back in the 1930’s and was the father of NAIDOC (National Aborigines and Islanders Week.) He led his people on one of the few private protests worldwide against Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust. His legacy lives on and this book is highly acclaimed.
Hi all you wonderful readers – Well the year is advancing and I hope you’re getting through your to-do list and leaving yourself time out to read your favourite book or spend some time in nature or do whatever refreshes you.
Barbara Miller re her 2 memoirs – White Woman Black Heart and Secrets and Lies – brief interview
HOLOCAUST HANDBOOK FOR SCHOOLS & ADULTS ON THE HOLOCAUST & ANTISEMITISM
I have finished writing this project for a Jewish organisation and it is being edited. The graphic design work will begin soon. We are hoping that it will receive favour from curriculum bodies and teachers will use it. If anyone can help with this project, please let me know.
The photo is of a plaque outside the Jewish Holocaust Museum and Research Centre in Melbourne.
Brief Interview with author Barbara Miller re her books on William Cooper
BELOW COST SALE
WILLIAM COOPER GENTLE WARRIOR
Slashed from $29.95 to $7ea for September only.
Sales of 10 or more copies, the low price of $5 each
$12 Shipping for 1 copy. $2 extra for each additional copy.
Email me for direct sales at bmiller@bigpond.com
REEF AND RAINFOREST: AN ABORIGINAL VOICE THROUGH ART AND STORY
Munganbana’s work in creating this book is a perfect example of … connection to country. He has combined his personal, ancestral and spiritual experiences with a mix of traditional and contemporary art styles to help give us a greater understanding of the beauty, history and importance of the Reef.
Sheriden Morris, Managing Director Reef and Rainforest Research Centre
If I Survive: Nazi Germany and the Jews,100-Year-Old Lena Goldstein’s Miracle Story is available here
Re White Australia Has A Black History
Read about up-to-date information on William Cooper and the people he mentored and how they changed Australian history
The Nazis shatter glass and shatter the lives of European Jews at Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust. An Australian Aboriginal, William Cooper, leads the campaign for civil rights for his people who are dying of poverty and mistreatment around him. 1938; two worlds, far apart. Cut to the core after Kristallnacht, can he do anything to stop it?
Title of Book – Gulpilil
‘David is a gateway to a history that we’ve so far denied and not embraced. In this country, he’s more important than Ned Kelly.’ Jack Thompson
WARNING: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that content inside this publication, contains images and the name of a person who has died. For cultural reasons, he is referred to as David Dalaithngu.
About the Author
David Gulpilil is a Yolngu man beloved around the world as a hunter, dancer, actor and artist. His preternatural acting in the films Walkabout, Storm Boy,Crocodile Dundee, The Tracker and Charlie’s Country – for which he won the Un Certain Regard prize at Cannes Film Festival and Best Actor at the Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards in 2014 – has allowed Gulpilil to transmit the worlds of the First Australians to screens with unrivalled magic and melancholy, and made him an icon of cinema.
Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal History, A Memoir (First Nations True Stories)
Barbara Russell, a young woman from a white working-class family. A ruthless Premier Bjelke-Petersen enforcing legal discrimination. How could Barbara stand by and watch the feud of the people with governments and miners strip Australian Aboriginal communities of all they held dear? But what could she do to make a difference?
My book Secrets and Lies is often no 1 best seller on Amazon Australia as an ebook in Discrimination Constitutional Law, Public Law and Civil Law – 3 categories. It is currently no 1 in the Sociology of Race Relations in Amazon US and White Australia Has A Black History was no 2 beside it a couple of days ago.
Left – A fun photo of me putting my hands on Munganbana Norman’s Big Boomerang recently.
Right – I was invited to Courage to Care’s first event in Brisbane 5 June 2014 and am beside the William Cooper exhibit.
Hi all you wonderful readers – May you find time to relax and read in the busy lives many of us lead. Whose interesting life story have you read lateley? Reading biography can give us wonderful insights into the lives of others, seeing them go through their challenges and seeing the inspiring decisions they have made and journeys they have had.
Do you have a favourite historical period or do you prefer current events? Reading history gives us a context for our lives and the lives of others and helps us have greater perspective on today and sense future possibilities. I am greatly interested in both history and current events!! As others have said, if we don’t learn from our mistakes, we are likely to repeat them.
Yarrabah Statement in Support of Uluru Statement From the Heart by Megan Davis 10.4.22 and Garma Festival
The Garma Festival has been a media highlight in the last couple of days and a time of great celebration for the Yolngu and other Aboriginal people of Australia. It is a yearly time of displaying and enjoying Aboriginal culture through dance, story and song. It is also a time of serious discussions about current issues affecting First Nations people in Australia and Prime Ministers often attend. New Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese did just that and announced that a referendum will go ahead in this term of Parliament to ask the Australian people if they would change the constitution to include a First Nations voice to Parliament. There are prominent First Nations leaders supporting and not supporting it. What we have in this video is one of the architects of the Uluru Statement, Aboriginal lawyer Megan Davis speaking at Yarrabah Aboriginal community near Cairns. My husband Norman and I were invited to attend by the mayor of Yarrabah, Ross Andrews. The team working on the Voice from around Australia met in Cairns and then in Yarrabah in April. One of the reasons for this was to honour Alf Neal and the Yarrabah community for their tremendous support of the 1967 referendum which enabled First Nations people to be counted in the census.
As the referendum for the Voice will be the first referendum for First Nations people held since the successful 1967 one, it was considered an important symbolic act to have the Voice referendum on the anniversary of the 1967 referendum victory. Hence the statement from Yarrabah that Megan Davis read out and is recorded here declaring that the referendum should be held in May 2023.
My book Secrets and Lies has a detailed discussion on Voice Treaty Truth and how we have got to our current situation. CHECK IT OUT HERE
This is an excerpt from a recent interview I did regarding my books on Aboriginal leader William Cooper. I have written 3 – William Cooper Gentle Warrior (2012) White Australia Has A Black History (2019) and Shattered Lives Broken Dreams (2020)
If I Survive: Nazi Germany and the Jews,100-Year-Old Lena Goldstein’s Miracle Story is available here
William Cooper Gentle Warrior: Standing Up for Australian Aborigines and Persecuted Jews is available with FREE SHIPPING. Find it here.
Re White Australia Has A Black History
Some say William Cooper was Australia’s Martin Luther King Jr. William Cooper saw his Aboriginal people dying around him and decided black lives matter. Starvation and discrimination took their toll. He became passionate that they should have a voice in Australia’s federal parliament.
But his people could not vote and were not even counted in the census. How could he get the government to listen to him? Would his skills in oratory, letter-writing and organizing his people into the first national black organization achieve his goals or would his activism bring backlash?
Betrayed by the Prime Minister who would not forward his petition to the King of England, Cooper joined with other leaders in Sydney for the 150th anniversary of white settlement and organized a protest called the Day of Mourning. This set in train the controversy that still surrounds Australia Day today. Cooper campaigned for the truth of the black history of white Australia to be told. He mentored future generations of leaders who are still calling for “voice, treaty, truth” today. This book covers the history of the struggle for First Nations peoples’ human rights from settlement to today.
William Cooper was born in 1860 to his tribal mother who saw the first white settlers come to the Murray River. Learn more Re Shattered Lives Broken Dreams
The Nazis shatter glass and shatter the lives of European Jews at Kristallnacht, the start of the Holocaust. An Australian Aboriginal, William Cooper, leads the campaign for civil rights for his people who are dying of poverty and mistreatment around him. 1938; two worlds, far apart. Cut to the core after Kristallnacht, can he do anything to stop it?
Described as Australia’s Martin Luther King, Cooper leads the Australian Aborigines’ League on a protest to the German Consulate in Melbourne. Would the Third Reich pour out its wrath on them? Would they make a difference?
A Chair of Resistance to the Holocaust was named in honour of Cooper at Yad Vashem. His grandson, Alf Turner, becomes passionate about fulfilling his grandfather’s unfinished business and taking the protest to Berlin itself. How will he be received?
This true story will inspire you to stand up and be counted and to make a difference.
“Extensively researched and presented in a near novel-like manner” – Grady Harp Top Contributor: Children’s Books HALL OF FAME TOP 50 REVIEWER
“What will you like? Exceptionally interesting and astoundingly detail, including photos of many of the events that took place during the journey.” – DD GOTT – Donadees Corner FIND IT HERE
BOOK OF THE MONTH FEATURE
Dear Son: Letters and Reflections from First Nations Fathers and Sons
By Thomas Mayor
Dear Son shares heartfelt letters written by First Nations men about life, masculinity, love, culture and racism. Along with his own vivid and poignant prose and poetry, author and editor Thomas Mayor invites 12 contributors to write a letter to their son or father, bringing together a range of perspectives that offers the greatest celebration of First Nations manhood.
This beautifully designed anthology comes at a time when First Nations peoples are starting to break free of derogatory stereotypes and find solace in their communities and cultures. Yet, each contributor also has one thing in common: they all have a relative who has been terribly wronged – enslaved, raped and dispossessed – because of their Aboriginality.
Featuring letters from Stan Grant, Troy Cassar-Daley, John Liddle, Charlie King, Joe Williams, Yessie Mosby, Joel Bayliss, Daniel James, Jack Latimore, Daniel Morrison, Tim Sculthorpe and Blak Douglas.
A gentle and loving book for families from anywhere in the world. Artwork by proud Kaurna/Ngarrindjeri/Narrunga/Italian Australian artist Tony Wilson, with illustrations and design by Gamilaraay designer Tristan Schultz of Relative Creative.
WHAT CAN I DO NOW THAT I HAVE A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY
By Patina Malinalli
This book may not be relevant to you but you may know someone it will help as it is a survivor’s heartfelt story. She says:
“Your traumatic brain injury will change your life forever – in so many ways. There are some simple ways to compensate though faith in Jesus Christ. When you have trouble accomplishing anything, hold on to Jesus – He is your Everything. Through Him, you can find hope and still lead a productive lifestyle despite the hardships surrounding the situation that has changed your life. Includes discussion questions.
First, let me assure you I understand. I incurred a traumatic brain injury in 2005 and suffered some circumstances similar to what you are going through now. However, you don’t have to be or feel incapacitated. You do have options. Another effect of a traumatic brain injury is that time slows down. It is easier not to feel rushed. Whether it’s working from home, or finding hobbies to start enjoying yourself again, your life can still be fulfilling. Let me show you how.”
White Woman Black Heart: Journey Home to Old Mapoon, a Memoir
Oppressed Aborigines forced off their land at gunpoint. Over a decade later, one passionate young woman would take up their fight…
Melbourne, 1970’s. Twenty-three-year-old university student Barbara Miller always stood her ground, even when it made her an outcast in her own family. So when she became a radical Christian advocate for social change, she didn’t think twice about joining the movement for Aboriginal justice. Boldly relocating to tropical Cape York and linking up with a Black activist and mentor on the frontline, she plunged into a life-changing battle despite the State’s threat of legal prosecution.
In this powerful story of a people’s violent removal from their ancient land, Miller recounts how she joined a decade-long struggle to restore the Mapoon people to their beloved homeland. Working with a team of campaigners pushing against a hostile administration, she lands in the center of the explosive political climate of the Seventies. But by following her heart, the unexpected happens: She finds her true home and family in the most unlikely of places.
White Woman Black Heart: Journey Home to Old Mapoon is an eye-opening memoir that showcases critical events in Australian history. If you like cross-cultural relationships, real-life activism, and rising up against colonialism, then you’ll love Barbara Miller’s gripping story of fundamental human rights.
AVAILABLE HERE Secrets and Lies: The Shocking Truth of Recent Australian Aboriginal History, A Memoir (First Nations True Stories)
My book is a bestseller in the Discrimination Law category on Amazon Australia
Barbara Russell, a young woman from a white working-class family. A ruthless Premier Bjelke-Petersen enforcing legal discrimination. How could Barbara stand by and watch the feud of the people with governments and miners strip Australian Aboriginal communities of all they held dear? But what could she do to make a difference?
Would her passion make a way for her? Was she strong enough to face the full weight of the police state, resist the temptation of love, and stand up to her family too?
In this story of ideological conflict and racial discrimination laws, Barbara teams up with Mick, an Aboriginal schoolteacher. They organize remote Australian Aboriginal people to fight Bjelke and the mining companies that encroach on their land. But Bjelke has a few tricks up his sleeve and uses all in his powers in this police state to stop them. The strength of the Aboriginal people shines through the story but, if the Aboriginal people fail, more of them will die in poverty and desperation.
What price will the church pay for standing with Aboriginals against the government? Can they win this epic battle? Can the Aboriginals internationalize their struggle for human rights?
With the current debate in Australia of Voice Treaty Truth and the worldwide issue of Black Lives Matter, this book gives many key Aboriginal people a voice and reveals the shocking truth of the hidden history of 1975 to 2021 in a near-novel manner. Every important historical event is covered. This is one of the social justice books that you will want on your shelf. The political activism examples are not those of keyboard warriors but those of people who took to the trenches.
What secrets lie hidden? What lies are being told?
Historical memoir, Secrets and Lies is another sizzling story in the First Nations True Stories series. Because if you like fast-paced action, real-life heroes, and the window opened on another culture, this book is for you. If you like books with political intrigue that bring to life an interesting historical period, you’ll love Secrets and Lies.
Left – Barbara holding an early copy of the Dying Days of Segregation in Australia: Case Study Yarrabah. I was privileged to be asked by the Yarrabah Aboriginal Shire Council to write a piece on the history of the leaders of Yarrabah for the new Council building opening. As I have had a long association with these leaders, it was something that aligned with my passion to tell their story. Right – Barbara on the Duyfken boat replica in Perth at an earlier launch of her book The European Quest to Find Terra Australis Incognita: Quiros Torres and Janszoon. Both books are available from her website www.barbara-miller-books.com
