‘Fierce and defiant’: Heartbreak as beloved disability advocate, Ellen Fraser-Barbour, drowns in NT creek

Tributes are flowing for a beloved South Australian disability advocate who drowned at a popular swimming spot near Alice Springs on the weekend. Ellen Fraser-Barbour was swimming with friends at the Ellery Creek Big Hole west of Alice Springs about 12.50pm Sunday when she began to struggle in the water. Despite best efforts from bystanders and the paramedics, the 35-year-old could not be revived. Dr Fraser-Barbour, who lived in South Australia and celebrated her 35th birthday last week, was a disability and human rights advocate who championed the improvement of safety and respect for people living with disabilities. Tributes for the 35-year-old, who was deafblind and living with autism, flooded social media, with many describing her as “generous” and an adventure lover. Her sister Harriet said Dr Fraser-Barbour was a “fierce and defiant force who made a lasting impact on all that she encountered”. “We cannot describe the hole she will leave in our family and will missed greatly by her community,” she said per the ABC. “She was an amazing friend to many and wise beyond her years with so much left to give. “Ellen helped to shape so much of who I am today and I will not be the same without her.” Her close friend Sam Poir said the 35-year-old was a “deep, compassionate thinker and person” who loved to swim, hike and visit the beach. “There was no one that she wouldn’t have compassion for,” she said. “She deeply valued every single person.” Online, friends and colleagues shared their heartbreak. “Our community has lost a fearless advocate for those who need a voice,” Hurtle Vale member Nat Cook wrote. “She was also a trusted friend—always generous with honest, wise advice. I’ll miss her deeply.” Australian writer and activist Carly Finlay, who has known Dr Fraser-Barbour for more than a decade, said some of her happiest moments were spent with the 35-year-old. “She epitomised work-life balance – enjoying nature, hiking, time with friends, reading and art,” she wrote. “I am continually in awe of her literary, academic and creative talents.”