15 Facts About Anita Heiss

Anita Marianne Heiss was born on 1968 and is an Aboriginal Australian author, poet, cultural activist and social commentator.

Anita Heiss is an advocate for Indigenous Australian literature and literacy, through her writing for adults and children and her membership of boards and committees.

Anita Heiss's mother, Elsie Williams, was born at Erambie Mission, Cowra in Wiradjuri country, while her father, Josef Heiss, was born in St Michael in the Lungau, Salzburg, Austria.

Anita Heiss was educated at St Clare's College, Waverley, then at the University of New South Wales, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989.

Anita Heiss gained her PhD in Communication and Media at the University of Western Sydney in 2000, becoming the first Aboriginal student at the university to achieve this, which she considers her proudest achievement.

Anita Heiss is known as an author, poet, cultural activist and social commentator.

Anita Heiss was a consultant researcher and writer for the Barani Aboriginal history website, first published by the City of Sydney in 2001.

Anita Heiss was Deputy-Director at Warawara Department of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University from 2005 to 2006.

Anita Heiss was Adjunct Professor at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology, Sydney, from 2012 to at least 2014.

Anita Heiss was a witness in Eatock v Bolt, a 2011 decision of the Federal Court of Australia which held that two articles written by columnist and commentator Andrew Bolt and published in The Herald Sun newspaper had contravened section 18C, of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975.

In 2011 Anita Heiss was a board member for the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy, and an ambassador for Indigenous Literacy Day and for the Books in Homes program.

Anita Heiss has been an advocate for the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence, a social enterprise in Sydney.

In 2015 Anita Heiss became an ambassador for the Worawa Aboriginal College.

Anita Heiss was appointed to the State Library of Queensland board in 2017.

Anita Heiss is Ambassador of the GO Foundation ; and the Sydney Swans Australian rules football club.