Oodgeroo Noonuccal facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker)
Oodgeroo Noonuccal at Brisbane's King George Square, March 1975
Born	Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska (1920-11-03)3 November 1920 Minjerribah, Queensland, Australia
Died	16 September 1993(1993-09-16) (aged 72) Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Nationality	Australian
Other names	Kath Walker, Kathleen Ruska
Education	Bookkeeping, typing, shorthand
Occupation	Army officer, writer, teacher, poet
Employer	Australian Women's Army Service, Noonuccal-Nughie Education Cultural Centre
Known for	Poetry, acting, writing, Aboriginal rights activism
Political party	Communist Party of Australia Australian Labor Party Australian Democrats
Board member of	Federal Council for the Advancement of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI)
Spouse(s)	Bruce Walker
Children	Denis Walker Vivian Walker
Parent(s)	Ted and Lucy Ruska
Notes
* Mary Gilmore Medal (1970) * Jessie Litchfield Award (1975) * International Acting Award * Fellowship of Australian Writers' Award * Member of the Order of the British Empire * Honorary Doctorate (Queensland University of Technology) * Honorary Doctorate (Macquarie University) * Doctorate (Griffith University)

Oodgeroo Noonuccal (born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska, later Kath Walker) was an amazing Aboriginal Australian woman. She was born on 3 November 1920 and passed away on 16 September 1993. Oodgeroo was a strong voice for Aboriginal rights. She was also a talented artist, a dedicated educator, and a famous poet. She made history as the first Aboriginal Australian to publish a book of poems.

Life as a Poet, Artist, Writer, and Activist

Oodgeroo Noonuccal joined the Australian Women's Army Service in 1942. She became a signaller in Brisbane. During this time, she met many different people. These meetings helped her become a strong supporter of Aboriginal rights later on. In the 1940s, she joined the Communist Party of Australia. She did this because it was the only party that spoke out against the "White Australia policy." This policy made it hard for non-European people to live in Australia.

Fighting for Aboriginal Rights

In the 1960s, Oodgeroo became a very important political activist and writer. She was the Queensland secretary for the Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (FCAATSI). This group worked to improve life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

She played a big part in the campaign for the 1967 referendum. This vote changed the Australian constitution to give Aboriginal people full citizenship rights. She spoke to Prime Ministers Robert Menzies and Harold Holt. In 1963, she even taught Prime Minister Menzies a lesson. He offered her a drink, but she told him that in Queensland, he could be jailed for giving alcohol to an Aboriginal person. This showed him how unfair the laws were.

A Voice Through Poetry

Oodgeroo wrote many books. Her first book, We Are Going (1964), was very special. It was the first book ever published by an Aboriginal woman. This poetry book was incredibly popular and sold out many times. This made Oodgeroo one of Australia's best-selling poets.

Some people wondered if an Aboriginal person could really have written such a book. Others didn't like that her poems were about activism. They called her poetry "propaganda." But Oodgeroo was proud of this. She said her style was "sloganistic, civil-writerish, plain and simple." She wanted her writing to make people proud of their Aboriginal heritage. She also wanted to spread ideas of equality and Aboriginal rights to everyone.

She also helped publish the magazine Identity in the 1970s. She was the first president of the group that published it.

Teaching and Education

In 1972, Oodgeroo bought land on North Stradbroke Island (also called Minjerribah). She named it Moongalba, which means "sitting-down place." Here, she started the Noonuccal-Nughie Education and Cultural Centre.

A documentary about her, called Shadow Sister, was released in 1977. It showed her life at Moongalba. In an interview, she said that over 26,500 children had visited the island. She taught them about Aboriginal culture and the balance of nature. She believed in education for everyone, no matter their background. She also worked with universities to create better teaching programs for Australian schools.

Important Moments

On 13 June 1970, Oodgeroo received an award called Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This was for her great work in the community.

In 1974, Oodgeroo was on a British Airways flight that was taken over by terrorists. They were fighting for Palestinian freedom. During her three days as a captive, she used a blunt pencil and a sickbag to write two poems.

In 1983, Oodgeroo ran for election in Queensland. She was part of the Australian Democrats political party. Her campaign focused on protecting the environment and supporting Aboriginal rights.

In 1986, she acted in the film The Fringe Dwellers.

In December 1987, she made a big statement. She announced she would return her MBE award. She did this to protest the Australian Bicentenary celebrations. She called the 200 years since European settlement "200 years of sheer unadulterated humiliation" for Aboriginal people. At the same time, she changed her name from Kath Walker to Oodgeroo Noonuccal. Oodgeroo means "paperbark tree" and Noonuccal is the name of her people.

Personal Life and Family

Oodgeroo Noonuccal was born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska on 3 November 1920. Her birthplace was North Stradbroke Island. She went to Dunwich State School and then worked as a domestic helper.

On 8 May 1943, she married her childhood friend, Bruce Walker. They had one son, Denis. They later separated.

Oodgeroo had another son, Vivian Charles Walker, born in 1953. Vivian became an artist and worked in performing and visual arts. In 1988, he took the Indigenous name Kabul Oodgeroo Noonuccal. Kabul means "carpet snake". He also worked with his mother on a book called The Rainbow Serpent for Expo 88. Vivian passed away in 1991.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal passed away from cancer on 16 September 1993. She was 72 years old. She was buried at Moongalba on North Stradbroke Island, the special place she created.

Recognition and Legacy

Oodgeroo won many awards for her writing. These included the Mary Gilmore Medal (1970) and the Jessie Litchfield Award (1975).

She received honorary doctorates from several universities. These degrees recognized her important contributions to Australian literature and education. In 1979, she also won an International Acting Award for the film Shadow Sister.

In 1985, Indigenous people honored her by naming her Aboriginal of the Year.

In 1991, a special plaque with her name was placed on Sydney Writers Walk. This is a place that honors famous Australian writers.

In 2006, the Queensland University of Technology (QUT) renamed their Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Support Unit the Oodgeroo Unit. They also have the Oodgeroo Scholarship Program. This helps Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students go to university.

In 2009, she was named one of the Q150 Icons of Queensland. This was for her role as an "Influential Artist."

The electoral district of Oodgeroo in Queensland was named after her in 2017.

Her Work

Oodgeroo Noonuccal's work includes:

Poetry

• Municipal Gum (1960)
• "A Song of Hope" (1960)
• We are Going: Poems (1964)
• The Dawn is at Hand: Poems (1966)
• My People: A Kath Walker collection (1970)
• Kath Walker in China (1988)
• Oodgeroo (1994)

For Children

• Stradbroke Dreamtime (1972)
• Father Sky and Mother Earth (1981)
• Little Fella (1986)
• The Rainbow Serpent (1988)

Non-Fiction

• Towards a Global Village in the Southern Hemisphere (1989)
• The Spirit of Australia (1989)
• Australia's Unwritten History: More legends of our land (1992)

See also

In Spanish: Oodgeroo Noonuccal para niños