Ossie Cruse Explained

Ossie Cruse
Birth Date:	1933
Birth Place:	Orbost, Victoria, Australia
Occupation:	Activist and Aboriginal elder

Oswald "Ossie" Cruse ^[1] is an Australian activist and Aboriginal elder.

Cruse was born in 1933 in Orbost, Victoria. He became active in the area of Aboriginal rights after the 1967 Australian referendum, touring Africa with former prime minister Gough Whitlam and becoming a member of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples.^[2]

Cruse was created a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1977 Silver Jubilee and Birthday Honours^[3] and a Member of the Order of Australia in the 2001 Australia Day Honours.^[4]

Further reading

• Quentin McDermott, Uncle Ossie Cruse: One of Australia's last 'great Aboriginal patriarchs', Australian Story, ABC News 2 Jul 2017
• Member Profile: Ossie and “BJ” Cruse, 25 September 2015, New South Wales Aboriginal Land Council.

External links

• Ossie Cruse, Australian Story episode, 3 July 2017 ABC TV.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Ossie Cruse award for lifetime contribution to Aboriginal Culture. ABC News. Brown, Bill. 18 November 2014.
2. Web site: Uncle Ossie Cruse: One of Australia's last 'great Aboriginal patriarchs'. McDermott, Quentin. 3 July 2017. ABC News.
3. 1085241 . 11 June 1977 . Mr Oswald CRUSE . The Order of the British Empire - Member (Civil) (Imperial) . MBE . In recognition of service to Aborigines . 31 January 2020.
4. 871842 . 26 January 2001 . Pastor Oswald CRUSE, MBE . Member of the Order of Australia . AM . For service to the indigenous community, particularly in the areas of social justice, spiritual welfare, health and land rights. . 31 January 2020.