The Biography of Peta Doig
Of every great and eminent character, part breaks forth into public view, and part lies hid in domestic privacy. Those qualities which have been exerted in any known and lasting performances may, at any distance of time, be traced and estimated; but silent excellencies are soon forgotten; and those minute peculiarities which discriminate every man from all others, if the are not recorded by those whom personal knowledge enabled to observe them, are irrecoverably lost.
- [Johnson, "Life of Sir Thomas Browne," 1756]
But what if that person never, or rarely, broke forth into public view?
Peta Doig had a biographer - a rare occurrence for a person with a disability. Even rarer for a woman who was institutionalised at an early age and hidden from the world - someone who never worked, married, had children. Someone who was surrounded only by paid staff and people who tried their best to change things and make life better for her, against insurmountable obstacles.
Those obstacles are a daily reality for people with disability and people with psychiatric conditions who fall between the cracks. There are men and women all over Western Australia who are unable to access funding, unable to live in the community and who 'just don't fit' - and often, the system is the problem.
Shut in a psychiatric hospital for most of her life, Peta was not regarded as a 'great and eminent character'. Her story remained untold, hidden in hospital and public records and in the memories of staff, until now.
Peta Doig had a biographer. There's only one problem. Her biographer was the WA Coroner.
Read Peta's story here.
Peta Doig had a biographer - a rare occurrence for a person with a disability. Even rarer for a woman who was institutionalised at an early age and hidden from the world - someone who never worked, married, had children. Someone who was surrounded only by paid staff and people who tried their best to change things and make life better for her, against insurmountable obstacles.
Those obstacles are a daily reality for people with disability and people with psychiatric conditions who fall between the cracks. There are men and women all over Western Australia who are unable to access funding, unable to live in the community and who 'just don't fit' - and often, the system is the problem.
Shut in a psychiatric hospital for most of her life, Peta was not regarded as a 'great and eminent character'. Her story remained untold, hidden in hospital and public records and in the memories of staff, until now.
Peta Doig had a biographer. There's only one problem. Her biographer was the WA Coroner.
Read Peta's story here.
About the Finding Peta project
Peta's story is typical of the story of many people who live in institutional and residential settings today.
We cannot change what happened for Peta - but we can change what will happen for thousands of other young Australians.
We can do this by commemorating and celebrating the life of Peta Susan Doig, by rewriting her biography to honor her existence.
Peta was here. Her imprint on the world was small - so small that it should be easy to find. We want to find that imprint and write her account from Peta's perspective, using the thousands of pages of records that must exist for a person who lived in a hospital for over forty years.
It should be easy. But in the land of disability, our bodies, memories and lives are often tightly held by others, not ourselves. You can find out how easy it was by following the Finding Peta blog, here.
We cannot change what happened for Peta - but we can change what will happen for thousands of other young Australians.
We can do this by commemorating and celebrating the life of Peta Susan Doig, by rewriting her biography to honor her existence.
Peta was here. Her imprint on the world was small - so small that it should be easy to find. We want to find that imprint and write her account from Peta's perspective, using the thousands of pages of records that must exist for a person who lived in a hospital for over forty years.
It should be easy. But in the land of disability, our bodies, memories and lives are often tightly held by others, not ourselves. You can find out how easy it was by following the Finding Peta blog, here.