David Unaipon is considered to be the first Indigenous Australian author, publishing Aboriginal legends in the 1920s. Without permission, the publisher Angus and Robertson sold the copyright of the stories to William Ramsay Smith who published Myths and Legends of the Australian Aboriginals (1930) without acknowledgement.
In the 1990s, Unaipon’s manuscript of Aboriginal legends was edited and published as Legendary Tales of the Australian Aborigines (2001), adopting his original title and finally acknowledging his authorship.
An annual award, The David Unaipon Award for an Emerging Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander Writer, honours him. He is also depicted on the Australian $50 note.
Full bio from AustLit
