Her Name Is Nanny Nellie

One hundred years ago, in 1925 Australia’s Census declared Aboriginal people a ‘dying race’. The Australian Museum commissioned three statues of ‘full blood’ Aboriginal people: a child, a man and a woman, exhibited as nameless objects to be studied. The woman was Nelly Walker, Irene Nellie Walker’s great grandmother and director Daniel King’s great, great grandmother. Now Irene is on a journey to retrace Nellie’s life and understand her times. But first she must find the descendants of the man and the boy depicted in the other statues. These people become Irene’s companions in the work to honour their ancestors.

This is a timely story by one of Australia’s most exciting directors; Ngarigo and Awabakal man Daniel King, documenting his mother’s search. A profound personal window on a national story, with consequences for colonial museum collections everywhere.

The feature documentary for NITV and the Adelaide Film Festival was produced by Andrew Arbuthnot and Ben Pederick.

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