The Last Daughter

‘I share this story out of love and forgiveness.’ Brenda Matthews

When she was two years old, Brenda and her siblings were taken from their parents.

For the next five years she was a much-loved daughter in a white family, a happy child in a country town on the outskirts of Sydney, unaware of the existence of her Aboriginal family or how hard her parents were fighting for her return—unaware of her Aboriginal identity.

Then, suddenly, she was reunited with her birth family, the last daughter to come home.

Decades later, Brenda searches for her foster family and her beloved white sister. Along the way she uncovers long-buried secrets and government bungling, and finds a deep connection to her Aboriginal culture.

The Last Daughter is an account of Brenda’s journey to discover the truth about her past—and to unite her two families. It’s a story of heartbreak, love and hope, one that shows a way forward for all Australians.

Brenda Matthews is a proud Wiradjuri woman. She lives with her husband, Mark, in Bundjalung country, Queensland. Brenda is a mother, a grandmother, a sister, a daughter, an aunty, a storyteller, a speaker, Co-Founder and Indigenous Director of Learning Circle Australia and co-director of the feature film, The Last Daughter, a documentary of her life.

brendamatthews.com.au

thelastdaughter.com.au