James Unaipon

James Unaipon, born James Ngunaitponi, (c. 1835 – 1907) was an Australian Indigenous preacher of the Warrawaldie (also spelt Waruwaldi) Lakalinyeri of the Ngarrindjeri.

As James Reid he was sponsored by the Aborigines' Friends' Association for training as a missionary at the Point McLeay Mission on the banks of Lake Alexandrina in the Coorong region of South Australia in 1865.

After arriving at Point McLeay from his home in Wellington, Unaipon returned to using his birth name of Ngunaitponi however, the Europeans anglicised his name to Unaipon in correspondence.

The Rev George Taplin assumed that the position of Rupelle was hereditary and widely promoted Nymbulda as a queen, believing that a missionary related to royalty would be more influential in converting the Ngarrindjeri.

The Rupelle was in fact elected by the Indigenous Tendi (government) and conferred no additional status to his family.