Emma Donovan - Early Life, Education

Early Life, Education

Heritage

Emma Donovan was born in 1981 at Liverpool, Australia, a suburb of Sydney. Her father, Neville Councillor, is from Geraldton in Western Australia, and he's of Naaguja and Yamatji heritage. Her mother, Agnes Donovan, is a Gumbainggir/Danggali woman from the Nambucca Valley on the north coast of New South Wales, where Emma was raised.

Music

Donovan's musical singing career started at a young age. Her grandparents Micko and Aileen Donovan, years before her birth, founded the Aboriginal country band The Donovans, which consisted of their five sons and daughter Agnes singing at local events. Emma's uncles still perform as the Donovan Brothers band. At the age of seven Emma began periodically singing with the Donovans. Her family and mother Agnes encouraged and supported her singing, Agnes taking her to talent competitions around the country. Agnes also helped developed Aboriginal showcases at the Tamworth Country Music Festival in the late 1990s, which Emma took part in.

Education

Emma's family moved frequently, and she attended multiple schools in New South Wales and WA, with an extended time spent at North Newtown Primary. In 1997, at age sixteen, Donovan was studying contemporary music at the Eora College for Performing Arts in Chippendale, New South Wales. The school was founded to provide educations for Indigenous students. She began branching out from country music, exploring reggae and R&B as well.