One woman who made the Stolen Wages Reparation Scheme possible in Queensland is Koa elder Lesley Williams.
Lesley Williams grew up on Cherbourg Mission under the Aboriginals Protection and Restriction of the Sale of Opium Act 1897 (Qld).
She was sent out away from her family as a young woman to work as a domestic servant and was only given pocket money, later learning that her wages were being withheld.
Lesley Williams was the first Aboriginal person to file a Writ against the Queensland government in the Supreme Court for her wages and savings.
All she wanted was her wages and savings and the interest she was entitled to.
This led to a Senate Inquiry and the QLD government to take the issue of Stolen Wages seriously.
The Beattie government set up a Reparation Process, triggering News South Wales and the Western Australian Government to start their process.
Lesley and her daughter Tammy Williams have written a book together called "Not Just Black and White A Conversation Between a Mother and Daughter."
