Isabel Ann Flick OAM (1928 – 16 February 2000) was an Australian Aboriginal rights activist, social worker and teacher.
She was recognised as a leader not only of the Aboriginal community of Australia, but as a spokesperson for environmental issues in her hometown of Collarenebri, in northwestern New South Wales.
As he was too young to enlist, he lied about his age, and as Aboriginal people did not have birth certificates, he was accepted into the army.
[8] In 1938, Flick along with her cousins, Florrie and Bob, were moved away from their parents to live with their grandmother at the Toomelah Aboriginal Mission in inland New South Wales.
Permission was needed for everything, and arrangements were always made, such as attending Sunday school and church services.
Flick began to realise how Aboriginal people had very limited rights and it was here she witnessed her first activist meeting.
She returned home from the Toomelah Mission to Collarenebri to her mother and her father in 1942 wanting to make positive changes to her community.
[citation needed] As a teenager, Flick began to become fed up with the rudeness that always occurred towards Aboriginal people in social situations.
[10] It was still a very difficult time for Flick during these years, as the police were always aware of Aboriginal people and monitored there whereabouts and activities.
[citation needed] Due to her experience with racism in rural Australia and the various camps she attended, she spent her life wanting more for Aboriginal people.
The 1960s were a difficult time for her and the Aboriginal community due to a lack of employment opportunities causing economic distress, but it was during this decade that she felt growing confidence to speak out about the issues she was experiencing and the racism of her town.
Henry Denyer was the man who encouraged Isabel to speak to these politicians and become an active member in the Collarenebri Muni community.
Flick hoped moving to the city would benefit her other children: Tony, Brenda, Amy and Aub.
When they first moved they struggled to find accommodation camping with family and friends in Bridge Road, Glebe.
[citation needed] During 1977, Flick's health deteriorated as she struggled to make a substantial income for her family, who still lived in their Annandale home.
[citation needed] She returned to her hometown of Collarenebri in 1978, where her fellow Aboriginal community recognised her political experience and courage, and even non-Aboriginal people of her town acknowledged her, as well.
From her time in Sydney, she had a vast amount of resources and connections, which allowed her to implement special initiatives in her town.
Flick lobbied for fairness and equality in this region and also for a fairer system with housing, health and education.
[citation needed] Throughout the 1980s, she fought a difficult battle, along with her sister Rose Flick, to protect the carved trees at the Bora Ground site in Collymongle, northern New South Wales, which was a sacred part of their Aboriginal community.
At this time she also moved away from Collarenebri to Gunnedah with Thorne, still being involved with her activist work especially with the land council.
[2][A] Her family received condolences from the premier of New South Wales and the deputy prime minister of Australia.