Lowitja O'Donoghue

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Lowitja (Lois) O'Donoghue AC CBE, born August 1, 1932 is an Aboriginal Australian health worker and administrator. She was Australian of the Year in 1984 and in 1990 became the inaugural Chairperson of ATSIC (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission).

O'Donoghue was born at Granite Downs, South Australia, to Lily (no surname) a Yankunytjatjara woman and Tom O'Donoghue, a white station manager. O'Donoghue never knew her father. At the age of two she became part of the Stolen Generations when she was taken away from her mother, whom she was not to see for another 33 years. O'Donoghue spent a great deal of time in that period searching for her family.

After a long struggle to win admission to a training hospital, Lois became the first black nurse in South Australia. Later, she became more involved in activism for Aboriginal rights. In 1976, Lois was the first Aboriginal woman to be awarded an Order of Australia^{[citation needed]}.

She was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1983 and was named Australian of the Year in 1984, for her work to improve the welfare of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. She was made a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in 1999.

Preceded by Robert de Castella

Australian of the Year 1984

Succeeded by Paul Hogan