Ellen Campbell Atkinson was an Australian Aboriginal community leader.
13 Facts About Ellen Atkinson
1.
2.
Ellen Atkinson converted to Christianity when the Aborigines' Inland Mission visited the Cummeragunja Reserve, where she was living, and served the mission for many years in roles such as organist and deacon.
3.
Ellen Atkinson supported key Aboriginal activists including William Ferguson, William Cooper, Jack Patten and Thomas Shadrach James, and participated in the Cummeragunja walk-off.
4.
Ellen Atkinson's father, Alick Campbell, was a "half-caste" Aboriginal stockman and a widower who had followed his first wife, Emma Jackson Patterson, from Ganawarra Station to Coranderrk.
5.
When his first wife died he married Elizabeth Briggs Charles, and Ellen Atkinson was born at Madowla Park, near Echuca, in August 1894.
6.
Ellen Atkinson had sixteen siblings: seven from Alick's previous marriage, seven from Elizabeth's previous marriage and three full sisters, though one, Jemima, died at birth.
7.
Ellen Atkinson's mother was born to John Briggs and his "quarter-caste Aboriginal" wife, Louisa.
8.
Eddy was living in Cummeragunja at the time and Ellen Atkinson was working at Strathmerton pastoral station, and before her marriage was in danger of being taken away from her family by authorities.
9.
Ellen Atkinson would be the organist whilst Eddy led the congregation.
10.
Ellen Atkinson was grateful for the genuine kindness of some clergymen and wanted Eddy's church to survive as his memorial.
11.
Ellen Atkinson had played an important role in interpreting koories needs to gubba sympathisers during forty years of church work.
12.
Ellen Atkinson's people have, I think, a special kindness for waifs and strays bereft of family, perhaps because their own identity is based upon kinship ties.
13.
Ellen Atkinson remained a prominent community leader until her death on 30 August 1965 at Mooroopna.