Amelia Kunoth

Amelia Kunoth née Pavey ( 1880s – 1984) was an Aboriginal Australian woman who developed well-known cattle stations in Central Australia, including Utopia, Bond Springs, Hamilton Downs and Tempe Downs. Amelia Kunoth, née Pavey, holding Edna Bradshaw at the Alice Springs Telegraph Station. Photo dated 1906.

Early life Bradshaw family's housegirls, left to right, Amboora, Amelia and Rungie in 1906. Kunoth was the granddaughter of Unchalka/Erruphana (also called King Charlie) who controlled the land around Alice Springs before the white man came and decided who could enter his country through Heavitree Gap. Dick Kimber records his name as Errumphana [Ampetyane].

There is a story, told by Arrernte descendants today, that Unchalka and other Aboriginal men were at Honeymoon Gap when the first white man came through the area. People say that he approached them in a spirit of friendship and offered them water and some also say that he showed them the way to the Atherreyrre, a waterhole which would be renamed the Alice Springs Waterhole, and was directly next to what would become the Alice Springs Telegraph Station). When Unchalka recounted this story to Kunoth she saw this as an example that colour should never cause barriers. it is said that she was so loved that she was almost a part of the family.

Kunoth recalled in her oral history that she never attended school and that, although, there was no formal school set up in Alice Springs at that time Atalanta Bradshaw, the wife of Thomas Bradshaw and Blackwells mother, did want her to attend classes with the children but she declined; preferring to do work around the home. Kunoth and Doris Blackwell would send letters to each other for much of their lives. This change would have meant that Kunoth was not restricted to the various implications of this legislation that enforced "prohibited areas", restrictions on alcohol, legal rights as far as arrest and employment and the ability for the government to remove children from care. This legislation also made the Chief Protector of Aborigines the legal guardian of every Aboriginal child, which likely had consequences for Kunoth's children. Despite this it is recorded that at least three of Kunoth's grandchildren, Sandra, Sam and Ngala (who would go on to be known as Rosalie Kunoth-Monks), spent time at the Stolen Generations-associated institution St. Mary's Hostel (Alice Springs).

Kunoth and her husband had eight surviving children together and, by the time of her death at the end of 1984, more than 50 great-grandchildren and a number of great-great-grandchildren.

Legacy

Kuthoth is said to have taught her children to have pride in their Aboriginal heritage but always insisted that they have a European education as well. She is the grandmother of Rosalie Kunoth-Monks, who gained national fame for her role in the film Jedda and went on to become very active both for her community and in politics more broadly.

Upon Kunoth's death the local newspaper, The Centralian Advocate, published an article saying that:

Her oral history, recorded when she was 97 (as noted earlier this age is not definitive and open to debate), is available through Library & Archives NT: NTRS 226 TS 257.