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.

Find out more

FILTERS

NAMEYEAR OF BIRTHBIRTHPLACE/CULTUREPLACEMENT TYPEARRANGED BYOCCUPATIONSURVIVOR ACTIVISTS

EXPLORE BY NAME

Headshot of an older woman wearing glasses and a red blouse

Gloria Lovely

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

David Plowman

Tracie Oldham

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

William Henry Bragg

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

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

Doris Kartinyeri

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

Daryl Brougham

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

Jack Hassen

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

Bambi

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

Billy Hughes

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

Gwen Shipp

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

Amy Gill

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

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

Wayne Dyer

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

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

Ruby Hunter

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

Arthur Conan Doyle

Image of a person walking in a mountainous landscape

Lionel Pearce

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

Headshot of a balding white haired man in a collared shirt

Laurie Humphreys

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

Doreen Kartinyeri

Seated man wearing a hat and military uniform

Douglas Grant

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

Alan Turing

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

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

Christina Riley

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

Jack Lang

Man in a cricket uniform walking

Douglas Jardine

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

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

Joy Williams

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

Jill Roe

Evel Knievel

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

Robert Menzies

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

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

Margaret Tucker

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

John Gorton

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

Ruby Payne Scott

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

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

Len Johnson

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

Chris

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

Hector Thompson

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

Colour photo of three people standing on top of a hill

Keda

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

Herbert Hoover

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

Smiling older woman wearing a whie scarf

Glenda

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

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

Brian Syron

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

Robert Harris

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

Johann Sebastian Bach

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

Peter Gunner

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

Jo

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

Eleanor Roosevelt

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

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

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

Alby

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

Eartha Kitt

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

Pennie Tapp

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

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

George Sand

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

Albert Facey

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

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

Horrie Miller

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

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

Des Donley

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

Tauto Sansbury

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

Sumner Locke Elliott

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

Flo Hickson

Colour photo of two hands holding a love heart

Ruby Cunningham

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

Barbara Cummings

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

Ken Colbung

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

Smoky Dawson

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

Monica Clare

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 dark-haired man with a mustache wearing a suit

Antonin Dvorak

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

Ngingali Cullen

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

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

Ronald Bull

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

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

Woman with grey hair in a bun wearing three necklaces

Edith Cowan

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

Ken Brindle

Painting of a man with sideburns in a military uniform

Charles Booth

Colour photo of two hands holding a love heart

Judith Brooker

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

Richie Bray

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

Dorothy Wordsworth

Harold Blair in a suit playing the piano

Harold Blair

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 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 a mustached-man with a sombre expression wearing a suit

Henry Morton Stanley

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

Angela Carter

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

Jack London