Brenda Matthews Brenda Matthews i(25547768 works by)
Gender: Female
Heritage: Aboriginal ; Aboriginal Wiradjuri
The material on this page is available to AustLit subscribers. If you are a subscriber or are from a subscribing organisation, please log in to gain full access. To explore options for subscribing to this unique teaching, research, and publishing resource for Australian culture and storytelling, please contact us or find out more.

BiographyHistory

'Brenda Matthews is a proud Wiradjuri woman. She lives with her husband, Mark, in Bundjalung country, Queensland. Brenda is a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a daughter and an aunty, a poet, a writer, a speaker and co-director of the feature film, The Last Daughter, a documentary of her life.' (Text Publishing)

Most Referenced Works

Awards for Works

form y separately published work icon The Last Daughter ( dir. Brenda Matthews et. al. )agent Australia : Gravity Films The Last Daughter , 2023 25547943 2023 single work film/TV

'Brenda's first memories were of growing up in a loving white foster family, before she was suddenly taken away and returned to her Aboriginal family. Decades later, she feels disconnected from both halves of her life. But the traumas of her past do not lie quietly buried. So, she goes searching for the foster family with whom she had lost all contact. Along the way she uncovers long-buried secrets, government lies, and the possibility for deeper connections to family and culture. The Last Daughter is a documentary about Brenda's mission to unearth the truth about her past, and to reconcile the two sides of her family.' (Production abstract)
2024 nominated AIDC Awards — Best Feature Documentary
2023 nominated AFCA Film Awards — Best Documentary
2024 nominated Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts Awards — Best Documentary or Factual Program
y separately published work icon The Last Daughter The Last Daughter : A True Story of Love, Loss and Reconnection Melbourne : Text Publishing , 2023 25547808 2023 single work autobiography 'An unmissable First Nations memoir that tells of the shattering experience of being stolen, The Last Daughter is a story of heartbreak and healing that offers a path forward for all Australians When Brenda Matthews was two years old, she and her siblings were taken from their parents. For the next five years she was a much-loved daughter in a white family, a happy child in a country town on the outskirts of Sydney, unaware of the existence of her Aboriginal family or how hard her parents were fighting for her return-unaware of her Aboriginal identity. Then, she was suddenly returned to her Aboriginal family, the last daughter to come home. Decades later, feeling a sense of something missing in her life, Brenda searches for her foster family and her beloved white sister, with whom she had had no contact. Along the way she uncovers long-buried secrets and government bungling, as well as a deep connection to family and to her Aboriginal culture. The Last Daughter is the story of Brenda's journey to discover the truth about her past, to unite her two families-and to foster a better connection between black and white Australia. It's a story full of heartbreak, love, hope and healing, one that shows a way forward for all Australians. 'I share this story out of love and forgiveness.' Brenda Matthews' (Publication summary) 
 
2024 shortlisted Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) — Audiobook of the Year
VIEW ALL AWARDS
Last amended 15 Dec 2022 09:03:01
BlackWords
Other mentions of "" in AustLit:
    X