Don Brady
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Donald Brady (20 April 1927 – 27 January 1984) was an Australian missionary, Methodist pastor and indigenous rights activist.
Brady was born on 20 April 1927 at the Palm Island Aboriginal Settlement in Queensland. He was the son of Grace (née Creed) and Jim Brady. His parents were Kuku Yalanji from Far North Queensland.[1]
Brady was raised on Palm Island. After leaving school he worked as a farm labourer and as a tent boxer.[1]
Church activities
Brady trained as a missionary with the Aborigines Inland Mission of Australia (AIM), graduating from the Men's Native Workers Training College in Karuah, New South Wales, in 1949. He subsequently worked at various AIM stations in country New South Wales, including at Brewarrina, Walcha and Moree.[1]
Brady moved back to Queensland in 1962 and undertook further training at the Methodist Training College in Brisbane. He became a lay pastor at the West End Methodist Mission in 1964, focusing on Aboriginal people living in Brisbane. He was involved with the Christian Community Centre at the Leichhardt Street Methodist Church in Spring Hill, which catered for over 3,000 people, and also established a sports club and gymnasium in Red Hill where he gave boxing lessons and "formed the Yelangi dance group, whose performances he accompanied on the didgeridoo".[1]
In 1972, the Brisbane Central Methodist Mission decided to end its association with Brady over his activism.[1]
