Rosalie (Rosie) was born at Utopia Cattle station (Arapunya), her parents were Amatjere people. She was educated in Alice Springs at St Mary's Hostel for children from the outback where she was discovered by Elsa and Charles Chauvel starring in her first film 'Jedda' at fifteen. After the movie she returned to Alice Springs and completed her schooling. Three years later Rosie moved to Adelaide to work for the Anglican Church. In 1959 she took her vows in Melbourne and become the first Aboriginal Anglican nun. After 10 years she left the order, married Bill Monks, commenced working for the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs in Melbourne and together they set up the first Aboriginal Family Group Home in Victoria. In 1977 they returned to Alice Springs to run an Aboriginal Hostel for the Aboriginal Hostels Limited. Rosie has held various positions has the president of the Central Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service, an executive of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Regional Council; secretary to the Traditional Owners of Alice Springs; an interpreter with the Interpreter service of Alice Spring; Director of the Management Board of the Desert People's Centre and chair of Batchelor Institute Council. She is passionate about law, justice, education, children and youth affairs. She cares for other children beside her own daughter and has an ongoing commitment to her country and community campaigning for the political and social rights of her people.,
Notes
Date:1937,
Subject
Women,
Northern Territory,
Related materials
O'Loughlin, Genny. "Rosie - from nunnery to new vocation", Sunday Territorian, 19 January 1992.,
"Rosie slams Alice violence", Northern Territory News, Wednesday 23 June 1993: 14.,
Related links
http://hdl.handle.net/10070/10344,
http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=873529&search_type=quick&showInd=true,
http://hdl.handle.net/10070/10344 [PictureNT : Rosalie Kunoth-Monks],
http://www.itsanhonour.gov.au/honours/honour_roll/search.cfm?aus_award_id=873529&search_type=quick&showInd=true [Medal of the Order of Australia],