Yorta Yorta woman Dianne O'Brien was raised in the era of the White Australia policy, a child of the stolen generation. Her memoir Daughter of the River Country - is a story of survival and triumph, raised by a loving adoptive mother and a distant and abusive father. She didn't find out she was Aboriginal until adulthood. Her adult life was marred with domestic violence, alcohol abuse and tragedy, but despite her troubles, she has been recognised for her community leadership and health programmes for people in need.
Now in her seventies, Dianne O'Brien is the Chairperson of Mingaletta Corporation, which is an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community hub. She has 37 grandchildren and great grandchildren, has previously been named New South Wales Grandmother of the year, and is commonly known as Aunty Di.
Photo: Renee Robertson photography
