Shadrach Livingstone James
Encyclopedia
Shadrach Livingstone James (15 May 1890 - 7 August 1956) was a teacher
, unionist
and Aboriginal activist.
and Ada Bethel Cooper at the Cummeragunja Mission
in New South Wales
. His father was a Mauritian-born Indian teacher and his mother a member of the Yorta Yorta people
.
In 1909 James married Maggie Campbell in Echuca
. The couple had seven children, three sons and four daughters.
government declined to appoint him to the position.
where he worked for Ardmona Fruit Products Co-operative. He was elected as secretary of the local branch of the Food Preservers' Union and was for a time vice-president of the Goulburn district council.
James faced bureaucratic opposition due to his mixed-race heritage.
in Geelong
and was buried in Mooroopna
Cemetery.
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, unionist
Trade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
and Aboriginal activist.
Biography
James was born in 1890 to Thomas Shadrach JamesThomas Shadrach James
Thomas Shadrach James was a school teacher, Methodist lay preacher, linguist and herbalist.-Biography:James was born as James Peersahib in a Muslim family to Samson Peersahib and Miriam Esther, née Thomas in Mauritius. His father Samson Peersahib was an interpreter of Indian descent...
and Ada Bethel Cooper at the Cummeragunja Mission
Cummeragunja Mission
Cummeragunja Mission, or Cummeragunja Station, was an Australian Aboriginal mission established in 1881 on the New South Wales side of the Murray River, on the Victorian border near Barmah. The people were mostly Yorta Yorta....
in New South Wales
New 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...
. His father was a Mauritian-born Indian teacher and his mother a member of the Yorta Yorta people
Yorta Yorta people
The Yorta Yorta people are the Indigenous Australians who traditionally lived around the junction of the Goulburn and Murray Rivers in present-day northeast Victoria....
.
In 1909 James married Maggie Campbell in Echuca
Echuca, Victoria
Echuca is a town located on the banks of the Murray River and Campaspe river in Victoria, Australia. The Border town Moama is on the northern side of the Murray river in New South Wales. It is the administrative centre and largest settlement in the Shire of Campaspe...
. The couple had seven children, three sons and four daughters.
Education
The young James was educated in the mission school run by his father and eventually became qualified as a teaching assistant. After worked with his father it was assumed that he would be appointed his successor as Head Teacher, however the 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...
government declined to appoint him to the position.
Working life
In 1928 James and his family moved to MooroopnaMooroopna, Victoria
Mooroopna is a rural town located north of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the banks of the Goulburn River opposite the larger town of Shepparton. The Midland Highway crosses the river between the two towns...
where he worked for Ardmona Fruit Products Co-operative. He was elected as secretary of the local branch of the Food Preservers' Union and was for a time vice-president of the Goulburn district council.
Activism
Between 1928 and 1955 was honorary secretary of the Aboriginal Progressive Association of Victoria. In this role he was active in lobbying government to improve living conditions for Aboriginal people.James faced bureaucratic opposition due to his mixed-race heritage.
Death
James died in 1956 of a heart attackMyocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
in Geelong
Geelong, Victoria
Geelong is a port city located on Corio Bay and the Barwon River, in the state of Victoria, Australia, south-west of the state capital; Melbourne. It is the second most populated city in Victoria and the fifth most populated non-capital city in Australia...
and was buried in Mooroopna
Mooroopna, Victoria
Mooroopna is a rural town located north of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. It is on the banks of the Goulburn River opposite the larger town of Shepparton. The Midland Highway crosses the river between the two towns...
Cemetery.