Cinderella Jane Simon

Cinderella (Ella) Jane Simon (1902 – 13 February 1981), a Biripi woman, was an Australian Aboriginal activist.

Early years and background Simon was born in a tent on the edge of Taree to Lucy Ann Russell, a Biripi woman. Rusell died from typhoid in 1909. Whitbread Street in Taree is named after Samuel Whitbread's brother, Stephen Whitbread (1857-1937), who was the town clerk (1888-1933).

The main 'Aboriginal camp' at Taree at the time was at Brown's Hill Fringe Camp, In May 1900, the location of the station at was decided at a Sydney meeting of the Aboriginal Protection Board. This meeting established a government reserve (No. 89) of .

Simon's maternal grandfather was George Russell who was from the east coast and had an Aboriginal mother and Scottish father. Russell helped build the first school in Purfleet in 1904 with 'Mr Belford from Glenthorne'.

Simon became the secretary of the newly formed United Aborigines Mission at Purfleet. In 1960 she formed an Aboriginal branch of the Country Women's Association's (CWA) on Purfleet reserve and became its president. Through her position as President of the Purfleet branch of the CWA, Simon gained the support of the President of the Taree Branch, Mrs Hickson, in confronting the Mission Manager about the need for stoves for Aboriginal houses. At the time, apart from the Manager's home and Simon's home, Aboriginal people in Purfleet would cook on an open fire, using a camp oven.

On 27 April 1960, Simon opened the Gillawarra gift shop selling Aboriginal artefacts. The Shop Committee included the Mission Manager, Simon, two other Aborigines, four business men from Apex (including Allan Cowan an accountant and Max Carey, a chemist). In 1962 she was also named Lady of Distinction by Quota.

Between May and December 1973, Simon recorded her oral narrative. In one recording session she was alone, another time she was with a European Australian friend, Anne Ruprecht and another time she was with an Aboriginal friend. In 1978, Simon wrote an autobiography, Through My Eyes; and 1995.

Simon died in Taree in 1981.

Relatives Horry Saunders refers to Simon as a great influence in his life. Saunders' wife, Faith (nee Marr) was a cousin of Simon. Faith Saunders' father was Pastor Bert Marr. Horry Saunders used to play with Simon's son when he was a youth.

Recognition

In December 1997, the dual-lane Pacific Highway Taree bypass opened and as a result, most of the traffic carried by the Martin Bridge became local traffic. The second carriageway was opened to traffic in April 2000 and became the southbound carriageway of the re-routed Pacific Highway. The Pacific Highway has two bridges that cross the Manning River. The southern bridge is named The Ella Simon Bridge. It crosses the southern entrance of the Manning River onto Dumaresq Island.