Diana Ross' parents held an exemption certificate when she was growing up which allowed her and her family permission to live on the mainland instead of Palm Island.
Her father was a Juru Man and her mother was a Kaanju woman. Her father would provide extra food for the family by gathering bush foods as most of his wages were withheld and never given back.
Diana Ross was driven by her ambition to make things easier for the family and persisted through difficult times to achieve her nursing qualifications. Diana Ross was awarded Sister of St John Australia.