Stanley Fraser Davey

A formative incident occurred for Stan Davey when taking up a church ministry in Melbourne. He had sought out Aboriginal activist Pastor Doug Nicholls for advice, and over the next few years Stan was exposed to evidence from remote areas of Australia that Aboriginal injustice was extreme. He became politicised for life and devoted himself to working for the Aboriginal cause.
By 1957 Stan had resigned from his church ministry to work full-time for what he called 'the cause', leading to the establishment of the Victorian Aborigines Advancement League. Stan was also instrumental in forming the Federal Council for Aboriginal Advancement in 1958, and was the general secretary for its first 10 years. He travelled hundreds of miles around Australia to personally investigate reports of injustice, often hitchhiking if funds were short.
In 1968 he resigned from his various executive roles to work in the field amongst communities in the Kimberley region of Western Australia, with Stan and his second wife, Jan Richardson, teaching English in the mining camps. When the money ran out they moved north, assisting the Aboriginal community in Broome to establish a fishing cooperative, with Stan earning an income as a wharf laborer.
In 1969 Stan and Jan moved to Wyndham, Western Australia, to work with the ex-Forrest River Mission people who had been relocated to the Native Reserve following the mission's closure. From 1970 to 1975 they supported the people to return to their land, putting Oombulgurri on the map. Stan again worked on the wharves to maintain his economic independence.
From 1975 to 1980 in Fitzroy Crossing, Stan assisted six tribal groups to incorporate and establish economic independence. From 1983 to 1987 Stan and Jan worked for the Gurindji, picking up on the relationships Stan had formed when he travelled to Daguragu during the stockmen's strike of 1966. In 1988 Stan obtained employment with the Uniting Church in Darwin, working for the Aboriginal people of the north in a community development capacity.
At the age of 71 Stan was invited to return to Wyndham and did so for five years, working with the Oombulgurri community in town to establish structures for dealing with alcohol issues. He reluctantly left Wyndham to care for Jan in Darwin after she was seriously injured in a car accident. He continued to be involved wherever possible with the people and the issues to which he had dedicated his life.
A courageous warrior for justice, committed to the well-being of Australia's Indigenous peoples, Stan passed away age 88. Soul mate and beloved husband of Jan. Adored father of Carolyn, Elinor, Matthew and Paul. Father-in-law of Rebecca. Grandfather of Natalie, Luca and Jesse.