Conversations 20th Anniversary Collection: Stan Grant on what his father taught him
Aug 13, 2025
Stan Grant, a veteran Wiradjuri journalist, shares his remarkable life journey, reflecting on his challenging upbringing in poverty and systemic discrimination. He discusses the contrasting influences of his tough father and nurturing mother in shaping his identity. As a successful journalist, he recounts powerful stories from reporting in North Korea and covering global events. Grant emphasizes resilience, the importance of cultural identity, and the hope for unity against racism in Australia. His narrative beautifully intertwines personal and collective stories of struggle and triumph.
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Sawmill Shacks And Emus
- The family often moved into sawmill shacks, once evicting territorial emus who repeatedly returned at night.
- Stan remembers a caravan-like extended family, surviving by rabbiting and making do with very little.
Work As Self-Respect
- Stan's father kept the family moving to stay one step ahead of squalor and violent poverty.
- Work and relentless effort became his father's source of dignity and self-respect.
From Punished To Language Reviver
- Stan's father, once silenced by assimilation policy, helped revive the Wiradjuri language decades later.
- He co-created a dictionary, set up language centres and earned an Order of Australia and a doctorate.
