In the year Eliza Hamilton Dunlop (1796-1880) was born in Ireland, her mother died and her father took his 2 sons and left for India. Eliza was therefore raised by her paternal grandmother.
She migrated to Australia with her 2nd husband, David Dunlop, in 1838 and became an activist on behalf of Aboriginal people. Although she published poetry in colonial newspapers, including The Aboriginal Mother which made her famous, her work was neglected after her death. This collection of essays considers her work from a range of perspectives and includes some of her poetry.