Gordon Briscoe
Encyclopedia
Dr Gordon Briscoe AO
(born 1938 in Alice Springs, Northern Territory
, Australia
) is an Indigenous Australian academic and activist. He is also a former Association football player.
. As a boy he was removed from his mother as a child and was educated at St Francis House in Adelaide.
of the Aboriginal Progress Association in the 1950s, the Aboriginal Legal Service in the 1960s and the Aboriginal Medical Service
in 1972.
. His focus is on Indigenous history and was involved in the production of the SBS
documentary First Australians
.
alongside Charles Perkins and John Moriarty, Briscoe moved to England
in 1958 with the hope of playing professional football. He had stints at Barnet
and Preston North End
(although he did not make a first team appearance), before returning to Australia at the suggestion of his former schoolmate and teammate Perkins.
Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an order of chivalry established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, "for the purpose of according recognition to Australian citizens and other persons for achievement or for meritorious service"...
(born 1938 in Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs, Northern Territory
Alice Springs is the second largest town in the Northern Territory of Australia. Popularly known as "the Alice" or simply "Alice", Alice Springs is situated in the geographic centre of Australia near the southern border of the Northern Territory...
, Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
) is an Indigenous Australian academic and activist. He is also a former Association football player.
Early life
Briscoe is descended from the Marduntjara and Pitjantjatjara nations of Central AustraliaCentral Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
. As a boy he was removed from his mother as a child and was educated at St Francis House in Adelaide.
Activism
He was involved in the establishment in New South WalesNew South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
of the Aboriginal Progress Association in the 1950s, the Aboriginal Legal Service in the 1960s and the Aboriginal Medical Service
Aboriginal Medical Service
The Aboriginal Medical Service was established in Redfern from 1971. It was the first Aboriginal community controlled health service in Australia, and it is now a key Indigenous community organisation, from which most Aboriginal medical services around the State of New South Wales have stemmed...
in 1972.
Academia
In 1981 he began his academic career with the Australian National UniversityAustralian National University
The Australian National University is a teaching and research university located in the Australian capital, Canberra.As of 2009, the ANU employs 3,945 administrative staff who teach approximately 10,000 undergraduates, and 7,500 postgraduate students...
. His focus is on Indigenous history and was involved in the production of the SBS
Special Broadcasting Service
The Special Broadcasting Service is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio and television network. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect...
documentary First Australians
First Australians
First Australians is an Australian historical documentary series produced over the course of six years and first aired in October 2008. The documentary is part of a greater project that further consists of a hard-cover book, a community outreach program and a substantial website featuring over 200...
.
Soccer
After playing state league for Adelaide CroatiaAdelaide Raiders
Raiders is a football club in Adelaide, South Australia, that plays in the South Australian Super League. Its home ground is the Croatian Sports Centre in Gepps Cross, a northern suburb of Adelaide. It is a Croatian Australian-backed club and is also known by the name "Adelaide Croatia"...
alongside Charles Perkins and John Moriarty, Briscoe moved to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
in 1958 with the hope of playing professional football. He had stints at Barnet
Barnet F.C.
Barnet Football Club is an English football team from High Barnet, London, England, currently playing in Football League Two. The ground is in the town of Barnet within the London Borough of Barnet....
and Preston North End
Preston North End F.C.
Preston North End Football Club is an English professional football club located in the Deepdale area of the city of Preston, Lancashire, currently playing in the third tier of English league football, League One...
(although he did not make a first team appearance), before returning to Australia at the suggestion of his former schoolmate and teammate Perkins.