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Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa

1946 – 1996

(1946–1996) Indigenous leader and activist

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About Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa

Lived 1946 – 1996 (aged 50). Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa was an Australian activist.

Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa also known as Santa Unmeopa (12 January 1944 - 22 June 1996) was an Australian Torres Strait Islander man who was an Indigenous leader and activist for his people. He spent much of his life in Queensland where he was involved in activism throughout his life including as a leader in protests against Joh Bjelke-Petersen's government from the 1960s to the 1980s and other protests relating to land rights and self-determination for Australian First Nations people.

He was also later chairperson of ATSIC's South-East Queensland Indigenous Regional Council from 1993 until his death. One later arrest was on 29 April 1986, when he was involved in a sit-in at the Brisbane offices of the Aboriginal Development Commission and was charged with trespass; he was convicted but the charge was later overturned.

In the 1980s he was also, alongside footballer Joe Kilroy, one of the only Indigenous members of the Black Uhlans Motorcycle Club. However, in 1996, the office, and therefore Unmeopa, was cleared of any wrongdoing.

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Important facts

Birth century
Occupation
Nationality
Also known as
Santa Unmeopa, Sentah Unmeopa

People in Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa?

(1946–1996) Indigenous leader and activist

When was Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa born?

Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa was born on 12 January 1946 in Mackay.

When did Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa die?

Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa died on 22 June 1996 in Coopers Plains.

What was Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa's occupation?

Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa was an activist.

What nationality was Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa?

Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa was Australian.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa

· Wikidata: Q135492455

· DBpedia: Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa. https://biography.guide/sentah-sonny-leo-unmeopa/

MLA: "Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/sentah-sonny-leo-unmeopa/.

Chicago: "Sentah Sonny Leo Unmeopa." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/sentah-sonny-leo-unmeopa/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

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