Career
Her family avoided forced relocation to a reserve by following seasonal rural work. Coffey co-founded the Western Aboriginal Legal Service and the Aboriginal Heritage and Cultural Museum in Brewarrina, serving on several government bodies and Aboriginal community organisations including the Aboriginal Lands Trust and the Aboriginal Advisory Council. She was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) on 10 June 1985, for service to the Aboriginal community.
Coffey was also an active filmmaker.
In 1978 she made My Survival as an Aboriginal, which she gave to Queen Elizabeth II as a gift at the opening of Australia"s new Parliament House in 1988. The sequel, My Life As I Live lieutenant, was released in 1993.
Coffey also appeared in the film "Backroads".
