National Sorry Day Author Talk with Brenda Matthews

Brenda Matthews, a proud Wiradjuri woman living in Bundjalung country, Queensland, discusses her unmissable book “The Last Daughter”.

Brenda's remarkable story eloquently encapsulates heartbreak, love, forgiveness, hope and bringing the Country together. Brenda and her six siblings were taken from their parents when she was two. 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 she was suddenly returned to her Aboriginal family, the last daughter to come home.

Decades later, feeling a sense of something missing in her life, Brenda searches for her foster family and her beloved white sister, with whom she had had no contact. Along the way, she uncovers long-buried secrets, government bungling, and a deep connection to family and her Aboriginal culture.

"The Last Daughter" is the story of Brenda's journey to discover the truth about her past, to unite her two families—and to foster a broader connection between black and white Australia. It's a story full of heartbreak, love and hope, showing a way forward for all Australians. Brenda shares this story 'out of love and forgiveness.'

Copies of "The Last Daughter" will be available to purchase on the day.

Register for the author talk. Tickets cost $5 per person and include coffee and tea. 

If you have any access requirements or require a hearing loop, please contact the Library via email libmarketing@penrith.city or phone them on 02 4732 7891, so that they can make your experience comfortable.