Tasmanian Aboriginal education pioneer Patsy Cameron dies aged 79
Aunty Patsy Cameron transformed Aboriginal education in Tasmania. She died after decades of advocacy and cultural work.
Tasmanian Aboriginal elder Aunty Patsy Cameron has died aged 79. She was known for decades of work on education for Aboriginal Tasmanians and preserving culture.
Born in Launceston and raised on Flinders Island, she became the first Tasmanian on the National Aboriginal Education Committee. Cameron helped create the Aboriginal Studies course at the University of Tasmania and co-founded the Riawunna Centre for Aboriginal Education.
Cameron wrote many children's books drawing on her island upbringing and Tasmania's ancestral history. In 2017, she received the Order of Australia for her work in education and keeping cultural knowledge alive.
Her son Nick Cameron said she gave her family a commitment to accuracy and truth in preserving history.
- 79
- Cameron's age at death
- Born Launceston, raised Flinders Island
- Birthplace and upbringing
- 2017
- Order of Australia awarded
Why it mattersCameron's work shaped how Aboriginal education and culture are taught and understood across Tasmania.
AustraliaTasmania loses a leading voice in Indigenous education and cultural preservation.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 6 d ago
