Jenny Graham

Born c.1860 on the Albert river near Logan, Jenny Drumley was the daughter of Warri and Daramlee and the sister of Billy Drumley and Emily Blow.

Born into a turbulent time, as the Native Police periodically encircled and attempted mass executions on Yugambeh clan groups from the Logan to the Tweed out to Boonah, no group had been spared a 'dispersal', and before her birth, over half her Nation would already be dead.

Living near the Haussman’s property, Warri and her children were well-known to local families. Jenny Drumley and her brother Billy were initiated on Stradbroke Island, their mother's country, and carried the scars of the Yugambeh Nation.

At a young age, she kindled a relationship with a Andy Graham, a young European man, and as a teenager, she had their first children in the 1870s, Frank at the Logan River, George at Redland Bay, and Eva on Russell Island.

Later in life, Andrew would gain employment at Southport on Kombumerri country and they moved to Brighton Parade, where a number of Yugambeh families had a pre-established camp, which was partly cleared in the following years to make way for the cable station.

In 1897, however, their relationship was declared illegal by the Aboriginal Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act, and shortly after, they lawfully married (gaining Jenny an exemption under s10c of the Act), and as an extra precaution, Jenny ceases to use her maiden name, the well-known Aboriginal name Drumley.

The eye of the protectorate was ever close, but Jenny was a respected member of society and is mentioned in the exemption reports for the children of brother, "Aunt is Mrs Graham at Southport" - these exemptions were approved.

In a time when Aboriginal people were often disenfranchised from voting, Jenny voted in local elections and even chauffeured to the polling place by the Mayor's assistant.

Jenny and Andrew went on to have a large family and from them came a number of family lines still here to this today, including the Levinge, Dillon, Yuke, Ball, and of course, Graham families.

So, today, we pay our respects to Ngajanggali Jenny Graham - A true legend of our Nation