James Wilson-Miller is a member of the Gringai clan of the Wonnarua Nation in the Hunter Valley of NSW. James was born in Sydney in 1949 and was raised in Singleton.
James is the author of the acclaimed publication Koori: A Will to Win – The Heroic Resistance. Survival and & Triumph of Black Australia, which was published by Angus and Robertson in 1985. The book won numerous awards including the:
- National best seller, 1985
- Winner of the Fellowship of Australian Writers’ Patricia Weickhardt Award, 1985
- Finalist in the Victorian Premier’s Literary Award for Australian Studies, 1985
James completed studies in Koori Education at the Armidale College of Advanced Education prior to working as a Curator of Koori History and Culture at the Powerhouse Museum in Sydney.
James is featured in the Australian Museum Sydney Elders Exhibition where it is noted he was awarded the Centenary of Federation Medal for Services to the community for work with the Australian Council, ATSIC and Aboriginal hostels. See: https://australian.museum/learn/first-nations/sydney-elders/james-wilson-miller/
James appeared on the ABC Overnights with Mark Sutton program in October 2020, in the featured interview On Country: Wonnarua - Hunter Valley NSW.
James has written and published numerous articles on Wonnarua history and experiences. Including:
Wilson-Miller, J. (2020). A history of special treatment: the impact of government policies. In Teaching aboriginal studies (pp. 90-109). Routledge.
Wilson-Miller, J. (2005). Conflict in the valley : the triumph of the Wonnarua. Australian Association For Research In Education 2005 Conference Papers. Retrieved from http://www.aare.edu.au/05pap/wil05317.pdf
