Rosalie Kunoth-Monks

Episode of Series “Australian biography”.
Rosalie Kunoth-Monks: Aboriginal activist, actor, social worker, Parliamentary Candidate 1979-1981, President Aboriginal Legal Aid NT 1983-87, 1990-93, was born in Utopia, Central Australia, 1937 and is of German Aboriginal parentage. Kunoth-Monks discusses her education at St Mary’s Children’s Hostel, Alice Springs, and on being discovered by Charles and Elsa Chauvel as the lead in “Jedda”. She talks about working on the film, and her family’s response to it, in particular the sexual references. A greater passion was to help people, and Rosalie joined the Community of the Holy Name in Melbourne and was a nun for ten years, also gaining training during this period in childcare. Working as an Aboriginal liaison officer in Victoria after leaving the sisterhood, Kunoth-Monks also established the first Aboriginal Family Group home, in addition to marrying during this period. A return to Central Australia saw her working for the Country Liberal Party and being active in social welfare before she returned, full circle, to Utopia.