A pioneering Aboriginal civil rights activist, Jane Duren (1867–1947) was a Yuin woman from Moruya, NSW. She spent her life fighting racial discrimination, leading critical campaigns to secure land rights and ensure Aboriginal children had access to education.
Jane was the daughter of Richard Piety and Catherine Sutton. In 1885 at age 18 she married John Duren who was born in Alsace Lorraine, France. The couple had 12 children the first two unfortunately dying within a short time of their birth.
Jane, well-educated herself, was a strong advocate for the right to education of Aboriginal children, her own children attending Newstead school, Moruya Heads where she was said to have played the concertina at school functions.
She was a member of the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association and was strong advocate for the admission of the Aboriginal children of Batemans Bay to the local school. The Aboriginal Protection Board was a nice name, she told officials of that office, but when this kind of thing occurred where did the protection come in?
Jane was not to be put off by those in authority around her achieving nothing, she decided to go straight to the top, so she sent a letter to the King alerting him to the situation where aboriginal children were being excluded from public schools.
Although it did reach Buckingham Palace it was returned to Australia for action and was passed down the chain of command until it landed at the very Authority she had been complaining about. It took two years but eventually with support from the local community the aboriginal children were allowed to attend Batemans Bay School.
All Jane’s children married and many local families today can trace one of their family lines back to Jane.
There are some personal memories recorded of Jane Duren who it was said loved to fish, was no mean musician on the concertina and a keen euchre card player attending many tournaments and winning trophies.
In her recollections recorded in Moruya’s Eastern Settlements, Nell Greig remembered the parties held at the Newstead school, where Mrs Duren and her daughter Catherine Brierley often sang. Both were regarded as talented singers and their performances were a highlight of these community gatherings.
Text extracted from 16 Women of Early Eurobodalla by Noel Warry, Revised Editoina 2024
More information:
- Moruya’s Eastern Settlements by Shirley Jurmann. MDHS 2025
- 16 Women of Early Eurobodalla by Noel Warry, Revised Edition 2024
- Historical Indigenous Figures by John Maynard – Political Warrior: Jane Duren. UTS
- Brierley’s Boat Ramp tribute remembers Jane Duren who wrote letter to King George V – ABC
- Neglected heroes of Australia’s civil-rights struggle. Huggonson, David. Education; Surry Hills Vol. 90, Iss. 8, (Aug 17, 2009): 17.
- A History of Aboriginal Illawarra, Volume 2: Colonisation by Mike Donaldson, Les Bursill and Mary Jacobs. 2017
MORUYA and District Historical Society Blog 
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