The Australian Women's Register

Summary

Annie (“Grannie”) Moysey, of Gunu descent, was born on the banks of the Warrego near Fords Bridge north of Bourke, New South Wales. She was reared by her grandmother, and learnt not only her grandmother’s language, Gunu, but also Margany and Wangkumara. She spent most of her adult life working hard on stations along the Darling, mainly at Old Toorale. She raised her own children and grandchildren as well as a number of others. Late in her life she settled in Wilcannia. She was trained in esoteric practices as a ‘clever woman’, and she once saved a man’s life and sight after he had been struck by lighting. She was the last person in the area who could ‘corroboree’ in the traditional style and she was asked to demonstrate this on important occasions. She lived to be about 100 years old. Her last days were spent sitting on the verandah of the Wilcannia hospital, smoking her pipe.