Under a Bilari Tree I Born

This groundbreaking publication brings to light the hidden experience of First Nations women in regional and remote Australia.

Now available as a stunning new Indigenous Classic, Alice Bilari Smith's extraordinary journey embodies the strength and spirit of Australia's country women. Raised amidst the rugged beauty of the bush and the challenges of station life in the Pilbara, Alice mastered a range of skills, from cooking and sewing to mustering and dingo scalping. In Roebourne (the oldest town in the north west of Western Australia), Alice's commitment extended beyond her own children, as she played a pivotal role in establishing a Homemakers Centre for Aboriginal families. Alice was one of the indomitable women who shaped our communities, and who inspire by their example.

Alice Bilari Smith was born at Rocklea Station in the Pilbara, in the north of Western Australia in the 1920s. Her mother was a Banyjima woman and her father a white teamster. She was raised by her Aboriginal family and narrowly escaped being removed to Moore River. After her marriage, Alice spent most of her adult years living in the bush and raising a large family. They retained their language and many of their customs, and it was not until 1969 that Alice settled in Roebourne in WA's North West, so that her children could attend school. Living in Roebourne, she was a foster mother to fifteen children and a valued member of the community. Alice died on 1 February 2012 at Roebourne District Hospital.

Anna Vitenbergs was born in Scotland and came to live in the Pilbara where her father was a wharfinger in the 1960s. For some years, she and her husband lived abroad and interstate, but they settled in Dampier in the 1980s.

Loreen Brehaut is a New Zealander who lived in Western Australia for eight years while her husband Bill was working for Woodside Energy Ltd. While there, she became active recording oral histories and was co-author of Florence Corrigan's autobiography, Miles of Post and Wire, which was shortlisted for the 1999 Western Australian Premier's Book Awards.