Ruth Hegarty (born 1929, in Mitchell, Queensland) is an Aboriginal Elder and author.
Hegarty is well known for her non-fiction novels that document her personal history as one of the Stolen Generations. Her first book, Is That You, Ruthie?, is based on her experiences in the Cherbourg Aboriginal Mission where she lived until the age of 14.[1] Her second novel, Bittersweet Journey is the story of her early married life, her dealings with the Native Affairs Department, and her work in community politics and Indigenous organisations.[2]
Is That You, Ruthie? won the David Unaipon Award for Unpublished Indigenous Writer at the 1998 Queensland Premier's Literary Awards.
In 2010, Hegarty was a recipient of a prize at the Queensland Greats Awards.[3]