Dr June Factor passed away on 12 April 2024. Folklorist, historian and author, June was a strong advocate for the power of play, the rights of children and the importance of collecting and studying children’s folklore. A committed social and human rights activist, she was a past president of both the Victorian Council of Civil Liberties and the Friends of the ABC. With Gwenda Beed Davey, June established the internationally recognised Australian Children’s Folklore Collection in 1979, now part of the Museums Victoria.
Of her many publications, Captain Cook Chased a Chook: Children's Folklore in Australia(1988), received the prestigious American Opie Award in 1989 and her Soldiers and Aliens: Men in the Australian Army’s Employment Companies during World War II, won the inaugural Anzac Memorial Trustees Military History Prize at the NSW Premier’s History Awards in 2023.
Shortly before her death June was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for her 'significant services to literature, to history and to the community'. More information at https://www.australianjewishnews.com/prolific-author-pleasantly-surprised-by-recognition/
‘A small woman who has left behind a huge footprint’, as Gwenda and Judy put it in their Sydney Morning Herald obituary, she will be sadly missed by those who knew her and her great work.
Some of the many tributes testify to June’s contributions to various fields. Others have appeared on social media:
Sydney Morning Herald (by Gwenda Beed Davey and Judy McKinty)
https://www.smh.com.au/national/respected-global-folklorist-scholar-and-activist-20240524-p5jgc5.html
Australian Society of Authors https://www.booksandpublishing.com.au/articles/2024/04/24/250502/vale-june-factor/
Museums Victoria
https://collections.museumsvictoria.com.au/articles/17333
Australian Historical Association (by Emma Gallagher)
https://theaha.org.au/vale-dr-june-factor/
