Anita Heiss Explained

Pre-Nominals:Dr.
Anita Heiss
Birth Name:Anita Marianne Heiss
Birth Place:Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Nationality:Australian
Alma Mater:University of New South Wales, Western Sydney University
Occupation:Author, presenter, commentator
Years Active:2000–present

Anita Marianne Heiss (born 1968) is an Aboriginal Australian author, poet, cultural activist and social commentator. She is an advocate for Indigenous Australian literature and literacy, through her writing for adults and children and her membership of boards and committees.

Early life and education

Heiss was born in Sydney in 1968, and is a member of the Wiradjuri nation of central New South Wales. Her mother, Elsie Williams, was born at Erambie Mission, Cowra in Wiradjuri country, while her father, Josef Heiss, was born in St Michael in the Lungau, Salzburg, Austria.

Heiss was educated at St Clare's College, Waverley, then at the University of New South Wales, where she earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in 1989. After a cadetship at the Australian International Development Assistance Bureau (later AusAID) in Canberra, she returned to UNSW to complete an honours degree in History in 1991.[1] She gained her PhD in Communication and Media at the University of Western Sydney in 2000, becoming the first Aboriginal student at the university to achieve this, which she considers her proudest achievement.[2] While working on her doctorate, Heiss ran writing workshops in regional New South Wales, and also travelled to Canada and New Zealand to do research there, giving several guest lectures while abroad.[1]

Academic and writing career

Heiss is known as an author, poet, cultural activist and social commentator.[3] Her work spans non-fiction, historical fiction, commercial women's fiction, poetry, social commentary and travel articles.[4]

After attaining her doctorate, Heiss taught an Introduction to Indigenous Australia course at the University of Western Sydney, but became disillusioned with academia and resigned her position after a year or two, although retaining her unpaid role as an adjunct associate professor at the Badanami Centre for Indigenous Education at the university,[1] a position she continued until at least 2011.

Heiss was a consultant researcher and writer for the Barani Aboriginal history website, first published by the City of Sydney in 2001.

In 2004 she was writer in residence at Macquarie University,[5] Sydney, a part-time position, at the same time working from home on her writing.[1]

She was Deputy-Director at Warawara Department of Indigenous Studies at Macquarie University from 2005 to 2006.[5]

She was Adjunct Professor at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning (now Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research[6]) at the University of Technology, Sydney,[7] from 2012 to at least 2014.[8]

Present

, Heiss is Professor of Communications at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies Unit, University of Queensland.[9]

Other roles and activities

In 1993, Heiss, along with writers Jared Thomas and Kerry Reed-Gilbert (the latter also a good friend[1]), participated in a writers' workshop at which they discussed the germ of an idea which would become the First Nations Australia Writers Network.[10]

From 1998 until 2004, and again from 2007, she was on the management committee of the Australian Society of Authors (ASA).[5]

From 2001 until 2003 she was Communications Adviser for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board of the Australia Council for the Arts.[5]

Heiss was chair of Gadigal/Koori Radio until September 2008.[1]

She was a witness in Eatock v Bolt, a 2011 decision of the Federal Court of Australia which held that two articles written by columnist and commentator Andrew Bolt and published in The Herald Sun newspaper had contravened section 18C, of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975. Bolt had accused Heiss and other Aboriginal people of "choosing" their identity for personal benefit.[1] [11]

In 2011 Heiss was a board member for the National Aboriginal Sporting Chance Academy, and an ambassador for Indigenous Literacy Day and for the Books in Homes program. She has been an advocate for the National Centre of Indigenous Excellence,[12] [13] a social enterprise in Sydney.[14] In 2015 Heiss became an ambassador for the Worawa Aboriginal College.[15] [16]

Heiss was appointed to the State Library of Queensland board in 2017.[17] she is not on the board, but a member of the Indigenous Advisory Group, an independent advisory group to the Library Board.[18]

Heiss is Ambassador of the GO Foundation (founded by Adam Goodes, Michael O'Loughlin and James Gallichan);[19] and the Sydney Swans Australian rules football club.[13]

She also runs her own communications business, Curringa Communications.[20]

Awards, fellowships and grants

Selected works

Non-fiction

Novels

Children's literature

Poetry

Humour

As editor

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Biography - Anita Heiss . Indigenous Australia . 22 February 2021.
  2. Web site: Frequently Asked Questions. Anita Heiss . 22 February 2021.
  3. Web site: Anita Heiss. 16 June 2011. . 29 October 2019.
  4. Web site: Anita Heiss. Reading Australia. en-US. 29 October 2019.
  5. Web site: Introducing Anita Heiss. Macquarie PEN Anthology of Australian Literature Project . 23 February 2021.
  6. Web site: Jumbunna Institute for Indigenous Education and Research . University of Technology Sydney. 22 February 2021.
  7. Web site: New books by UTS Authors UTS Library - University of Technology Sydney. 5 June 2019. UTS Library. en. 29 October 2019. 29 October 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20191029223744/https://www.lib.uts.edu.au/news/962137/new-books-uts-authors. dead.
  8. Web site: UTS Calendar 2014. 24 . University of Technology Sydney . December 2013.
  9. Web site: Dr Anita Heiss . University of Queensland. School of Communication and Arts . 22 February 2021 . 22 February 2021.
  10. Web site: Reed-Gilbert . Kerry . A short history of the First Nations Australia Writers Network. Kerry Reed-Gilbert . Overland literary journal . 13 July 2018 . 23 February 2021.
  11. Eatock v Bolt . (2011) 197 FCR 261 . auto. .
  12. Web site: Beagle Bay students' week at The NCIE . National Centre of Indigenous Excellence . 29 November 2014 . 22 February 2021.
  13. Web site: Heiss. Anita. Welcome to Anita Heiss online!. Anita Heiss. 12 February 2014.
  14. Web site: About . National Centre of Indigenous Excellence . 22 February 2021.
  15. Web site: Dr Anita Heiss Our Newest Ambassador . Worawa Aboriginal College . 3 July 2015 . 22 February 2021.
  16. Note: Not listed on the school's Ambassadors web page as of Feb 2021.
  17. Web site: Media Statements. 5 March 2017. Queensland Government. 10 July 2017.
  18. Web site: Indigenous Advisory Group . State Library Of Queensland . 22 February 2021.
  19. Web site: People . GO Foundation . 22 February 2021.
  20. Web site: ABN Lookup. 12 Feb 2019. Australian Business Register. . 22 Feb 2021.
  21. Web site: City of Sydney's Barani Website wins prestigious NSW Premier's History Awards in the audio/visual category. City of Sydney. 13 February 2014. dead. 22 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140222045435/http://www.sydneymedia.com.au/2313-city-of-sydney39s-barani-website-wins-prestigious-nsw-premier39s-history-awards-in-the-audiovisual-category/.
  22. Web site: About . Barani . 23 February 2021.
  23. Web site: ASA Medal. Australian Society of Authors. 13 February 2014. https://archive.today/20140214060838/https://asauthors.org/asa-medal. 14 February 2014. dead.
  24. Web site: The ASA Medal . Australian Society of Authors . 24 February 2020 . 22 February 2021.
  25. Web site: Anita Heiss Wins Deadly Award. 28 September 2011. Copyright Agency. en-US. 29 October 2019.
  26. Web site: 2007 Winners. 10 August 2008. Deadly Vibe. en. 29 October 2019.
  27. Web site: Deadlys 2008 Winners Announced!. https://web.archive.org/web/20081017074101/http://www.deadlys.vibe.com.au/vibe.asp?pageID=2316. dead. 17 October 2008. 17 October 2008. 29 October 2019.
  28. Web site: 2010 Deadly Awards The Deadlys®. en. 29 October 2019.
  29. Web site: 17th Deadlys Winner Profiles. Deadly Awards. 13 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140205034049/http://2tlp.com.au/deadlys11.pdf. 5 February 2014. dead.
  30. Web site: Nominees for the 25th Human Rights Awards announced (2012 Media Release) Australian Human Rights Commission. www.humanrights.gov.au. 29 October 2019.
  31. Web site: Victorian Premier's Literary Award for Indigenous Writing: Winner and Shortlist Announced. 5 September 2012. Wheeler Centre. 14 February 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140223033422/http://wheelercentre.com/dailies/post/270d65202728/. 23 February 2014. dead.
  32. Web site: Cain . Sian . 2022-05-16 . 'Unflinching': Villawood graphic novel wins book of the year at NSW premier's literary awards . 2022-05-16 . The Guardian . en.
  33. Web site: Dr Anita Marianne Heiss . 2022-06-12 . It's an Honour.

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