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Of Bundjalung descent, William Robinson (1896-1994) spent time in foster care as a child. William was born at Casino in NSW, he was the youngest of three children.
When William was around ten years old, his mother died and William went to live with the Mitchell family, not far from home in the northern country region of NSW.
In 1916, when he was twenty years old, William was offered a job at the Grafton Police Station because of his skills with horses. He had a long career with the NSW Police but was denied a pension after he retired in 1961.
In addition to police work, Robinson had a career as a boxer and artist. One of his paintings is held by the Grafton Regional Gallery.
Reference:
Brignell, Lyn. “Robinson, William Leslie (1896–1994).” Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 19 (2021). https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/robinson-william-leslie-23121
William Robinson
Of Bundjalung descent, William Robinson (1896-1994) spent time in foster care as a child
Birth1896, Casino, NSWDeath1994Cultural heritageAboriginal Australian OccupationPoliceman, sportsman, artistPlacementFoster careArranged byInformal