Alfred Pearson (1953 - 2014)

Born 19 Apr 1953 in Bloomfield, Queensland, Australia

Ancestors

Died 25 Dec 2014 at age 61 in Hope Vale, Queensland, Australia

Biography

Alfred Pearson is an Indigenous Australian.

The birth and death information is taken from an Ancestry Family Tree of a close relation^[1]. His birth date is given as 19 April 1953 but without a location. Alfred's father was Glen Pearson and mother Ivy Pearson (nee Baird).

His mother Ivy Pearson was of the Guggu Yulanji people (Kuku-Yalanji on the AIATSIS Map) extending south and southwest of Cooktown. His maternal grandfather was Johnny Baird. His father's father was Charlie Pearson, or Ngulunhthul, from his father's father's father Arrimi of the Kuku Warra people.

As a child, Alfred was able to cross the crocodile infested Bloomfield River, with other children, to go to school safely, thanks to Norman Baird having written a letter requesting the purchase of a flat bottom dinghy to the authorities in June 1954 (Denigan, 2006, pp.66-67). This suggests Alfred was born at Bloomfield.

Alfred later became a stockman as indicated in his first appearance on the published Electoral Rolls (ERs) in 1977, with his father Glen, a butcher; mother Ivy doing home duties; grandfather Charlie, also a stockman, and brother Keith, a labourer; all gave their residence as Hopevale, which was in the political subdistrict of Cooktown, district of Leichardt, Queensland. All were again present on the last published ER for 1980 at Hopevale, but neither Alfred or Keith were on the earlier 1972 ER, presumably because they were too young.

Alfred passed away on 25 December 2014 at Hope Vale, Queensland, according to reference 1.

There is a great photo of Alfred Baird on page 66 of Kathleen's beautifully illustrated book.

Sources

1. ↑ https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/103242219

• Kathleen Denigan; narration Caden Pearson, 2006, 'Norman Baird: a spark within', Cairns, Qld. : Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation.
• Residence and Occupation: Ancestry.com. Australia, Electoral Rolls, 1903-1980 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. 1977, 1980.