RUBY HUNTER

Totem  - Pelican / NO:RI

31^st October 1955 – 17^th February 2010

RUBY HUNTER was an acclaimed songwriter and performer who through her music campaigned for the rights of Aboriginal women and children.  A nurturing soul, she rose above the tragedy of being a member of the Stolen Generations to give a voice to the vulnerable and offer strength to those in need.

A proud Ngarrindjeri / Erawirung woman Ruby was born in 1955 on a billabong situated near the banks of the Murray River at Renmark.  Ruby was the last traditional baby born on an island and when she was born her grandfather rubbed her with warm ashes and lifted her up to the moon.

Ruby was eight years old when her four siblings and herself were taken from their family. Ruby remembered that the Government Authorities simply arrived one day in a big car, promising their grandmother that they were taking the children to the circus. At the time they were living with their grandmother on the Coorong at Meningie.

Sadly, Ruby was soon separated from her sister and brothers and was taken to the Seaforth Children’s Girls Home in Adelaide. At the age of 16 Ruby was released to make her own way in the world and with no idea of where to go she made her way onto the streets of Adelaide.

While homeless Ruby met Archie Roach, also a member of the Stolen Generations, who had drifted to Adelaide from Mildura across the Victorian border. They met at a Salvation Army drop in centre as they were both living on the street. Forming a unique friendship during their time together on the streets of Adelaide, they formed an enduring bond that would last for the rest of Ruby’s life.

Ruby nurtured and encouraged Archie as he began to translate his experience of despair and homelessness into music that would eventually resonate across the nation and the world. Ruby also drew on her childhood experience in caring for vulnerable children and young people as well as in her own music.

Ruby and Archie moved back to Victoria where Ruby acquired a job at the Marg Tucker Hostel for Girls which provided accommodation for homeless Aboriginal girls and women.

Ruby and Archie together cared for 14 children in a family house group home run by the Victorian Aboriginal Child Care Agency. Later they made their own home a welcoming haven for homeless and disadvantaged young people.

Ruby was also a strong advocate against domestic violence, and a voice for the stolen generations, and between them Ruby and Archie raised many foster children with their own two boys. Ruby was a remarkable woman who touched many lives, not just those of her own people.

Ruby became the first Aboriginal woman to be signed to a major record label and in 1994 released her first album ‘Thoughts Within’ and then in 2000 released her second album ‘Feeling Good’ earning her ‘Best Female Performer of the Year’ followed by a presentation of the ‘Deadly Awards’ in 2000.

Ruby was also a member of the Black Arm Band. It was her dream to encourage Indigenous Australians to perform on the big stage, and for the next generation to access sponsorship, classes and workshops to enable them to build a career in the entertainment industry.

Ruby passed away in February 2010 leaving a legacy that endured in her music, her beloved family and the countless others whose potential she recognised and encouraged. She is buried alongside her sister and brothers in Gerard Cemetery.

On  29 April 2022 a monument celebrating Ruby's achievements was unveiled in Barmera.  You can view a video of this occasion by clicking here.