Australian Dictionary of Biography

Tip: searches only the name field
Tip: Use double quotes to search for a phrase

Browse by:

Cultural Advice

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains names, images, and voices of deceased persons.

In addition, some articles contain terms or views that were acceptable within mainstream Australian culture in the period in which they were written, but may no longer be considered appropriate.

These articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Australian National University.

Older articles are being reviewed with a view to bringing them into line with contemporary values but the original text will remain available for historical context.

Noonuccal, Oodgeroo (1920–1993)

Noonuccal, Oodgeroo (1920–1993)
Alternative Names	Ruska, Kathleen Jean Walker, Kathleen Jean
Born	3 November, 1920 Bulimba, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Died	16 September, 1993 (aged 72) Greenslopes, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Cause of Death	cancer (not specified)
Cultural Heritage	Indigenous Australian Includes subject's nationality; their parents' nationality; the countries in which they spent a significant part of their childhood, and their self-identity.
Related Entries	[View as tree] Nicholls, Douglas Ralph (associate) Gilmore, Mary Jean (supporter) Devaney, James Martin (mentor) Cilento, Raphael West (employer) Cilento, Phyllis Dorothy (employer)
Education *	Dunwich State School (Qld) (student, 1926-1934)
Occupation *	domestic servant (1935-1941) Queensland, Australia soldier (1942-1944) Federal, Australia typist (1944-1950) Queensland, Australia vigoro player (1946-1954) Queensland, Australia communist (1951-1960) Queensland, Australia domestic servant (1951-1964) Queensland, Australia Indigenous leader (1960-1993) Queensland, Australia Indigenous rights activist/supporter (1960-1993) Queensland, Australia poet (1964-1988) Queensland, Australia children's author (1972-1981) Queensland, Australia educationist (1972-1993) Queensland, Australia anti-nuclear campaigner (1980-1993) Queensland, Australia
Awards	Dame Mary Gilmore medal (recipient) Jessie Litchfield award for literature (recipient, 1967) Member of the Order of the British Empire (recipient, 1983)
Key Events *	referendum on Indigenous rights (1967) (activist supporting it)
Groups *	Brisbane Realist Writers Group (member)
Legacies *	Oodgeroo Unit (Queensland University of Technology) (eponym)
Key Organisations *	David Unaipon Award for Indigenous writers (judge) Queensland Aboriginal Advancement League (committee member) Queensland Writers Centre (patron) Federal Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders (committee member, 1962)
Political Activism *	Communist ALP (political candidate, 1969) Australian Democrats (political candidate, 1983)

* Dates are approximate