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USQ lecturer wins top Qld Literary Award supplied by USQ 22 October 2015
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book by University of Southern Queensland (USQ) history lecturer Dr Libby Connors has been recognised as work of great importance to Queensland. Warrior, the story of an Aboriginal resistance fighter on the colonial frontier, has won the inaugural Queensland Premier’s Award for a work of State Significance. Premier and Arts Minister Annastacia Palaszczuk announced the winners at the 2015 Queensland Literary Awards presentation on Friday (October 9). “This award recognises writing with a Queensland focus, celebrating important Queensland authors, stories, history and voices and the judges’ decision to award Warrior was unanimous,” Ms Palaszczuk said. USQ Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Jan Thomas congratulated Dr Connors, and thanked her for sharing an important part of Queensland’s history. “This is a prestigious award and a great achievement for an author to receive. I’m thrilled to see it go to Dr Connors,” Professor Thomas said. “Her talent and dedication has created a work of high acclaim, as well as a telling of a vital piece of the Queensland story.”
Dr Libby Connors with Premier Annastacia Palaszcuzuk. Image: Leif Ekstrom
Dr Connors said she was honoured to receive the award, and hoped it would mean Aboriginal resistance fighter Dundalli’s story would become well known. “Warrior follows Dundalli’s dramatic life and death while giving a portrait of life in the early days of white settlement in south east Queensland,” she said. “He was an Aboriginal law man who came up against the supreme court of New South Wales and continued to defy colonialism even from the gallows.” Dr Connors said the events the book covered were a key part of the foundation of Queensland. “It’s important that we tell stories about who we are as Queenslanders – our history, what has shaped us,
and what continues to shape us,” she said. “Dundalli’s story is integral to the origins of modern Queensland, a violent past that we’re still coming to terms with. “I hope this book helps Australians better understand the dynamism, integrity and dignity of the Aboriginal side of the colonial encounter. “And also how good hearted people on both sides of the cultural divide sought to defuse and limit conflict and protect their people.” Dr Connors is a senior lecturer in history at USQ and co-author of Australia’s Frontline and A History of the Australian Environment Movement.
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