When the Pelican Laughed

by Alice Nannup

A true story of the life of a black woman growing up in Australia.

Genres: Nonfiction

225 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Catherine Maughan]

Through Alice's life we learn a lot about Western Australian history and the laws that were used to totally control Aboriginal lives. The compelling part of this book is that Alice talks about her life, and the reader is left in no doubt about how her life has been impacted by the injustices and prejudices towards Aboriginal people. One story that hit home for me was about her father. Unlike many stories we hear of white fathers not acknowledging their Aboriginal children, Alice's father loved her and wanted to provide for her but the Government prevented him from seeing her. When he died he left her an inheritance which the Aborigines Department took. This Government Department stole money (wages and inheritance) from people and to this day that money has never been returned to the families. Alice grew up in the wheatbelt at the same era as my grandparents. Life was hard in those days but my grandparents had the opportunity to work hard and provide a better life for us. Alice worked equally as hard as my grandparents but she was either not given what was due to her, or it was taken away. An important part of our shared history.

[Sue]

I feel privileged that Alice brought us into her life by writing this book.
What a great insight into the lives of her and her family, and importantly, the lives of many Aboriginal people of this time.
This book should be included in school curriculums.
"Truth-telling"

[Barb Ruess]

Four stars not because it was amazing but because of the value in having ordinary people tell their stories and illuminate history. Admittedly I don’t know much about Australian history but there are seemingly many parallels to Native Americans.

[Mads Robertson]

Thank you for sharing your story Alice 💗

[Brody Williams]

My View on When The Pelican Laughed is that it's a great book to learn about Australian history also the way Aboriginals were treated back when A.O Neville was in charge , We also get to learn how Alice coped when she was taken and told to work for other people. The way Alice was with the new people she had to work for was brilliant even though it would've been tough as she was a slave. It was also nice to hear a good part not that was any good that she was a slave but the fact she was untouched not hurt or raped. Alice lived her life good as she stood strong in all that she did

[Maria Magdalena]

When the Pelican Laughed tells the remarkable story of Alice Nannup. Born on a Pilbara station (a remote area in Western Australia) in 1911, of an Aboriginal mother and European father, Alice Nannup was taken South at the age of twelve and trained in domestic service. After a full and eventful life, including many battles with authority and raising ten children, she returned home sixty-four years later 'to make peace with my country'.
Whilst very much a personal account of Alice's life story, When the Pelican Laughed compellingly illuminates many aspects of the experience of Aboriginal people taken from their family community in the nineteen twenties and thirties.