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Oodgeroo Noonuccal Papers
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Papers relating to North America

Kath Walker conducted a study tour of the United States from September 1978 to March 1979 as a Fullbright Scholar. Her itinerary was divided into two sections: first, she was Poet-in-Residence at Bloomsbury State College from 1 October 1978; and from January 1979, sponsored by the National Endownment for the Arts, she was centred on Berkeley and other Southern campuses, Indian communities and Arts Centres. Included in these papers are: Letters of appreciation, photographs, postcards, programme for speaking engagements; her report on Fulbright Scholarship; correspondence 1978 - 1979 about the Scholarship and from North American contacts; travel documents; flyers; and newspaper cuttings.

Papers relating to Nigeria and the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture

The First World Festival of Black Arts was held in 1966 Dakar, Senegal. Nigeria was invited to hold the second festival in 1970. This second festival, called the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture was to be held in November/December 1975. Political problems in Nigeria caused the festival to be postponed for some years, but it was finally staged as "Festac '77" in Lagos in January, 1977.

As part of the preparations for Australia’s involvement in the festival, an Australian Coordinating Committee was formed in February 1974. In October 1974 Kath Walker was asked to become involved in this committee. Kath Walker attended the 5th meeting of the International Festival Committee held in Kaduna in November 1974. On her return flight, the British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) plane she was travelling on was hijacked in Dubai and flown to Tunisia. The hijack lasted three days, and one passenger was killed. She wrote two poems during this ordeal (held in Series A Subseries 1).

During the lead up to the Festival in 1977, Kath Walker was involved in the preparations for the event and eventually attended it as an Australian delegate and senior advisor.

These folders include documents from the Department of Aboriginal Affairs; correspondence, meeting agendas, minutes and reports for the Nigerian Co-coordinating Committee of the Second World Black and African Festival of Arts and Culture; an open letter to the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies (dated 24 Jul 1975) regarding the poems, Yussef and Commonplace which she wrote when her plane was hijacked; reports from other countries; contract between Kath Walker and The Elizabethan Theatre Trust; Itineraries and quotations for proposed group travel to Nigeria with general background information about Africa from ACTU World Travel; Aboriginal Theatre Foundation - correspondence with Department of Aboriginal Affairs and interim reports regarding costings and budget for dancers, musicians and song men for trip to festival; and Tickets, invitations, brochures, programmes, report by Kath Walker about festival to the Australia Council, souvenirs, 1977.

Papers relating to Moongalba and North Stradbroke Island

The papers in this series relate to Kath Walker's involvement in North Stradbroke Island issues in general, and also more specifically to Moongalba on North Stradbroke Island.

Stradbroke island was a large sand island that formed in Moreton Bay, off the coast of Brisbane, Queensland, that split into two islands in the late 19th century: North Stradbroke Island and South Stradbroke Island. The Quandamooka people are the traditional custodians of North Stradbroke Island. North Stradbroke Island, also known as Straddie or Minjerribah, is where Kath Walker spent much of her life. It has been home for many years to the Noonuccal (or Nunukul), Nughi and Goenpul people. The papers relating to North Stradbroke Island reflect Kath's involvement in issues such as opposition to sand-mining on the island, and opposition to a proposed bridge connecting North Stradbroke Island with the mainland.

Moongalba was established by Kath Walker as a cultural education centre in 1971. It was visited extensively by school children, as well as teachers, students, academics, writers and others. Kath Walker was initially granted a twenty-five year lease to the land by the Redland Shire Council; this was later extended to her lifetime. However, she was never granted legal title to the land, despite the support of many influential people. In 1979 Kath Walker prepared a submission to the federal Department of Aboriginal Affairs, requesting financial assistance and support in obtaining title to the land. Her application was never answered.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal Papers

  • UQFL84
  • Collection
  • 1916-1985

This collection contains poetry, prose, speeches, and reports; correspondence; photographs, newspaper cuttings; press releases; invitations; programmes; research material; and plans.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal, 1920-1993

Notebook with grocery supplies for Dunwich Days Store

This notebook is falling apart and tied together with a shoelace. Written on the inside cover of this notebook is 'S. Coolwell. Days Store. Dunwich.' It contains lists of groceries and their prices and totals. There are no dates for this section of the notebook . Inserted at back of the notebook are pages with lists for charcoal orders from 1940 to 1942

Notebook titled 'Prose'

Notebook titled 'Prose' containing handwritten short stories titled: 'Motherhood', 'Dreaming', 'Son of a son of mine', 'The masterpiece', 'Occupational therapy', 'The exercise break', 'Palm Island' and two untitled short stories.

Notebook containing prose, speech and notes

This notebook includes: poem beginning with 'Was it dream....'; 'Dawn' (poem); 'Can you?' (poem); 'Blackmans club' (poem); 'No place to go' (poem); 'Dawn' (poem); 'Report to Aboriginal Aged housing' on her visit to Cunnamulla; 'Speech to Seminar on Aboriginal Rights, 7 and 8 May 1971, Perth, Western Australia'; 'What the sea gulls told me' (short story); survey results of Aboriginal children; draft letter to Consolidated Rutile Corporation regarding establishing an Art Gallery, Museum and park at Moongalba'; 'Old age' (poem); 'Occupational therapy' (short story); list with visitor signatures dated 18 May 1978; and random notes throughout notebook.

Note and exercise book containing handwritten short stories

Spiral note and exercise book containing handwritten short stories titled: 'Beginning of life', 'Follow follow', 'Mirrabooka', 'Curlew', 'The midden', 'Bora', 'Ole Mick', 2 untitled short stories, 'In the new time', 'Tuggan Tuggan (Silky Oak)', 'The tank', 'The fisherman', 'Pomera (Banksia)', 'Tiagam (Lawyer Vine)', 'Talwalpin (Cotton Tree) & Kowinda (Red Mangrove)', 'The carpet Snake', 'Cookie', 'The dugong hunt', and 'Myora'. On the last page (to 11 November 1969) is a list of titles that have been submitted (or not) and whether they have been accepted or rejected. The inside of the front and back cover have English words and their Indigenous language equivalent.

North Stradbroke Island research material

This file includes correspondence, The Stradbroke Island Management Organisation Constitution (which included a membership form at the end and had the poem Ballad of the Bridge by Kath Walker attached); newsletter; flyer Is a bridge to Stradbroke necessary (with S.I.M.O. membership form); and reports.

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