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Books written from the viewpoint of Indigenous Australians |
Alfred's War by
Alfred was just a young man when he was injured and shipped home from France. Never honoured as a returned soldier, Alfred took up a solitary life walking the back roads - billy tied to his swag, finding work where he could. Alfred was a forgotten soldier. Although he had fought bravely in the Great War, as an Aboriginal man he wasn't classed as a citizen of his own country. Yet Alfred always remembered his friends in the trenches and the mateship they had shared. Every year on ANZAC Day, Alfred walked to the nearest town and quietly stood behind and paid homage to his fallen mates. Rachel Bin Salleh's poignant narrative opens our hearts to the sacrifice and contribution that Indigenous people have made to Australia's war efforts.
The Burnt stick by
The Burnt Stick is the story of a young Australian aboriginal boy, John Jagamarra, who was taken from his mother by the Welfare Department, and sent to the Fathers at the Pearl Bay Mission.All through his childhood John remembered the life of the camp at Dryborough Station and the good trick his mother, Liyan, played with a stick burnt in the fire when the Big Man came looking for John. She rubbed the black charcoal into his skin to make John seem darker than he really was – too dark to be taken away.
Twice she got away with it. But the third time...
Stolen Girl by
A fictionalised account of the Stolen Generation that tells of an Aboriginal girl taken from her family by the government and sent to a children's home. She sings and dreams of her mother and the life they once shared but each morning is woken by the bell to the harsh reality of the children's home.
Sorry Day by
Long ago and not so long ago, the children were taken away, their sorrow echoing across the land. But today there is hope. Today is special. The crowd hums with excitement. Maggie and her mother wait, and then they hear the words: 'To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, we say sorry!' Sorry Day acknowledges the past and shows willingness to make things right.
Say Yes by
A story about how the events surrounding the historic 1967 Australian Referendum played out in the everyday lives of two young girls. Once there were two little girls who were best friends. They did everything together. As they got older they weren't allowed to do the same things anymore. Because they looked different. Because of the law. This is a story about the landmark 1967 Referendum, the two women who came together to change the law -- and how the Australian people said YES.
Land of the Dingo People by
Three Kadimakara children are washed up in the land of the Dingo People. the Dingo People want to help them find their way home and lead Jadianta, Lande and Jalmor to the river. Suddenly a crocodile rears up and takes one of the Dingo children. Jadianta, Lande and Jalmor survive and are now in the land of the Magpie Goose. It has been suggested by scientists that during the Ice Age, the Gulf of Carpentaria dried up forming a land bridge between Australia and New Guinea. Aboriginal oral history also recalls a huge shallow lake; the aquatic life, people and events forming part of the legends. Percy trezise has told many stories about these legends.
You and me, Murrawee by
'We walk this same brown earth - you and me, Murrawee . . . ' In this lyrical, beautifully observed picture book, we see through the eyes of a young girl camping on the river with her family, life as it would have been two hundred years ago.
As I grew older by
The story of Ian Abdullah's childhood growing up on the Murray River.
Corroboree by
It is springtime, Wirrin's favourite time of the year. He will go hunting with his father, collect ochre with his grandfather, dig wild sweet potato with his mother and gather wattle seeds to make damper with his grandmother. Best of all, people are coming from far and wide for the big corroboree and Wirrin will see all his cousins and dance until only Yoowintj, the barn owl, is still awake.
Savannah Dreams by
From Sunday to Saturday, Savannah and her family go looking for bush tucker. While Savannah's family find fabulous food, Savannah finds only junk. But Savannah sees the world through different eyes, and her imagination helps her to make the greatest catch of all.
When We Go Walkabout/ Yirruwa Yirrilikenuma-langwa by
When we go walkabout, what do we see? Up in a tree there is something flapping its wings at us. Duwedirra! Cockatoo! Down in the river we see something staring at us. Dingarrbiya! Crocodile! Back home there is someone waiting for us ... Dungkwarrika! Grandma! A beautiful story for the very young that brings to vivid life the unique world of Groote Eylandt.
Shake a Leg by
A joyous celebration of food, dance and cultural understanding. All you fellas watching, come up, join in, warrima. Clap your hands, little ones. Stamp your feet, nannas. Get down and dance, you smart young things, mummas and daddas. Let's get the whole town dancing!
The Cocky, the crow and the hawk by
In the Dreaming, all the birds were brightly coloured. During this time, the cocky, the crow and the hawk lived together and shared their food. But one day, the cocky and the crow began to argue, and everything changed.
Jirrbal: Rainforest dreamtime stories by
These stories are witty and wise moral fables from the tablelands of Northern Queensland. They are traditional, as told to generations of young people for thousands of years, and as told to the author Maisie Barlow herself, when she was a child of the rainforest.
Who Am I? The diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937 by
Part of the "My Story" series. Set in Sydney, 1937, this is the fictional diary of a young Aboriginal girl, a member of the Stolen Generation.
Our race for reconciliation by
Mel Gordon loves running, and watching Seinfeld, but mostly she loves Cathy Freeman. It's 2000 and the Olympics are going to be held in Australia. In a year of surprises, Mel finds out that Cathy Freeman is coming to talk to her school. And her family is heading to Sydney! It becomes an unforgettable journey to Corroboree 2000, bringing together all Australians as they march and sing and celebrate Australia's Indigenous heritage and also acknowledge past wrong.
Birrung: the secret friend by
Birrung, a young indigenous girl, befriends orphaned Barney and his friend Elsie. Birrung is living with Mr Johnson, chaplain to the Australian colony in 1790, and his family. Generous in spirit, the Johnson family also take in Barney and Elsie who have only just been surviving on their meagre daily rations. Despite living with the Johnsons, Birrung's connection to her people remains strong, and when Mr and Mrs Johnson see how Barney's feeling for Birrung are growing, they gently explain that his friendship with a 'native' girl and all that she taught him about her language and lore must remain a secret - forever. Based on the true story of Birrung and the Johnsons.
Dingo: the dog who conquered a continent by
All of Australia's dingoes may be descended from one south-east Asian 'rubbish dog' who arrived here over 5,000 years ago. This is a story about the first dingo. It is also the story of Loa, who heads off across the sea in his canoe when the girl he loves marries another. He takes only his spears and a 'rubbish dog', one of the scavengers from around the camp to eat if he gets hungry, or to throw to threatening sharks or crocodiles. But when a storm blows boy and dog out to sea, both must learn to survive in a strange new world as partners - and even as friends.
Meralte: an epic story of the Northern Stars by
Two children set out to walk from Kopperamana near Lake Eyre, to the Southern Ocean. The reason for this epic journey is the very rare phenomenon of Lake Eyre actually having water in it on which proper boats can be sailed - if only boats had been available in Central Australia.
Two hands together by
The growing friendship between Lily and Ella is marred by the disapproval of Lily's father much to Ella's confusion. How could it be that her father doesn't like this warm and friendly Aboriginal family?
Flytrap by
Nancy is worried. She's said she has a Venus Flytrap, but she hasn't really got one, and now the teacher wants her to bring it in to show the class. It wasn't really a lie, it was more like.a wish.
At home Nancy is grabbing stories out of the air. Maybe the flytrap ate so many blowflies it got sick? She pesters Mum and One-two-three Gee, and their stories help her find something special of her own. What will Nancy tell her class in the morning?
Flytrap is a playful and inspiring book about what stories can do.
Meet Poppy (series) by
Set in 1864, Poppy is an Aboriginal girl living on a Mission near Echuca. However, Poppy hates the mission and the school, especially when her brother runs away to find their fortune on the goldfields. Poppy decides to run away, disguised as a boy, to join her brother. Three other books in the series complete her adventures.
Arthur Corunna's Story by
My Place Part 2 for younger readers
Mother and Daughter by
My Place for young readers - Part 3
The Barrumbi Kids by
Dale and Tomias are best mates.
Tomias's ancestors have lived at Long Hole since the Dreaming. Dales's grandfather was the first white man to settle here. This is their country.
An exciting, funny first novel about children moving between Aboriginal and white cultures.
The Spirit of Barrumbi by
'There's a shadow behind him, a huge dark cloud, loose like smoke. But it doesn't drift away; it tightens, rising up tall and thin. It draws back into an S shape. It's a snake! A death adder!'
Dale's dream tells him that his brother Sean is in danger. But he cannot know that what happens to Sean will have a devastating effect on all the people at Long Hole community, both white and Aboriginal.
After their trip to Barrumbi, everything will change.
Leaving Barrumbi by
Dale stands up hanging onto the wire cage of the Toyota and sees his home, Long Hole, shrinking away. The rusty iron roofs of the old people's houses at bottom camp are already disappearing into the red soil. And suddenly it hits him that he's leaving. He was born here at Long Hole, he's been here all his life, never slept anywhere else except for camping and fishing. Now he's going away for weeks, for months. Not coming home till the term is over. His guts drops, his brain tingles. Bugger that! he thinks. I'm not going to no boarding school. Gotta get outta here, gotta jump, run, hide!
The nine-hour trip to his new school is just the beginning of the worst time in Dale Murphy's life. He's only ever lived with Aboriginal kids-his is the only white family at the community- but once he starts at the Leichhardt Secondary School everyone sees him as a whitefella. His best mate, Tomias Andjurika, is a high achiever, good at everything, popular. Tomias even starts to be interested in girls! And Dale's left behind. He doesn't know who he is any more.
Black cockatoo by
Black Cockatoo is a vignette that follows Mia, a young Aboriginal girl as she explores the fragile connections of family and culture. Mia is a 13-year-old girl from a remote community in the Kimberley. She is saddened by the loss of her brother as he distances himself from the family. She feels powerless to change the things she sees around her -- until one day she rescues her totem animal, the dirran black cockatoo, and soon discovers her own inner strength. A small tale on the power of standing up for yourself, culture and ever-present family ties.
Sister Heart by
A young Aboriginal girl is taken from the north of Australia and sent to an institution in the distant south. There, she slowly makes a new life for herself and, in the face of tragedy, finds strength in new friendships. ()
Freedom Ride by
Robbie knows bad things happen in Walgaree. But it's nothing to do with him. That's the way the Aborigines have always been treated. But in the summer of 1965 racial tensions in the town are at boiling point, and something headed Walgaree's way will blow things apart. It's time for Robbie to take a stand. And nothing can ever be the same again. A novel based on true events.
Purple Threads by
Growing up in the shifting landscape of Gundagai with her Nan and Aunties, Sunny spends her days playing on the hills near their farmhouse and her nights dozing by the fire, listening to the big women yarn about life over endless cups of tea. It is a life of freedom, protection, and love. But as Sunny grows she must face the challenge of being seen as different, and of having a mother whose visits are as unpredictable as the rain. Based of Jeanine Leane's own childhood, these funny, endearing, and thought-provoking stories offer a snapshot of a unique Australian upbringing.
The Blue-Eyed Aborigine by
An intriguing, hard-hitting story.
It is 1629, and there is mutiny in the air aboard the Dutch ship Batavia as she
plies her way towards Java with her precious cargo. Jan, a cabin boy, and
Wouter, a young soldier, find themselves caught up in the tragic wrecking
and bloody revolt that follow. But worse is to come… Based on the diaries
of the ship’s Commander, Rosemary Hayes recaptures some of maritime
history’s most dramatic moments, linking the fates of of Jan and Wouter
with discoveries that intrigue Australians to this day.
The Blue-Eyed Aborigine not only describes factual events but also imagines
the unknown – the lives, relationships and discoveries of the two young
Dutchmen as they attempt to settle in a country so different from their
native Holland.
An excellent novel for class study. Will encourage students to delve into the
history of early explorers of Australia.
The First Voyage by
An adventure story set in our very distant past, 30,000 years ago, when the first tribes from Timor braved the ocean on primitive rafts to travel into the unknown, and reached the land mass of what is now Australia.
Tangara by
Sometimes when Lexie fingered a string of shells she had been given as a little girl, she felt strange memories stir. It was as if something very precious was buried away in her own mind... Great-great Aunt Rita's old shell necklace carries a power that Lexie can't possibly know. Then, when it leads her to a new friend, she and Merrina enter the secret gully where Merrina's people live. But the gully holds a terrible secret, as old as the necklace itself. Will Lexie be strong enough, as she relives the nightmare her Aunt Rita endured? This deeply moving classic by one of our great children's writers is part fantasy, part history, and one hundred percent masterpiece.
Crow Country by
When Sadie moves back to her mother's home town in country Victoria, she finds herself drawn to the dried-up lake where eerie carved standing stones have recently been revealed. The wheeling crows seem to speak to her about an old wrong she must set right, and she finds herself catapulted back to a time just after World War I. Three young men have just returned from the war: Sadie's grandfather who runs the local shop, the local landowner, and Jimmy Raven, an Indigenous stockman who works on the landowner's farm. Sadie discovers that Jimmy was killed under mysterious circumstances and that her grandfather helped cover it up. Back in her own time, Sadie befriends Walter, a boy from Mildura who may have a connection to Jimmy. Can Sadie and Walter work through the mystery and prevent a similar tragedy happening in their own time?
Nanberry: black brother white by
"It's 1789, and as the new colony in Sydney Cove is established, Surgeon John White defies convention and adopts Nanberry, an Aboriginal boy, to raise as his son. Nanberry is clever and uses his unique gifts as an interpreter to bridge the two worlds he lives in. With his white brother, Andrew, he witnesses the struggles of the colonists to keep their precarious grip on a hostile wilderness. And yet he is haunted by the memories of the Cadigal warriors who will one day come to claim him as one of their own. This true story follows the brothers as they make their way in the world - one as a sailor, serving in the Royal Navy, the other a hero of the Battle of Waterloo. No less incredible is the enduring love between the gentleman surgeon and the convict girl, saved from the death penalty, to become a great lady in her own right"--
My Girragundji by
A vivid story about a young Aboriginal boy growing up between two worlds. His fears of the bad spirits about the house at night and of the bullies at school are lessened when he finds a spirit friend in a little tree frog.
Stories from the Billabong by
From the author of Walkabout come ten of Australia's ancient aboriginal legends, authentically and elegantly retold. Here you can discover how Great Mother Snake created and peopled the world with plants and creatures, what makes Frogs croak, why Kangaroo has a pouch, and just what it is that makes Platypus so special. The illustrations are by the aboriginal artist and storyteller Francis Firebrace, whose distinctive, colourful work is known throughout Australia and beyond.
More Stories from the Billabong by
How did turtle get his shell? Why do young koalas cling to their mothers’ backs? How was the mighty Murray River created? Ten witty retellings of legends, some of them from the Yorta Yorta people, to delight readers of all ages
My Place by
Sally Morgan travelled to her grandmother's birthplace, starting a search for information about her family. She uncovers that she is not white but Aborigine - information that was kept a secret because of the stigma of society. This moving account is a classic of Australian literature that finally frees the tongues of the author's mother and grandmother, allowing them to tell their own stories.
Sally's Story by
My Place is Sally Morgan's rich, zesty and moving story of her childhood and growing up in Perth, Western Australia. It tells how she gradually came to realise the truth about her family and their heritage.
Took the children away by
Took the Children Away is a moving indictment of the treatment of indigenous children from the 'Stolen Generation' and a song which 'struck a chord' not only among the wider Aboriginal community, but also nationally.
Boomerang and Bat by
In 1868 a determined team of Aboriginal cricketers set off on a journey across the world to take on England's best. Led by star all-rounder Johnny Mullagh, and wearing caps embroidered with a boomerang and a bat, they delighted crowds with their exceptional skill. From the creators of Jandamarra, this is the remarkable story of the real first eleven.
Black fella, white fella by
Blackfella Whitefella, doesn't matter what your colour - the message is clear: we are all brothers and sisters no matter where we come from in this world. This story challenges us all in asking if you are prepared to lend a hand to make a change, embrace each other's differences, speak out and stand strong together; then we can truly be true to ourselves. This is a powerful message to pass on to all our children.
Ian Thorpe
When we are children we look for smiles in other faces. We know we are all different and yet somehow the same. "Blackfella Whitefella" is the true story. I can't tell you how many times I have heard a mob somewhere in the bush singing these words with heart and knowing that some day our country will find the harmony in this song.
The Girl from the Great Sandy Desert by
The Girl from the Great Sandy Desert is the charming account of the life of Mana, a young Walmajarri girl, and her family, in the desert country of north-west Australia. Simultaneously delightful tales of children growing up and a social and cultural history of a way of life, Mona Chuguna¿s semi-autobiographical stories are set before European settlement impacted on the lives of the people of the Great Sandy Desert, and before they left their homelands. Beneath the hot blue sky, Mana is joined by her brothers, sisters and cousins, as well as her many mothers and her favourite dogs. With gentle humour, the stories depict the daily life of hunting and gathering, kinship obligations, the never-ending search for water, and the exploits of the young children. Alongside each story are cultural insights that enhance understanding of the text, making it especially valuable to educators looking for authentic material. Acclaimed Gooniyandi (Fitzroy River) artist Mervyn Street captures the subtle nuances of the stories and the Walmajarri way of life with beautiful black and white illustrations.
Welcome to country by
Welcome to the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri People. We are part of this land and the land is part of us. This is where we come from. Aunty Joy Wandin Murphy is a most respected senior Wurundjeri elder of the Kulin alliance. This is a very accessible welcome that introduces and gives meaning and explanation within the text to the customs and symbols of Indigenous Australia. Aboriginal communities across Australia have boundaries that are defined by mountain ranges and waterways. Traditionally, to cross these boundaries or enter community country you needed permission from the neighbouring community. When this permission was granted the ceremony now called Welcome to Country took place. Each community had its own way of welcoming to country, and they still do today.
Welcome to My Country by
Laklak Burarrwanga and family invite you to their Country, centred on a beautiful beach in Arnhem Land. Its crystal waters are full of fish, turtle, crab and stingray, to hunt; the land behind has bush fruits, pandanus for weaving, wood for spears, all kinds of useful things. This country is also rich with meaning. 'We can go anywhere and see a river, hill, tree, rock telling a story
Jandamarra by
He emerged from the cave of bats with the name given to him by his people. He was Jandamarra, a man of power who could appear and disappear like a ghost. Set in the Kimberley region in north-west Australia, this is the story of a young warrior born to lead. To the settlers, he was an outlaw to be hunted. To the Bunuba, he was a courageous defender of his country. Mark Greenwood's text and Terry Denton's watercolour illustrations bring to life this story of conflict and divided loyalties, giving a unique insight into an extraordinary man and a tragic but important part of Australia's frontier history.
The Unlikely Story of Bennelong and Phillip by
The book explores the extraordinary and improbable friendship between Bennelong, a local Aboriginal man, and Captain Arthur Phillip, who led the First Fleet and founded the settlement that became Sydney. It is one of Australia's most important and fascinating stories, yet remains largely unknown to most people
Maybe Tomorrow by
This is the story of Boori Pryor's life from the Aboriginal fringe camps of his birth, to the basketball court, to the DJ console and now to performance and storytelling at schools and other ventures around Australia.
Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence by
Set in 1931, this is the moving story of three Aboriginal girls who were taken from their mothers as part of government policy of the time. They escaped from the Moore River Settlement and walked over 1,600 kilometres through desert country, following the rabbit-proof fence to return to their families.
