Noonuccal 1920 - 1993 (73)
Let no-one say the past is dead, the past is all about us and within.
QUOTES
Nononuccal was born on November 3, 1920, on Stradbroke Island, Australia, where she finished school and began working as a maid. In 1942, after her two brothers were captured by the Japanese during the fall of Singapore, she joined the Australian Women's Army and served as a beacon in Brisbane. There she gained experience and skills that laid the foundation for her subsequent development. She joined the Communist Party of Australia because it was the only party that opposed White Australian politics and began writing poetry and advocating for indigenous rights.
During the 1960s she was a member of several political committees and a pioneer in the struggle to reform the Australian constitution to allow Aboriginal people full citizenship and equal rights with whites. In the 1970s she returned to Stradbroke Island and changed her name to Oodgeroo Noonuccal, recognizing Noonuccal's ancestors. While remaining politically active, she focused on writing and education, building a cultural and educational center in Moongalba where thousands of indigenous and white people learned about indigenous culture. She passionately believed in the power of education to reform an unjust world and until her death she was involved in activities for the peaceful coexistence of indigenous peoples with white Australians.
At the same time she was very successful as a poet, her most famous works include "Municipal Gum", "We Are Leaving" and "The Song of Australia", with her most important books: The Dawn is at Hand: Poems (1966) and My People : A Kath Walker Collection (1970).
She was twice married and had two children, she died of cancer in 1996