Wongutha Tales

Four wonderful traditional teaching stories of the Wongutha people, plus May O’ Brien’s stories about her early life as a Mission child, are collected here for a new generation of junior readers. First published as individual titles in 1992, May O’ Brien’s stories were ground-breaking publications, presenting traditional Indigenous stories in a bilingual text and giving a unique insight into learning English as a second language from a First Nations perspective. The stories are still as fresh and appealing as ever, and May’s simple pronunciation guide for Wongutha words are perfect learning activities for the classroom.

May O’ Brien was born in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, and at the age of five, was taken to Mount Margaret Mission where she spent the next twelve years. She taught in Western Australian rural and metropolitan primary schools for twenty-five years. May served in a number of other positions before being appointed Superintendent of Aboriginal Education, a position she held until her early retirement in 1988. May O’ Brien was born in the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia, and at the age of five, was taken to Mount Margaret Mission where she spent the next twelve years. She taught in Western Australian rural and metropolitan primary schools for twenty-five years. May served in a number of other positions before being appointed Superintendent of Aboriginal Education, a position she held until her early retirement in 1988.