Wayne Atkinson was born at The Flat, an Aboriginal community located on the banks of the Goulburn River near Mooroopna. His family lived in a humpie made out of bush timber and any resources they found. Somewhere between the age of eight and twelve, Atkinson and his family moved to Echuca. At a young age, Atkinson began working in the shearing sheds with his father. Following this he worked in factories and truck driving. In his early thirties, Atkinson decided to further his education and this is how he became involved with recording Elders' history. This led him to working as a Koori Historian and Manager with the Koori Oral History Program at the State Library of Victoria.
