Aunty Ida West’s legacy: National Family History Month

Connect with Tasmania's stories, identity and history:https://libraries.tas.gov.au/slat/

State Library and Archives of Tasmania

Aboriginal Elder Aunty Ida West’s Pride Against Prejudice: her family remembers.

National Family History Month 2025

Hear from real people about family history research. Unlock the secrets of your past and hear incredible real-life stories from passionate family history researchers. There is something for everyone.

Aunty Ida West was an Aboriginal Elder and writer. In 1984, her memoir Pride Against Prejudice: Reminiscences of a Tasmanian Aborigine, was published. It was the first published autobiography by a Tasmanian Aboriginal person.In the preface, she wrote “We have had Europeans writing about us for years. As a child, I can remember people writing about us, they called us half-castes then, they might just as well have called us outcasts.”Aunty Ida West was an active member of the Aboriginal Community. She was president of the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre, travelled with the Aboriginal Information Service collecting information about Tasmania’s Aboriginal population, and attended the closed funeral service for Trukanini in 1976. These experiences are preserved in her memoir.She was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2002, received the Female Elder of the Year Award at the 2002 NAIDOC Awards, and was one of the first people to be inducted into the Tasmanian Honour Roll of Women.She is celebrated in T<a href="https://libraries.tas.gov.au/slat/tasmanian-voices-the-writers-who-make-us/" title="https://libraries.tas.gov.au/slat/tasmanian-voices-the-writers-who-make-us/" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">asmanian Voices: the writers who make us</a>, a State Library and Archives of Tasmania program recognising Nipaluna/Hobart’s status as a UNESCO City of Literature.In this talk family members will share their memories of this powerful woman, and her legacy.This in-person event will also be available online. Please book a seat for the in-person event using the Get tickets button on this page, or use this <a href="https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4137ac66-4ef6-461c-a8ab-559b5d721eac@a9be3ac7-0c60-491e-8b3b-a32f8f46aec8" title="https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/4137ac66-4ef6-461c-a8ab-559b5d721eac@a9be3ac7-0c60-491e-8b3b-a32f8f46aec8" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">Webinar link </a>for the livestream.This event is part of National Family History Month at the State Library and Archives of Tasmania.National Family History Month is a nationwide celebration of the stories, mysteries and secrets that shape who we are. The theme for 2025 is ‘Family history – a lasting legacy’.By registering for a Libraries Tasmania event, you agree to follow our <a href="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flibraries.tas.gov.au%2Fabout-us%2Fpolicies-and-governance%2Fpolicies%2F&data=05%7C02%7Celizabeth.kruijver%40libraries.tas.gov.au%7C51593d0797464ec94c6c08dda8b4e545%7Ca9be3ac70c60491e8b3ba32f8f46aec8%7C0%7C0%7C638852217114498377%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Q898nFqDzQH%2B5mofN8i0ufPDni94xH0TonI6ieeK%2B%2Bg%3D&reserved=0" title="https://aus01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Flibraries.tas.gov.au%2Fabout-us%2Fpolicies-and-governance%2Fpolicies%2F&data=05%7C02%7Celizabeth.kruijver%40libraries.tas.gov.au%7C51593d0797464ec94c6c08dda8b4e545%7Ca9be3ac70c60491e8b3ba32f8f46aec8%7C0%7C0%7C638852217114498377%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=Q898nFqDzQH%2B5mofN8i0ufPDni94xH0TonI6ieeK%2B%2Bg%3D&reserved=0" target="_blank" data-msys-clicktrack="0" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">policies</a>.Thank you for helping keep our spaces safe and respectful for everyone.

Our {communityGuidelinesLink} describe the sort of content we prohibit on Eventbrite. If you suspect an event may be in violation, you can report it to us so we can investigate.

To report other categories of prohibited or illegal content, submit {link}