Roberta Sykes

Roberta "Bobbi" Sykes

Turning points

·         Sykes left school at age 14

·         she was pack-raped by four white men

·         She first became an activist in the lead-up to the landmark to census and make laws of Aboriginal people

·         she became deeply involved in the emerging ''black power'' movement

·         she was one of the founders of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra

·         she married an English migrant

·         she divorced

·         She returned to Australia from Harvard determined to create more educational opportunities for others and devoted herself to being a proactive voice for indigenous Australians.

·         Sykes suffered a stroke at her unit in Redfern in November 2002

 

 

 

Achievements

·         She graduated in the 1980s with a doctorate in education

·         She was awarded the prestigious university's highest academic award

·         Sykes went on to be awarded the Australian Human Rights Medal in 1994

·         She became the first secretary at the embassy

·         She authored 10 books, among them two on poetry

·         She had used the Aboriginal snake motif in her acclaimed autobiographical trilogy, Snake Dreaming - made up of Snake Cradle (1997), Snake Dancing (1998) and Snake Circle (2000)

·         She began writing in the 1970s and in a 10-year period as a freelance writer, contributed many more articles on Aboriginal disadvantage and indigenous politics to various outlets, as well as film reviews and poetry

·         She also worked as the education and publicity officer for the newly established Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern. From 1975 to 1980

·         Her first book of poetry, Love Poems and Other Revolutionary Acts, was published in 1979.

·         Sykes went off to Harvard with her young daughter in tow and completed her master's degree in a year, followed by a PhD in Aboriginal education in a further two years.

·         She gained a creative writing appointment at Macquarie University

·         She went on to be a consultant to several government departments, including the NSW Department of Corrective Services and the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody

·         David Bardas, the former owner of the Sportsgirl stores, has offered to commission a portrait of Sykes to be hung in the National Portrait Gallery to honour her place in Australian history.

·         Bardas recalled visiting Sykes on the campus at Harvard

 

 

 

Roberta "Bobbi" Sykes
1943 - 2010

• 1943    - born in Australia
• 1957    - left school and worked shop assistant and nurse's assistant in Townsville
• 1960    - she was pack-raped by four white men
• Mid 1960 - she took the stage name Opal Stone and performed striptease dancer in Kings Cross
• 1960    - married an English migrant
• 1967    - lead-up to census and make laws of Aboriginal people.
• 1971    - divorced
• 1972    - One of the founders of the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra.
• 1970 -1980 -  a freelance writer, articles on Aboriginal disadvantage and indigenous politics  
• 1975-1980  - worked the newly established Aboriginal Medical Service in Redfern

·     1979    - Published  first book of poetry, Love Poems and Other Revolutionary

• 1981    - completed master's degree
• 1981    - ghosted the award-winning autobiography of well-known
• 1983    - completed  PhD in Aboriginal education
• 1994   -  awarded the Australian Human Rights Medal
• 1997    - used the Aboriginal snake motif made up of Snake Cradle
• 1998    - used the Aboriginal snake motif made up of Snake Dancing
• 2000    - used the Aboriginal snake motif made up of Snake Circle
• 2002    - suffered a stroke at her unit in Redfern  
• 2010    - died aged 67 year old