Life Stories

These life stories may contain descriptions of childhood trauma and abuse, as well as images, voices and names of people now deceased. If you need help, you can find contact details for some relevant support services on our support page.

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NAMEYEAR OF BIRTHBIRTHPLACE/CULTUREPLACEMENT TYPEARRANGED BYOCCUPATIONSURVIVOR ACTIVISTS

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Smiling woman with brown hair in a bob wearing a black top and cross necklace and standing outside and office building

Katharine Summers

Headshot of a woman wearing sunglasses in front of a river and mountain background

Kimberley Hobbs

Black and white photo of a young boy wearing a jumper andleaning on a gate in front of a house

Bill McLeary

Elderly man wearing a red shirt and white helmet sitting on a motorbike holding up a newspaper

Brian Tennant

A black-haired woman wearing a jean jacket singing into a microphone on a stage

Jessie Lloyd

Headshot of a smiling older man with short grey hair wearing a suit against a green background

Steve Irons

Older woman in a flowered blouse with a large house in the background

Gwen Shipp

Headshot of an older long-haired woman smiling and wearing a white blouse

Jo

Headshot of a man with a mustache wearing a blue t-shirt and chain necklace seated on a rock in front of trees

Keenan Mundine

Headshot of a balding man with a neutral expression wearing a black suit and striped tie against a white background

Andrew Murray

Black and white headshot of an older man holding a guitar with a house and trees in the background

Archie Roach

Woman with clasped hands in a red coat standing near trees

Priscilla Taylor

Image of an orange book cover with a photo of an elderly man titled 'the story of an orphan named Jimmy Butt'

Jimmy Butt

Kristin

Dark-haired man wearing a football uniform and holding a ball

Josh Jenkins

Headshot of an older woman wearing glasses and a red blouse

Gloria Lovely

Tracie Oldham

Smiling woman with grey hair and glasses holding a glass of champagne seated at a table

Bambi

Headshot of an elderly man with bushy grey hair and beard wearing a red polo shirt

Harry Bennett

Headshot of a smiling man with shoulder length blonde hair and a mustache wearing a blue plaid shirt

Alby

A seated woman with grey hair wearing a medal, a red lanyard and a black t-shirt that reads

Lorna Fejo

Man in a striped jersey kicking a football during an Australian Rules football game as another man runs behind him

Richie Bray

Headshot of a smiling woman with short grey hair wearing a black shirt against a green background

Jann McFarlane

Harold Blair in a suit playing the piano

Harold Blair

Headshot of a man with dark hair and medium-tone skin in a suit and tie looking away from the camera

Charlie Perkins

Headshot of a balding older man wearing classes, a white collared shirt and plaid jacket

David Plowman

Headshot of a woman with long grey hair looking away from the camera with a brick wall in the background

Christina Riley

John Moriarty

Headshot of a woman with a wide smile and shoulder length hair wearing a turtleneck

Joy Williams

Headshot of a brown-haired man with a beard wearing a black t-shirt and jacket

Corey White

Headshot of a woman with short, brown curly hair staring into the distance

Barbara Cummings

Black and white headshot of an older man wearing a hat looking at a large bird

Robert Adamson

Headshot of a woman elder wearing a cricket cap and multi-colored blouse with a tree in the background

Faith Thomas

Black and white headshot of a balding older man with a mustache wearing a suit, waistcoat and handerchieve

William Henry Bragg

Close-up headshot of a woman with dark wavy hair with a neutral facial expression

Margaret Tucker

Long-haired young woman in a tight fitting black dress and fur with her hand on her hip

Karise Eden

Image of a book cover titled 'Out of Darkness' with a picture of a seated young boy

Ivor Knight

Orange tinted image of a person facing away from the camera. making a love heart shape with their hands

Chris

Headshot of a smiling older man wearing a suit and tie against a maroon background

David Hill

Headshot of a man in an office wearing a suit and striped maroon tie with a neutral expression

David Bartlett

Headshot of a smiling elderly man wearing a cowboy hat and white collared shirt

Smoky Dawson

Colour photo of three people standing on top of a hill

Keda

Headshot of a grey-haired man wearing a green football cap and plaid shirt

Rale Rasic

Colour image of a pair of hands making a love heart shape

Lorraine Mafi-Williams

Headshot of a curly-haired man with a neutral facial expression wearing a black t-shirt and open collared shirt

Shelton Lea

Man wearing white shorts and a long sleeved striped polo shirt clutching a football

Russell Middlemiss

Colour image of a person standing on a hill overlooking a city during sunset

Kerry Shayler

Headshot of a grey-haired man with his head tilted at an angle with a neutral facial expression

David Bussau

Smiling woman with white hair and glasses sitting in a wheelchair at a table.

Doris Kartinyeri

Headshot of a woman with long hair and glasses wearing a teal colored shirt and sitting on a sofa

Pennie Tapp

Colour image of a pair of hands making a love heart shape

Monica Clare

headshot of a bald man wearing glasses and a white collared shirt

Albert Facey

Smiling older woman wearing a whie scarf

Glenda

Man with short hair wearing black shorts, boxing gloves and no shirt standing in with fists up in a boxing pose

Jack Hassen

Balding man weaSmiling man standing in front of an airplane with one hand holding a propeller and the other on his hip

Horrie Miller

A blonde-haired woman wearing a pink top, gold skirt and a large, shiny red bow in her hair

Rosie Waterland

Headshot of a brown-haired man wearing a black suit jacket and white collared shirt against a brick wall with a window

Richard Farleigh

Colour image of a person facing away from the camera looking out over the ocean

Des Donley

Headshot of an elderly man in a 3 piece suit holding a book

Billy Hughes

Smiling elderly woman wearing glasses with people seated at a dining table in the background

Flo Hickson

Man with a long grey beard wearing a red headband standing in front of a small crowd

Ken Colbung

Woman wearing glasses and a sunhat standing in front of a microphone

Ngingali Cullen

Stephen Smith

Headshot of a woman with short grey hair and glasses holding her head in her chin

Doreen Kartinyeri

Smiling grey-haired man seated and wearing a grey and yellow shirt with a small Aboriginal flag logo

Hector Thompson

Woman with long brown hair and closed eyes holding a guitar onstage in a t-shirt that reads WORKING CLASS HERO

Diana Anaid

Headshot of a man in a white shirt and jacket with a neutral facial expression

Ken Brindle

Headshot of a smiling man with thick, dark hair wearing a t-shirt

Brian Syron

Photo of a person facing away from the camera, looking across a mountainous landscape

Peter Gunner

Headshot of an older man wearing a brown jumper, white shirt and tie with a tree and house in the background

Jim Luthy

Muscular man in a striped sleeveless shirt holding a football

Graham Farmer

White haired man wearing a blue polo shirt with a small Australian flag near the collar with his hand wrapped around a small tree

John Hennessey

Painting of a man with dark curly hair wearing a red military uniform

William Light

Headshot of a smiling older man with a white beard wearing a suit with a mural in the background

Tauto Sansbury

Headshot of a smiling woman with glasses in a graduation cap holding a glass of champagne and a diploma

Amy Gill

Curly-haired man with a beard smoking a pipe and painting at an easel

Ronald Bull

Profile headshot of a white-haired man in a wide collared shirt with books in the background

Bernard Smith

Woman with wavy black hair wearing pearls, a hat, and white blouse with black trim.

Coco Chanel

Headshot of an older man wearing a leather jacket and white button up shirt in front of a white background

Tracker Tilmouth

Orange tinted image of a person facing away from the camera. making a love heart shape with their hands

Bill Smith

Smiling woman with short grey hair wearing a flowered blouse standing in front of a First Nations mural

Lowitja O’Donoghue

Black and white headshot of a young man with curly dark hair wearing a suit and tie

Gordon Briscoe

Headshot of a balding white haired man in a collared shirt

Laurie Humphreys

Seated man wearing a hat and military uniform

Douglas Grant

Headshot of a woman with long hair wearing a headband and feathers

Ruby Hunter

Smiling middle-aged man with a beard sitting on a leather sofa wearing a black collared shirt

Aaron Pedersen

Image of a person walking in a mountainous landscape

Lionel Pearce

Headshot of a dark-haired man wearing glasses and a black polo shirt

Peter Sandeman

Headshot of an elderly man with a mustache wearing a suit and maroon tie

Leslie Thomas

Headshot of a grey-haired woman wearing a colourful top and beaded necklace against a white background

Miriam Rose Ungunmerr Baumann

Headshot of a dark-skinned man with a goatee wearing a suit and maroon tie

Deng Thiak Adut

Black and white headshot of a short-haired man with a neutral expression in a suit and glasses

Malcolm X

Black and white close-up of a young man with wavy brown hair and round glasses

John Lennon

Headshot of a smiling man with curly grey hair wearing a suit

Joseph Lyons

Headshot of a wide-eyed man wearing a striped shirt, bowtie and gold bracelet smoking a cigarette with his hand on his head

Truman Capote

Black and white headshot of a woman in a lacey dress and wide-brimmed hat with a corsage.

Sarah Bernhardt

Headshot of a glamorous man with dark hair and eyes wearing a large ring and staring deeply at the camera

Prince

Man with a handlebar mustache wearing a three-piece suit and a pocketwatch

Arthur Conan Doyle

Headshot of a smiling man with grey hair and a beard wearing a black turtleneck shirt

Jack Thompson

Headshot of a blonde woman wearing a white sweater and red lipstick

Marilyn Monroe

Richard Burton

A bushy-haired man in a button up shirt seated in front of a typewriter with a houseplant in the background

Anthony Burgess

Black and white headshot of a grey haired man with beard and glasses smoking a cigarette next to a tree.

Walter Tevis

Portrait of a man with bushy grey hair wearing a beige button up shirt and white cravat

Alexander Hamilton

Black and white headshot of a balding elderly man with a long beard and mustache wearing a black button-up shirt

Leo Tolstoy

Headshot of a smiling woman with long, wavy black hair wearing traditional face painting

Maroochy Barambah

Headshot of a smiling man with crossed arms wearing a white collared shirt

Daryl Brougham

Black and white headshot of a bald man with a bushy mustache and glasses resting his head on his chin

Rudyard Kipling

Headshot of a man with dark hair in a comb over style wearing a suit and tie

Alan Turing

A grey-haired man with a beard wearing a black suit jacket

Kyle Sandilands

Headshot of a woman in a white dress with a green background

Lena Horne

Black and white headshot of a balding man wearing a suit and tie with a neutral expression

Jean Genet

Profile of a balding man wearing a suit and tie

William McMahon

Black and white headshot of a seated older man wearing glasses and a suit with his arms crossed

Eric Hobsbawm

Black and white headshot of a smiling middle-aged man wearing a suit and bowtie holding a trumpet

Louis Armstrong

Man with a mustache in a three piece suit and top hat

Jack Lang

Black and white headshot of a young woman wearing glasses and a frilled high-neck collar

L. M. Montgomery

Man in a cricket uniform walking

Douglas Jardine

Headshot of a middle-aged man with brown wavy hair and a mustache

Maxim Gorky

Black and white image of a bald man in a cassock resting his hand on one arm in front of a building

Thomas Merton

Headshot of an older woman wearing a headscarf, black dress, andpearls

Maya Angelou

Portrait of a man with long, brown, curly hair, a mustache and goatee wearing a frilled collar

René Descartes

Portrait painting of a young man wearing a curly white wig, red jacket and white high-collared shirt

Jean-Jacques Rouseeau

Headshot of a man in a black suit smiling broadly and looking away from the camera

John McEwen

Black and white headshot of an older man with a beard and moustache wearing a suit

Joseph Conrad

Evel Knievel

Headshot of a smiling man wearing a top hat and suit with his hand on his chin

Harry Corbett

Black and white headshot of a grey-haired man with mutton chops wearing glasses and a suit

William Thackery

Headshot of an elderly man in a blue button-up shirt with arms crossed smiling at the camera

Bryce Courtenay

Headshot of a dark-haired man in a black suit and tie

John Gorton

Black and white headshot of a grey-haired man with an open-mouth smile wearing dark sunglasses, a button-up shirt and jacket

Ray Charles

Headshot of a woman with dark curly hair wearing a brown button up blouse with a pink rose corsage

Ingrid Bergman

Black and white headshot of a young man with wavy hair wearing a tweed suit and seated at an angle

Charlie Chaplin

A bald man wearing a black shirt sitting backwards on a wooden chair against a brick wall

Wayne Dyer

Sepia photograph of Len Johnson from an Essendon player's profile

Len Johnson

Black and white illustration of books, drama mask and sword on a shelf with a man's portrait above

Henry Fielding

Black and white image of a young man with a mischievous smile sitting on a car with a cigarette in his mouth

James Dean

Photo of a person facing away from the camera, looking across a mountainous landscape

Arthur Schopenhauer

Black and white headshot of a young man with slicked-back dark hair with crossed arms and a pipe in his mouth

Orson Welles

Older man wearing a suit and waistcoat seated and resting an arm on a table

Herbert Hoover

Black and white headshot of a middle-aged man with glasses resting his hand on the side of his face

Stieg Larsson

Headshot of a woman with very short hair wearing a white jacket and loose blouse with her hand resting on the side of her face

Annie Besant

Headshot of a smiling grey haired man with dark eyes wearing a white collared shirt and jacket

Vidal Sassoon

Colour image of a person facing away from the camera, overlooking hills and a bay during sunset

Lucy Walker

Black and white headshot of a man with an afro and small mustache and beard wearing a heavy chain and jacket

Jimi Hendrix

Black and white headshot of a balding older man with a beard and frameless glasses touches his hand to the side of his head

Eric Satie

Man with a grey beard wearing a suit and bowtie seated at a desk

Robert Harris

Nancy Reagan

Portrait of a heavyset man wearing a white curly wig and black jacket holding a musical score.

Johann Sebastian Bach

Pencil sketch of a short-haired man with sideburns wearing a high-collared jacket

William Wordsworth

Black and white headshot of a short-haired woman with her hand and her chest, eyes closed, and leaning slightly

Edith Piaf

Headshot of grey-haired man in a checkered suit and striped tie touching his chin

Nelson Mandela

Headshot of a smiling curly-haired woman wearing pearls, fur and a v-neck dress

Eleanor Roosevelt

Black and white headshot of a middle-aged man with crossed arms, a mustache and dark slicked-back hair

W. Somerset Maugham

Pencil illustration of a man with very long curly hair and a prominent nose wearing a white high-necked button up shirt

Isaac Newton

Colour photo of three people standing on top of a hill

William Robinson

Portrait of a middle-aged man with a thick mustache wearing a suit and waistcoat

James Matthew Barrie

Black and white headshot of a woman wearing a sequin dress, fur on her shoulders and hair in a beehive style

Eartha Kitt

Black and white headshot of a smiling white haired man wearing a suit and waistcoat

JRR Tolkien

Black and white headshot of a sombre woman wearing a striped blouse, lacy scarf and earrings

George Sand

Black and white headshot of a balding man in a suit seated at a desk with an ornate bookshelf in the background

Edgar Rice Burroughs

Headshot of a middle-aged man with a moustache wearing a suit and looking away from the camera

Kenneth Grahame

Grey haired man wearing a blue button up shirt with arms folded

Don Dunstan

Painting of a brown-haired woman in a black dress and jewels

Eliza Dunlop

A smiling older woman with brown hair in a bob and glasses holding up an open book

Catherine Cookson

Man with a beard wearing a bowtie and cumberbund

Boyle Finniss

Oval-shaped pencil sketch of the profile of aman with a double chin wearing a button-up coat

Edward Gibbon

Headshot of a balding man wearing a suit and bowtie with a neutral expression

Sumner Locke Elliott

Colour photo of two hands holding a love heart

Ruby Cunningham

Black and white headshot of a grey haired man wearing a suit and holding eyeglasses in his hands with a bookshelf in the background

Bertrand Russell

Image of a person walking in a mountainous landscape

Dolly Dalrymple Johnson

Black and white headshot of a curly-haired man with a bushy beard wearing a suit and resting his head in his hand

Charles Dickens

Black and white headshot of a man with dark bushy hair and a mustache wearing a high collared shirt

Edgar Allan Poe

Black and white headshot of a short-haired woman in a lacy white dress, earrings, and necklace

Madam C.J. Walker

Black and white headshot of a dark-haired man with a mustache wearing a suit

Antonin Dvorak

Man in a suit and top hat smiling and waving with an airplane in the background

Ben Chifley

Black and white illustration of a young woman with wavy hair wearing a white blouse with a frilled high-neck collar

Harriet Martineau

Colour photo of three people standing on top of a hill

John Bungarie

Orange tinted image of a person facing away from the camera. making a love heart shape with their hands

Josephine Bulger

Man with short curly hair wearing a striped sports jersey standing on a playing field

Milan Galic

Black and white profile of a middle-aged man with a small mustache wearing a suit

Langston Hughes

Close-up black and white headshot of a smiling woman with an afro hairstyle

Ella Fitzgerald

Side profile portrait of an older man with pale skin wearing a white scarf against a black background

Aaron Burr

A dark-haired middle age woman wearing a black shirt and sitting in an armchair

Patricia Highsmith

Woman with grey hair in a bun wearing three necklaces

Edith Cowan

Painting of a man with sideburns in a military uniform

Charles Booth

Colour photo of two hands holding a love heart

Judith Brooker

Headshot pencil sketch of a woman wearing a frilly bonnet with a bow on top

Dorothy Wordsworth

Headshot of a grey-haired woman wearing a black blouse, scarf, and watch resting her chin on her hand

Jill Roe

Black and white close-up of an elderly man with a clean shaven face and neutral expression

Richard Hoggart

Headshot in a gold oval frame of a man with a full beard and comb-over hairstyle wearing a black suit

Robert Wiggins

Headshot of a grey-haired man with bushy eyebrows wearing a suit with a wide lapel

Robert Menzies

Headshot of an older man with round eyeglasses wearing a tweed suit with a neutral expression

Hermann Hesse

Curly-haired woman with clasped hands in a v-neck dress

Elizabeth Macarthur

Headshot of an older woman wearing a button-up shirt and cardigan in front of a chalkboard

Mary Douglas

Headshot of a mustached-man with a sombre expression wearing a suit

Henry Morton Stanley

Portrait of a bushy grey-haired man resting his head on his hand

Laurence Sterne

Headshot of a woman with glasses tilting her head and clasping her hands

Angela Carter

Portrait of a dark-haired man with a bushy beard and mustache wearing a dark jacket

Michelangelo

Black and white photo of a dark-haired young man who is seated and looking away from the camera

Jack London

Black and white headshot of a bald older man with glasses in a white shirt holding a pipe

P. G. Wodehouse

Headshot of a woman with light colored hair in a bob and classes in a collared shirt

Ruby Payne Scott

Headshot of a balding, grey haired man with glasses and a beard wearing a blue button-up shirt and black jacket

Oliver Sacks

Black and white headshot of a smiling woman wearing glasses and a trenchcoat in front of the US Capitol

Shirley Chisholm

Portrait of a balding man with beard and mustache wearing a frilled neck collar

Michel de Montaigne

A smiling woman with curly brown hair in a white top seated with her elbow on the back of a chair

Sigrid Thornton

Headshot of a smiling older man wearing a tuxedo and bow-tie

Sidney Poitier