Queensland

author

Queensland

A groundbreaking Aboriginal poet and activist, this Queensland writer helped bring Indigenous voices into mainstream Australian literature. Her work is remembered for its clarity, courage, and deep connection to justice and Country.

1 Audiobook

Our First Half-Century: A Review of Queensland Progress Based Upon Official Information

Our First Half-Century: A Review of Queensland Progress Based Upon Official Information

by Queensland

About the author

Born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska on North Stradbroke Island in Queensland in 1920, she became widely known as Oodgeroo Noonuccal. She was a poet, author, and political activist, and is often recognized as the first Aboriginal Australian to publish a book of verse.

Her 1964 collection We Are Going brought national attention to Aboriginal writing and protest poetry. Alongside her literary work, she was active in campaigns for Aboriginal rights, and her writing often spoke directly about identity, dispossession, and equality.

Later in life, she took the name Oodgeroo Noonuccal and continued to write, teach, and advocate for Indigenous culture and community. She died in 1993, but her work remains a major part of Australian literature and history.