Aboriginal poetry is an important part of Australia’s body of literature and art. It’s a way for First Nations people to express their histories and lived experiences, with poetry as an extension of the oral traditions of the past. Across all nations and time periods, poetry has been a powerful tool for writers, serving as a catharsis, a means of justice, awareness, exploration, and record-keeping. Discover some of the top Aboriginal poems and poets you should know; use this information as a starting point to dive even deeper into the world of First Nations artists!
Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)
Kath Walker, who later went by Oodgeroo Noonuccal, left school when she was 16 to work as a housemaid. In this time period, segregation was rampant in Australia. Noonuccal saw her people denied basic rights, such as voting and fair wages.
She served in the Australian Women’s Army Service in World War II and witnessed even more injustice on a broad scale. These formative and transformative experiences shaped her transition into writing poetry in the 1960s.
We Are Going was Noonuccal’s first published book of poetry, and made history as one of the earliest collections published by an Aboriginal poet that made it to the mainstream. The title poem addresses the loss of sacred sites and traditions due to colonialism, mourning:
We are nature and the past, all the old ways / Gone now and scattered. / …The bora ring is gone. / The corroboree is gone. / And we are going.
"We Are Going" by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
Another of her famous poems, “Son of Mine,” provides a deeply moving sentiment that is still important today. In the poem, she lovingly encourages her son, who is suffering from racism and prejudice against Black people at the time, to focus on a harmonious future.
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Oodgeroo Noonuccal frequently explored the motifs of the loss of land, but also the resilience of Country to endure. Her works called for Black pride, and her use of direct language helped convey complex ideas and pain in accessible, unmistakable ways. She advocated in her personal philosophy for First Nations people to embrace their heritage, which is why she rejected her European name and reclaimed her ancestral name later in life.
Through the years, her perspectives evolved to include more spiritual themes. In her 1970 poetry collection, My People, she calls for understanding and working towards amicable outcomes, rather than despair or anger. She also celebrates survival, exalting Indigenous resilience and the strides being made at the time.
Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s position as a recognised and influential artist in her time allowed her to participate in some pivotal events. She co-founded the Queensland Aboriginal and Islander Advancement League, which pushed for citizenship rights. Her poetry even influenced the 1967 referendum, which included Aboriginal people in the national census.
Today, her works are often read in schools as examples of the toll of colonisation and hopes for a united future.
Samuel Wagan Watson
Born in Brisbane’s suburbs to a Waanyi father and German mother, Samuel Wagan Watson’s experiences tugged him between two worlds: his ancestral connections to the land, and the modern demands of city life. He worked as a labourer and musician, shaping his view and artistic skills.
His poetry typically mixes jazz beats and street talk for a unique style. The free verse style of his poems paints a more urban experience, a different type of connection to the land than the other types of poems on this list. He even blended his mixed heritage into one work, collaborating with musicians to create a German Gothic horror and Aboriginal-infused musical piece.
All the signs read, SMILE . . . YOU’RE ON CAMERA, Welcome to No Man’s Land, you’re standing on Terra Firma, that some explorer once coined Terra Australis, and another explorer then retouched with Terra Nullius, that stole this land’s dreams…
"Terror (Welcome to No Man’s Land)" by Samuel Wagan Watson
Wagan Watson’s poetry has a universal reach; he was even commissioned to write haiku for Japanese astronauts on the International Space Station! Wagan Watson centres his experience as a First Nations person, but also his other experiences in life, to create punchy verses that convey mixed emotions with strength and intensity.
Jack Davis
Jack Davis grew up in poverty as one of 11 children whose father died young. His formal schooling ended at age 14, when he began working as a labourer shearing sheep and chopping wood. The experience gave him a deeper understanding of and respect for the land. Sadly, oppressive government policies forced his family to move to settlements, disrupting his life through systemic control.
Davis didn’t start writing until he was in his 40s, so his poems are filled with wisdom and experience. He debuted his poems with The First-born and Other Poems; the title poem is a moving and emotional lament about the ongoing destruction and loss of history of the Aboriginal people.
Where are my first-born said the brown land, sighing; / … Where are the laws and the legends I gave? / Tell me what happened, you whom I bore after. / The answer is there when I look at the dying, / At the death and neglect of my dark proud race.
"The First-born" by Jack Davis
His other early work, “Aboriginal Australia”, holds colonisers accountable, listing massacres and broken treaties, demanding recognition and change. Many of Davis’s poems express a level of grief and anger, but also hope, as well as motifs of the land as a living being, kin, rather than property.
Davis incorporated a lot of his people’s history into his process and poems, reflecting Noongar oral traditions and elders’ input.
Later in life, Davis transitioned to writing stage plays. He even founded the West Australian Aboriginal Theatre Company and won awards, such as the Order of Australia. A later work, Jagardoo, combines poetry and stories and explores the harsh realities of urban Indigenous life. He also began mentoring young Indigenous writers and artists, sharing his experiences and providing guidance for a new generation.
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Kirli Saunders
Kirli Saunders is a multidisciplinary artist, creating literary works, as well as films, paintings, prints, sculptures, and more.
Her breakthrough literary work was Bindi, a children’s book that combines poetry and art. Set in Gundungurra Country (where Kirli Saunders grew up), the verse novel follows 11-year-old Bindi’s experiences in school, especially relating to connection with the land through encounters with climate, bushfires, and healing.
go rogue / … go back to the land / back to the land / to the land / and let her heal you / when an ending arrives
"Go Rogue" by Kirli Saunders
The book won multiple awards for its depiction of Indigenous and Aboriginal themes, paired with exploration of complicated emotions, as well as hope, love, and pride from a First Nations perspective. Her book has connected with children in schools all over the country, encouraging them to write their stories.
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She stands as one of the most impactful First Nations voices in poetry in the modern era, creating contemporary works for new generations and reflecting evolving perspectives.
Evelyn Araluen
Evelyn Araluen noticed there was a lack of representation of First Nations and Indigenous voices in her University curriculum, which inspired her to try to fill the gaps. Her work as an activist against development on sacred sites helped her gain confidence and resolve in her voice both on and off the page.
The culmination of her concentration resulted in a highly-praised debut book, Dropbear, which won the Stella Prize. The dark humour and intelligent writing create a contemporary outlook on the state of Indigenous affairs today. She unflinchingly speaks directly to the colonisers of the past, of pastoral times, as well as the present, mentioning how Aboriginal culture and people are buried and under-recognised in modernity.
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here’s the entanglement: none of this is innocent and / while I seek to write rupture I usually just rearrange. I can / name the colonial complexes and impulses which structure / these texts but it doesn’t change the fact that I was raised / on these books too.
"To The Parents" by Evelyn Araluen
Like many other poets, Araluen’s works emphasise a special connection with the land, embracing cultural heritage, and calling for more to be done to evolve modern society to right past wrongs and create a better future.
References
- A Conversation with Evelyn Araluen. (n.d.). In UTS Vertigo. https://utsvertigo.com.au/discover/a-conversation-with-evelyn-araluen
- Biography - Jack Davis - Indigenous Australia. (n.d.). In ia.anu.edu.au. https://ia.anu.edu.au/biography/davis-jack-17788
- Biography - Oodgeroo Noonuccal - Indigenous Australia. (n.d.). In ia.anu.edu.au. https://ia.anu.edu.au/biography/noonuccal-oodgeroo-18057
- First Nations Poetry. (n.d.). In Reconciliation NSW. https://reconciliationnsw.org.au/first-nations-poetry
- Kirli Saunders, Proud Gunai Woman and Award-Winning Writer, Artist & Consultant. (n.d.). In Kirli Saunders, Proud Gunai Woman and Award-Winning Writer, Artist & Consultant. https://kirlisaunders.com
- Rupturing Colonial Kitsch, Untangling Myth. (2021). In Meanjin. https://meanjin.com.au/books/rupturing-colonial-kitsch-untangling-myth
- Samuel Wagan Watson. (n.d.). In www.poetryinternational.com. https://www.poetryinternational.com/en/poets-poems/poets/poet/102-19572_Wagan-Watson
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