Kath Walker - Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Kath Walker – Oodgeroo Noonuccal

POET, artist and Indigenous peoples activist Oodgeroo Noonuccal, in earlier life known as Kath Walker, is North Stradbroke Island’s (known as Minjerribah by Traditional Owners, the Quandamooka people) most famous resident.

First recognised nationally and internationally for her evocative poetry, she was the first Aboriginal Australian to publish a book of verse. In later life, she became far better known for her Indigenous educational work and her advocacy for Indigenous culture, rights and reconciliation.

According to her biography in the National Museum Australia:

In the 1960s Kath Walker — poet, activist and public speaker — articulated the feelings of Aboriginal people for the rest of Australia in a way that they had not heard before. 

Her advocacy began in the Queensland Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders. Kathleen Ruska had grown up with her family on North Stradbroke Island and had worked as a domestic through the Depression.

Joining the Australian Women’s Army Service in 1941 was a positive experience for her; she was accepted without prejudice and learned new skills.

Kath