Alice Monkton Duncan-Kemp

Alice Monkton Duncan-Kemp (1901–1988) was an Australian writer and Indigenous rights activist.

Biography Born on 3 June 1901 at Charleville, Queensland, Duncan-Kemp was the daughter of William and Laura Duncan (née Davis). She grew up with her two sisters on a leasehold property west of Windorah. Her only brother died in 1903 and her father in 1907, leaving his widow to raise three girls.

Her moher elected to remain on the remote property, raising cattle with the assistance of local Aboriginal people, hired hands and, when they were old enough, Duncan-Kemp and her two sisters.

As well as Coomindah, she was taught and mentored by Moses Yoolpee, one of the stockmen. He often took her and her sister on mustering trips where he taught them bush lore and handicraft. He and his wife, Maggie Muttamurrie, were fiercely protective of the girls.

Educated at home for many years, Duncan-Kemp completed her schooling at Spreydon College in Toowoomba as a boarder.

Duncan-Kemp retired to Oakey in Queensland and died there on 4 January 1988. using unpublished material written by Alice, including "The Days of My Years" (1942).

Works

Our Sandhill Country (1933) memoir Where Strange Paths Go Down (1952) Our Channel Country (1961) Where Strange Gods Call (1968) People of the Grey Wind: Life with a stone age people (2005)