Aunty Edith Campbell

Edith Campbell was a respected matriarch of Uncle Bill Campbell’s family remembered for her warmth, her strength and her quiet authority. Born on Dhunggati Country and later moving from Kempsey to Bermagui with her husband Bill and their four children, she carried language, cultural knowledge and a style of living that was still firmly rooted in old ways. She was widely respected by the local community.

People who knew Edith describe her as “a really nice lady, kind,” with spiritual abilities that were not spoken about openly. There is one story told about how Edith stopped a storm from ruining a card game by shaking a newspaper toward the clouds and as one witness recalls, they “just split in half” and the rain went away. Those close to her understood that she held knowledge from “the tribal ways”, but as was customary, she kept most of it quiet and passed it down only to the right people when her time came.

Life around Edith’s home was full of children, food and kinship. Her family was “everyone’s favourite house” especially at Christmas and during long summers of fishing, swimming and gathering. She worked as a maid for local farmers, yet still made time to cook great pots of soup, perfect dampers and abalone she would tenderise by hand.

Edith was well-spoken, listened to by everyone, and deeply respected. She lived with dignity, raised strong children, carried Dhunggati Language and Yuin values, and is remembered with love for both the everyday care she gave and the deeper cultural gifts she guarded.