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Herbert James (Dick) Henry (1936–1997)

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This entry is from People Australia

Herbert James (Dick or Dickie) Henry (1936-1997) bulldozer operator and Aboriginal activist 

Birth: 22 December 1936 at the Summervale Aboriginal Reserve, Walcha, New South Wales, son of James Herbert (Bert) Henry (1912-1980), and Elizabeth Jane, née Campbell (1914-1990). Marriage: to Thelma May Henry (1937-2014), a woman of the Jerrinja people of the NSW South Coast. They had eight children. Death: 10 April 1997 at Shellharbour, NSW. 

  • Worked as a bulldozer operator, professional fisherman, abalone diver, dockworker, roustabout, stockman, building labourer, fruit-picker and in soil conservation.
  • An Indigenous Australian who was active in the debate on the referendum to allow Aboriginal people to become citizens in 1967.
  • Involved in debates to have Indigenous peoples’ remains in museums returned to their lands.

Sources
Sydney Morning Herald, 26 April 1997.

Original Publication

Citation details

'Henry, Herbert James (Dick) (1936–1997)', People Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, https://ia.anu.edu.au/biography/henry-herbert-james-dick-33998/text42617, accessed 12 December 2024.

© Copyright People Australia, 2012

Life Summary [details]

Birth

22 December, 1936
Walcha, New South Wales, Australia

Death

10 April, 1997 (aged 60)
Shellharbour, New South Wales, Australia

Cultural Heritage

Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.

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