David Unipon Biography

On the 28th of September in the year 1872 in the Point McLeay mission, in the Coorong region of South Australia, 80 kilometres south east of South Australia’s capital Adelaide, David Unaipon was born. Originally named David Ngunaitponi, David was the fourth of nine children of James and Nymbulda Ngunaitponi, who were both Yaraldi speakers from the lower Murray River region. His father James, was the mission’s first Aboriginal convert. David was known for his intelligence from an early age, which was prevalent when he started school at the Point McLeay Mission school at the age 7, leading to praise in 1887 from the secretary of the Aborigines’ Friends’ Association at the time, stating that “I only wish the majority of white boys were as bright,

Young in Adelaide. Young would be an influential figure in David’s life as he actively encouraged David’s interest in philosophy, music, science and literature. David would then later pick up more work when he returned to Point McLeay in 1890, where he began to read more widely, soon becoming an apprenticed boot maker, and later appointed as the mission organist, highlighting his ear for music. David was not to be persuaded by temptations such as tobacco and alcohol. As he matured, he would begin to become frustrated at the lack of working opportunities for educated Aborigines at the mission settlements, where he then would go on to work as a store man for an Adelaide boot maker in the late 1890’s, after finding it difficult to find a job, as he was denied due to his skin. David would then once again return to Point McLeay to assist as a book keeper in a local store. David would marry on the 4th of January of 1902, a Tangani woman from the Coorong, Katherine Carter, a

Because of his employment with the Aborigines’ Friends’ Association and collecting subscription money, it allowed David to travel widely. This allowed him to meet many intelligent people, giving him the opportunity to lecture on Aboriginal culture and rights. For the next 50 years, David travelled south eastern Australia, where he combined his work with lectures and church and cathedral sermons. David would speak about Aboriginal legends and customs when talking to schools, as well as his people’s future. He would also demonstrate his inventions to the children, but when he went public to request financial support, it provoked the disapproval of the mission authorities. During the 1920’s, David would be influenced by his research into Egyptology at the South Australian Museum, and begin studying Aboriginal mythology, showcasing his versions of legends. Meanwhile his wife Katherine, stayed home, their marriage was not