In 1970, Noonuccal was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for services to the community. At the time, she accepted the honour in the belief that it would raise awareness of issues affecting Aboriginal people. In 1987 she returned the award in protest against the planned 1988 bicentenary celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of British colonisation of Australia. [1]
Oodgeroo Noonuccal (formerly Kath Walker), Aboriginal poet, educator, and activist, died of cancer on 16 September 1993 in Brisbane, aged 72. She was buried on her birthplace, North Stradbroke Island, Queensland. As the first Aboriginal woman to publish a book of poetry, she made a lasting mark on Australian literature and civil rights.
Born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska in 1920, she was raised among the Noonuccal people of Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island). In 1942, she married Bruce Raymond Walker, but later raised their son Denis as a single mother, facing significant hardship.
Walker began writing poetry in the 1950s. Her first book, We Are Going (1964), sold over 10,000 copies and was followed by The Dawn Is at Hand (1966) and My People (1970). Her verse centred on Aboriginal identity, injustice, and resilience, earning her the label of “protest poet.” She also joined the Brisbane Realist Writers Group, where her work was recognised by literary figures such as Dame Mary Gilmore, who told her, “These belong to the world.”
Her growing reputation in the 1960s coincided with deepening involvement in Aboriginal rights. She campaigned tirelessly for social justice and reconciliation, using her writing and public platform to advocate for change. In 1970, she was appointed a Member of the British Empire for her contribution to the Aboriginal community. In protest against the 1988 Australian bicentenary celebrations of colonisation, she returned the honour and adopted her traditional name, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, to identify more closely with her Aboriginality.
In 1971, suffering from ill health, she returned to Minjerribah and built a gunyah—traditional shelter—on leased land she called Moongalba (“the sitting-down place”). There, she created an educational centre to share Aboriginal culture with visitors.
Oodgeroo continued to publish, including two children’s books, Stradbroke Dreamtime (1972) and Father Sky and Mother Earth (1981). She remained a steadfast voice for Aboriginal rights and the environment until her death.
Selected links for relevant websites, books, movies, videos, and more. Some of these links lead to protected content on this website, learn more about that here.
Susannah Fullerton: Oodgeroo Noonuccal & Yussef (hi-jacker)
NFSA: We Are Going read by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
My Poetic Side: Oodgeroo Noonuccal poems
Faith Bandler and Oodgeroo Noonuccal on an episode of THIS IS YOUR LIFE
Stradbroke Dreamtime by Oodgeroo Noonuccal
Father Sky and Mother Earth by Oodgeroo Noonuccal