Ash Barty book: Retired tennis great on discovering her Indigenous heritage

Ash Barty has opened up on how she discovered her Indigenous background, why it means so much and how she deals with racist criticism from “muppet” keyboard warriors.

Ash Barty’s Indigenous heritage means so much to her – but she may never have discovered it had it not been for her father’s dogged determination to uncover his own roots, in the face of oppositon and denial.

In her new autobiography My Dream Time, Barty reveals she found out this part of her family story when she was seven years old.

It came after her father Rob made an emotional private journey to learn more about his own background.

Rob initially thought the touch of olive in his skin came from long days spent outdoors when he grew up in Bowen, Queensland.

When he was 13 a cousin whispered that he had Indigenous heritage but Rob’s parents denied it, saying instead they had links to Maoris from New Zealand, and once sent him to his room when he pressed the point.

“It was not a conversation his parents could have with him,” Barty writes.

“To his parents, Aboriginal ancestry was something to be ashamed of and not something he should be curious about.”

Ash Barty has shed light on her Indigenous background.

But Rob pieced together the story of how his great-grandmother Nancy was Indigenous and that her marriage to a white man saw them shunned in their home town.

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Having mapped it out, Rob told his three daughters and the Bartys stood before Indigenous elders to have their names recorded as part of the Ngarigu Nation.

Ash has embraced her heritage to the point where, in the memoir, she says that her recent visit to Central Australia was “the most important journey I have ever made’’.

She wrote of visiting Lord’s Cricket Ground, Notre Dame Cathedral and the Eiffel Tower – but nothing moved her like Central Australia visit.

“It was something I always wanted to do and was the most exceptional place I have ever been,’’ Barty explained to News Corp.

“I have seen plenty of monuments, but going to Central Australia and connecting with who I am and where I came from was really powerful. I didn’t know I would feel that was until I got there.

Barty is an Indigenous ambassador. Picture: Instagram

“If anything it has just reassured to me that the path I want to go down in the future is to try and help First Nations youth around the country.’’

In My Dream Time, Barty reveals her journey of discovery was not without the occasional unpleasant moment.

“I’ve seen glimpses and tasted the faintest bitter edge of racism,’’ Barty wrote. “I’d win a Deadly Award but get vilified on line. I’d become a Tennis Australia First Nations Ambassador and then find some muppet calling my heritage into question.’’

Barty told News Corp she decided not to engage with the keyboard warriors but the incidents had confirmed her support for better education surrounding Australia’s Indigenous heritage.

“There was no need for us to talk about that in the moment but it was certainly something that confused me a little bit as to why someone would criticise something that is so personal to me.

“Looking back now it’s all about the education and giving people the tools to understand others and appreciate what came before us.’’

My Dream Time: A Memoir Of Tennis & Teamwork by Ash Barty will be published by HarperCollins on November 2 and is available to pre-order now.

Ash Barty’s new book.