Throughout the 20th century, Aboriginal writers and activists have played a significant role in shaping Australia by advocating for change for themselves, their communities, and all Australians. Their efforts have spanned various issues such as civil rights, land rights, challenging stereotypes in media, and fighting for citizenship. In 1924, Fred Maynard established the Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association (AAPA), marking the formal start of Aboriginal activism through conferences, street rallies, and raising awareness among non-Indigenous Australians about the challenges faced by Aboriginal people. These actions by Aboriginal writers and activists have had a lasting impact on Australian history.
1. Faith Bandler: Making Gentle Changes to the Australian Constitution
Faith Bandler, captured in a photograph by Joyce Evans in 1951, was known for her gentle activism. Born in New South Wales during a time when Aboriginal people were under strict government control through the Aboriginal Welfare Board, she had a unique background. Her father, Peter Mussing, who hailed from Ambrym Island and was brought to Australia as part of the South Sea Islanders forced labor, married her mother Ida, of Scottish-Indian descent. Faith’s husband, Hans Bandler, shared harrowing stories of his time in Nazi concentration camps during World War II.
Faith’s experiences working on fruit farms during the war alongside her sister Kath shed light on the unequal pay Aboriginal women received compared to their colleagues. This injustice fueled her involvement in the 1967 Indigenous federal referendum, where she played a significant role as the New South Wales campaign director. The referendum aimed to include Aboriginal Australians in the census and grant them rights under Commonwealth laws.
The success of the Referendum campaign was a collective effort by Aboriginal activists nationwide, aiming to garner support from the wider Australian community. The outcome on May 27, 1967, with 90.77% voting in favor of constitutional change, marked a pivotal moment in Faith Bandler’s life and in Australian history. Reflecting on her efforts during that time, Faith mentioned engaging in activities she never imagined, such as speaking at church congregations, all in pursuit of securing votes for the cause.
2. Pearl Gibbs: Challenging the NSW Aborigines Protection Board
Pearl Gibbs, affectionately known as Aunty Pearl, was a prominent figure born in New South Wales in 1901. She was of Ngemba Aboriginal descent through her mother and had a white father. Throughout her life, she straddled two worlds due to her mixed heritage, which greatly influenced her activism.
One of her major campaigns was against the New South Wales Aborigines Protection Board, an institution that controlled the lives of Aboriginal people and perpetuated injustices, especially towards the Stolen Generations.
Aunty Pearl Gibbs, as she was affectionately called 
Pearl Gibbs (first on the left) together with her mother Maggie Murray, and other activists, 1938 
A Young Labor banner during the May Day procession in Brisbane 
Many Aboriginal soldiers volunteered for service in World War II 
Aboriginal Australians fighting in World War II
At the age of 16 in 1917, Gibbs started working as a domestic servant, a common occupation for Aboriginal women at the time. In 1938, she played a key role in organizing the first Day of Mourning on January 26th, coinciding with the celebration of the 150th anniversary of the First Fleet’s landing. This event aimed to raise awareness about the mistreatment of Aboriginal people and called for new laws for their education and welfare.
In 1956, she collaborated with Faith Bandler to establish the Australian Aboriginal Fellowship, recognizing the importance of engaging non-Indigenous Australians to bring about lasting change. Together, they worked towards building a community where non-Indigenous individuals supported and advocated for Aboriginal rights, emphasizing equal power dynamics.Throughout the years, they collaborated with numerous non-Aboriginal women activists like Jessie Street and Joan Strack. They highlighted the historical oppression of Aboriginal women by both white men and women since 1788. In a 1941 Radio Broadcast, re-published by Anita Heiss and Peter Minter in their Anthology of Australian Aboriginal Literature, she openly expressed the suffering endured by her people due to the cruelty, injustice, and mistreatment imposed by white individuals for 153 years.
Many Aboriginal soldiers volunteered for service in World War II, showcasing their commitment and bravery. Gibbs, a skilled public speaker, recognized the power of radio and television in advocating for her people’s rights. In her broadcast, she courageously criticized Australia’s unfair treatment of Aborigines, emphasizing the challenges faced by mixed-race children and acknowledging the significant contributions of Aboriginal trackers and runners.
Despite the prevailing indifference towards Aboriginal rights at that time, Gibbs boldly addressed the ongoing war and highlighted the participation of Aboriginal people in past conflicts. She emphasized the need for full citizenship, equal representation on welfare boards, and genuine friendship between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal Australians. Gibbs appealed for support in securing a better future for her race, asserting that Aboriginal people are deserving of respect and fair treatment. Her powerful message continues to resonate decades later.
3. Oodgeroo Noonuccal: Advocate for Indigenous Rights & Poet
Oodgeroo Noonuccal, formerly known as Kath Walker (1920-1993), adopted her traditional Aboriginal name in 1988 as a protest against the Australian Bicentennial celebration. The name Oodgeroo means paperbark, while Noonuccal refers to the Traditional Owners of Minjerribah, now North Stradbroke Island in Southeast Queensland.
Born in 1920 on Minjerribah, Oodgeroo’s father, Edward, belonged to the Noonuccal tribe and imparted Aboriginal culture, stories, and skills to her and her siblings. In 1972, she established the Noonuccal-Nughie Education and Cultural Centre on her ancestors’ land to educate both Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians about Aboriginal culture.
Oodgeroo left school at thirteen in 1933 and worked in domestic service, one of the limited career options for young Aboriginal women at the time. In 1964, she made history by becoming the first published Aboriginal woman in Australia with her book of poems, We Are Going, which received widespread acclaim.
Despite facing criticism that her poetry was propaganda, Oodgeroo embraced this label proudly. Her experiences during the war, where she was rejected from nursing due to her Aboriginal heritage, led her to serve as a signaller in Brisbane and join the Communist Party of Australia, the only party opposing the White Australia Policy.
Her activism and poetry, such as the poem No More Boomerang from 1966, reflect the struggles and losses experienced by Aboriginal Australians due to European colonization. Each stanza of the poem highlights what Aboriginal people have lost, like the boomerang, spear, corroboree, and other cultural practices.The Aboriginal people who survived the effects of colonization managed to do so by adjusting and embracing the European culture that came with it. In Noonuccal’s poem, this new culture is represented by elements such as pubs (color bar and beer), television (mostly ads now), movies (paying to watch them), unstable employment opportunities, and the threat of unemployment. The mention of the atomic bomb in the last stanza of “No More Boomerang” signifies a destructive force impacting everyone.
Oodgeroo Noonuccal is recognized as a pioneer in Aboriginal poetry and is often referred to as the grandmother of Aboriginal poetry. She passed away in 1993 and was laid to rest on Minjerriba, the island of her father and ancestors, not far from her cherished home named Moongalba, which she purchased in 1972.
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4. Alexis Wright: Literature & Healing
Alexis Wright, born in 1950, is a member of the Waanyi nation located in the southern highlands of the Gulf of Carpentaria. She is renowned as a writer and advocate for land rights. One of her acclaimed works, *Carpentaria, is set in the Gulf of Carpentaria, the ancestral land of her people. In 2018, she presented The Power and Purpose of Literature, known as the Boisbouvier Oration, at the Melbourne Writers Festival.
Wright opens her speech by recounting the decade-long struggle of the Gurindji people against Vesteys, a British company that owned the Wave Hill pastoral property in the Northern Territory. The Gurindji fought to reclaim their traditional lands, eventually succeeding due to their unwavering commitment to telling their story accurately throughout the legal battle.
She emphasizes the strength Indigenous communities derive from their ancestral stories and heroes, which are deeply ingrained in their spirits. Wright explores various themes and narratives in her oration, highlighting the healing and survival powers of literature.
Indigenous literature serves as a means for individuals to process traumatic experiences and navigate the complexities of the present. By writing, Indigenous authors aim to address lingering questions and alleviate mental burdens. They aspire to pave the way for future generations to overcome obstacles and find solace in understanding and acceptance.The image shows the Gulf of Carpentaria coast in northern Australia during the 2001 bushfire season, as captured by NASA Visible Earth. In Australian society, there are lingering prejudices towards Aboriginal people, highlighted by the 2023 Indigenous Voice Referendum. Alexis Wright encourages Aboriginal writers to challenge these stereotypes in their writing and spark discussions about the diverse realities of Australia’s multicultural community. She emphasizes the importance of Aboriginal individuals drawing strength from their combined heritages to enhance their creativity and imagination, rather than isolating themselves. Wright believes that in our increasingly globalized world, there is a growing need for writers who can delve deeply and courageously into the complexities, expansiveness, and interconnectedness of human existence.
5. Marcia Langton: The Significance of Education
Marcia Langton, born in 1951, has a life closely intertwined with academia and activism. She comes from the Yiman and Bidjara nations of Queensland and had a nomadic childhood before settling in Brisbane where she began high school and met Oodgeroo Noonuccal.
Langton’s mentors, Neville Bonner and Noonuccal, instilled in her the importance of articulating complex issues with precision, good ideas, and well-argued cases. This led to her strong belief in the transformative power of education and academia. She views education as a potent tool for driving change, economic empowerment, and advocating for challenging human rights issues, particularly those affecting Aboriginal people.
In 1984, Langton completed her anthropology degree at the Australian National University. She later played a significant role in the Royal Commission into Aboriginal deaths in custody and authored the influential report “Too Much Sorry Business.”
Throughout her career, Langton held various prestigious positions, including chair of AIATSIS in Canberra in 1992 and Foundation Chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne in 2000. She has actively campaigned for Indigenous rights, such as advocating for a Yes vote in the Indigenous Voice Referendum in 2023.
Langton’s contributions extend beyond her academic achievements. Through her books, essays, and articles, she has delved into topics like Aboriginal Law, Indigenous tourism experiences, and Indigenous-designed architecture. Her work emphasizes the importance of integrating Indigenous knowledge into mainstream academic institutions, as highlighted by June Oscar AO.
Overall, Marcia Langton’s dedication to advancing Aboriginal rights and promoting Indigenous knowledge is evident in her extensive body of work and advocacy efforts.
6. Analyzing Movies and Television with Romaine Moreton
Aboriginal filmmaker Romaine Morton, like her predecessors Oodgeroo Noonuccal and Pearl Gibbs, has been actively advocating for the rights of her people for nearly five decades. She hails from the Goenpul and Bundjalung peoples, with her works deeply influenced by her ancestral lands and Australian colonial history.
Morton believes that her art must address the harsh realities of racism and celebrate the beauty of Indigenous culture to remain authentic. Her creative approach combines poetry, academic research, and filmmaking, as seen in her notable work One Billion Beats.
One Billion Beats, a transmedia performance written by Morton and first showcased in 2016, offers an Aboriginal perspective on cinema. It challenges the historical exclusion of Indigenous voices in Australian film and confronts the discriminatory ideologies perpetuated through the medium.Moreton examines how Aboriginal people have been portrayed in Australian cinema and television throughout history. She analyzes films from different eras, such as Jedda (1955) by Chauvel and Australia (2009) by Luhrmann, to deconstruct stereotypes perpetuated by the dominant culture. Moreton believes that storytelling has a powerful influence on shaping perceptions and views it as a form of casting spells. She emphasizes the importance of using this power responsibly to challenge and break free from harmful narratives imposed by Western influence in Australia.
