'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)
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) 'Fifteen years after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s landmark apology in parliament to the Stolen Generation, reverberations from that misguided policy still linger as can be seen in an outstanding documentary, The Last Daughter. The film examines the bitter legacy of the doubtless well-intentioned but disastrously misguided program on two families, one black and the other white.'
'Documentary follows stolen generations member Brenda Matthews’ search for her white foster parents'
'Documentary follows stolen generations member Brenda Matthews’ search for her white foster parents'
'Fifteen years after Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s landmark apology in parliament to the Stolen Generation, reverberations from that misguided policy still linger as can be seen in an outstanding documentary, The Last Daughter. The film examines the bitter legacy of the doubtless well-intentioned but disastrously misguided program on two families, one black and the other white.'
