WEST AUSTRALIANA ABORIGINAL Biography –

Much has been assumed and written about missionaries, with them often bearing the brunt of the criticism of Australia’s Stolen Generation. The Colonisation of Australia initiated a time of massive change for Aboriginal people, as the Colony’s underpinning values and beliefs led to policies and control of their lives that we now regret. Missionaries, guided by their faith and the thinking of their time, worked to make a difference in the lives of Aboriginal people.

This book brings to life the story of Bruce and Pearl Smoker, missionaries in the Kimberley region in Western Australia from 1951-1973. It reveals their strong personal calling, and the challenges they faced, as they worked with meagre resources under difficult conditions; unpaid yet under the authority of the Government. It gives insight into the changes experienced by the Kimberley people as it tells stories of the people they loved.

After leaving the Kimberley region, they worked among the Noongar people in the south of Western Australia.

pp. 298 illusts. First Edition #110226