Mary Duroux

Mary Kathleen Duroux (née Hookwin) was born in 1934 in Bega, on Yuin Country in New South Wales, and went on to become one of the region’s most respected cultural leaders, community advocates and poets. Raised in the traditions of the Haddigaddi and Picalla families, whose totemic ties include the tawny frogmouth and echidna, Mary’s connection to Country was strong from an early age.

She left formal schooling at age 14 to enter the workforce, moving into domestic and seasonal labour in the Bega and Moruya regions. Her lived experience of family, work and displacement informed her later writing, activism and cultural leadership.

In the 1960s and 1970s Mary became deeply involved with Aboriginal affairs. In 1977 she was appointed to the Aboriginal Arts Board of the Australia Council, signalling national recognition of her cultural work. Mary returned in 1989 to live in Moruya, where she continued to support community, mentor younger people and help ensure that Yuin history and creativity were visible and valued.

Mary’s poetry explored themes of identity, Country and memory, she is recorded in the National Library of Australia Hazel de Berg collection reading her poems “Dirge for Hidden Art” and “Tordiana,” and reflecting publicly on the relationship between people, land and story.

Remembered affectionately as “Aunty Mary” in her community, Mary Duroux built a life that bridged cultural continuity and contemporary change. Her legacy lives on through her writing, her advocacy and her steadfast belief that Yuin culture has the right to be seen, heard and honoured.