1941- Essie Coffee was born near Goodoonga in Northern NSW.
1950- She got married to Albert Doc Coffee, raising eight children and adopting ten more.
1960- Mrs Coffee established the aboriginal Movement in Brewarrina.
1960s and 1970s she worked in the health and legal service.
1968- she presented Queen Elizabeth with a copy of her film, My Survival as an Aboriginal,
at the opening of the new Parliament House in Canberra.
1978- The film,which made in 1978 and won notional and international recognition,
documents the effects of dispossession ,the chronic depression alcoholism ,deaths in
custody and poverty that was so much a part of life for Aboriginal people.
1993- a sequel followed , M y life as I live it, which also received notional acclaim.
1985 was awarded Australia Medal.
