The first Aboriginal Australian writer of significance, Unaipon was born in a mission and apprenticed as a servant when only 13. An inventor, ballistics expert, and political advocate, Unaipon was the first Aboriginal writer to publish in English. He was hired in the 1920s to collect Aboriginal legends for publication in book form and in newspaper columns.

Unaipon's fame helped to break stereotypes about Indigenous Australians across the country, allowing him to advocate (unsuccessfully) for a separate Aboriginal territory, although his sometimes conservative stance on such issues (including whether to replace Australia Day with a 'Day of Mourning') set him at odds with some Aboriginal leaders of his time.

In his old age, Unaipon received a Coronation medal from the British Empire. Posthumously he was recognised with his portrait on the Australian $50 note.