Worlds Within a World by Carol Foley

An inspiring collection of life stories from five First Nations women, exploring connection to culture and country.

How do you inhabit multiple worlds at the same time? Five First Nations women show what it is like to navigate challenges and deprivations while staying connected to Country and the world’s oldest living culture.

They recount memories of growing up – as members of the Stolen Generations, in an adopted family, or within loving families shadowed by adversity. With honesty and courage, these women show how education and cultural connection can transform lives. The reflections in these stories are an invitation to learn from the past. Their contribution to truth-telling will inspire and guide future generations.

Featuring contributions from-
Carol Foley (Yamatji Noongar), Deborah Green (Yamatji), Barb Hostalek (Yawaru Gija / Territorian, Czech and Greek), Lois May (Ballardong Noongar), and Valerie Swift (Minang Ngadju ).

Five First Nations women reveal what it means to be a descendant of the world’s oldest living culture. In their stories, Aboriginal identity is discovered, explored and embraced.

About the Author: Carol Foley (Author)
Carol (Coral) Anne Blurton (Foley) was born in Carnarvon, Western Australia. At an early age, she became ill and was placed under the care of the State. She is a proud Yamatji Noongar woman living on Noongar Boodja in Perth. She has two adult children and an extensive family network. Her life’s journey has involved growing up in a non-Aboriginal family and later reconnecting with her Aboriginal family through Welfare and various life experiences. Writing her story has been an important part of her healing process. She would like to express her sincere gratitude to those who have supported me through this journey and helped document her story.

Deborah Green (Author)
Deborah Green is also known as Yungaji (her wajarri name). She is a yamatji nyarlu who comes from both the Wajarri and Badimia language groups. Deborah has spent most of her life between the two Western Australian towns of Morawa, where she was proudly born, and Geraldton where she has raised her three sons. Deborah has spent her
forty-nine years learning how to be a decent mother, woman and human being in the hope that she can pass it on to future generations. Her writing skills were a gift given to her from her ancestors, her old people, to help do her bit to fight for her people and anyone else affected by the ongoing injustices of colonialism. Deborah is a survivor of intergenerational trauma and every day she asks her ancestors to help her to find a way to stay alive because healing and living is a rebellion in itself.

Barb Hostalek (Author)
Barb Hostalek is Aboriginal Australian, born and raised-up on Larrakia Country, living and creating on moorditj Noongar Country of the south-west, Western Australia. Her apical ancestry is connected to East Kimberly’s areas on her mum’s side with Irish and Scottish bloods and on her dad’s, Czech/Greek and Castellorizian. Barb is a drama queen and writes plays. Her mainstage premieres have been produced by Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company and include Cracked (2015), Banned (2016), Thirst (2019), Perpetuity (2020) and Beyond (2021). Her other short contemporary plays developed as a member of Yirra Yaakin Theatre Company’s Writers Group are Go Fish (2017), Turtle Pool (2018), Prickly (2021), Business (2024) and Funny Business (2025) and are yet to be staged

Lois May (Author)
Lois May is the fourth eldest of eight children. Her mother’s families are Yarran, Bolten, Bennell and Garlett; her father’s are Humphrey, Winmar and Turvey. Lois is a mother of four children and grandmother of nine, with four great-grandchildren. Her early childhood was mainly spent between Kellerberrin and Tamin in the Eastern Wheatbelt (Ballardong Country in a place called Bungulla). After school she trained as a ladies hairdresser before going on to manage her own salon. Lois has worked as an Aboriginal Islander Education Officer, and an Aboriginal Liaison Officer and Coordinator supporting schools, Aboriginal workers, students and families. She has worked in many non-government organisations, sharing and integrating cultural safety strategies to encourage self-determination for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island People in the workplace and raise awareness for all Australians. She continues to work as an Aboriginal Elder Education Consultant across many areas especially in education settings, and belongs to the Elders group that has been successful in lobbying the Town of Cambridge for return of the Nyoongar name to Galup – previously known as Lake Monger.

Valerie Swift (Author)
Valerie Swift is a proud Minang-Ngadju woman who was born in 1953 at the Gnowangerup Mission on Goreng Boodja and grew up with a family of seventeen siblings in the bush at Jerramungup. Adjunct Professor Swift is currently a Co-Director of the Djaalinj Waakinj Centre for Ear and Hearing Health Centre and is the Aboriginal Cultural Advisor for The Kids Research Institute Australia’s Wesfarmers Centre of Vaccines and Infectious Diseases in Perth, Western Australia. She is a qualified Aboriginal health worker, adjunct professor at Curtin University, Aboriginal researcher with over twenty years’ experience, and committee member of Moorditj Koort Aboriginal Corporation, Babbingur Mia Aboriginal Family Support Program, and Yarramoup Aboriginal Corporation. She has had a distinguished career in health services management, driving new initiatives and striving for change to improve effectiveness of Aboriginal health programs.

30 Jun 2026
 

Worlds Within a World: First Nations women share their stories by Carol Foley ISBN 9781760995010