Reconciliation in Education

Background to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and perspectives within the subject of English

This guide focuses predominantly on contemporary texts. However, storytelling, in its many forms, has been an essential element of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures for tens of thousands of years, and continues to play an important role in cultural life. The contemporary inclusion of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives and cultural conventions in ‘Western’ literary spaces and styles is an extension of longstanding traditions. It amplifies a voice that has otherwise had a history – since European colonisation – of being marginalised or excluded.

The subject/learning area of English is a large and complex teaching area, so this resource guide is not exhaustive. The example texts included in this guide have been organised into the distinct categories of fiction, non-fiction, picture books, graphic novels, and poetry. Each category includes diverse and relevant texts by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and creators, as well as by non-Indigenous authors whose work provides key links to themes of reconciliation and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures more broadly. It is important to recognise that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorship extends beyond writing that is categorised as ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander’, including genres of romance, sci-fi, drama and history. Note that a number of dramatic, musical and media arts texts, as well as texts in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, are listed in the Narragunnawali resource guides about each of these separate – yet related – subject/learning areas.

English is Australia’s official language, but for tens of thousands of years prior to colonisation, hundreds of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages were spoken across Australia, reflecting the rich oral storytelling and knowledge-sharing traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples across generations. Studies show that there were at least 250 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages at the time of European arrival. These were distinct languages (not dialects – the number of dialects is much greater), each with its own extensive vocabulary and complex grammar. This linguistic diversity reflects the diversity of First Nations cultures and identities more generally. Unfortunately, colonisation and past policies of assimilation – including systemic condemnation of First Languages use and forced separation of children from their families and speaker communities – have severely affected the practice and continuation of these languages.

It is important to appreciate the resilience of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and languages, and recognise that, across Australia, there are a number of communities actively and effectively working to revive, revitalise and maintain their First Languages.

There is also the recognised dialect of English known as Aboriginal English, as well as distinct creole languages such as Kimberley Kriol, which exist alongside other traditional languages, creoles and dialects.

Timeline of significant contemporary events relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and perspectives in the subject/learning area of English

This timeline lists some of the many notable events within Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorship and the wider modes of the subject/learning area of English. Initial Western communications by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people took the form of letters to people in positions of authority, and petitions. This reflects initial activism and opposition to the treatment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people by the colonisers – something that forms a continuing trope among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorship.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people’s extensive systems of language and dialects have a long-standing history. Communication techniques such as Welcoming and Acknowledging Country have always been done between Aboriginal Nations and have now been modernised for contemporary contexts. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures are tied to stories of the Dreaming and the Tagai, which continue to inform Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life and reinforce the importance of oral tradition.

60,000+ years ago:

Over 250 distinct Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages are spoken across Australia prior to European colonisation and the subsequent introduction of the English language.

1796:

Bennelong’s letter to Mr Phillips, Steward to Lord Sydney – The first known text in English by an Aboriginal author.

1929:

Native Legends by David Unaipon is considered the first book by an Aboriginal person.

1964:

We are going by Oodgeroo Noonuccal is the first published book of poetry by an Aboriginal person.

1971:

The Cherry Pickers by Kevin Gilbert is the first play by an Aboriginal person to be performed in mainstream theatre.

1972:

The National Black Theatre is established in Redfern.

1973:

Basically Black is the first Australian television show with an all-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cast.

1981:

Wrong side of the road is the first feature film with an all-Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cast.

2006:

Rolf de Heer’s Ten Canoes is the first Australian film to be filmed entirely in an Aboriginal language.

2008:

PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature (edited by Anita Heiss and Peter Minter) is the first anthology of this kind to be published.

2016:

Bruce Pascoe’s Dark Emu wins the Book of the Year in the NSW Premier’s Literary Awards.

2017:

Ali Cobby Eckermann wins the international Windham-Campbell prize for her poetry.

2018:

Kim Scott wins the Indigenous Writer’s Prize for his book Taboo.

2019:

Edited by Anita Heiss, Growing Up Aboriginal In Australia wins the Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) Small Publisher’s Adult Book of the Year Award with Black Inc Books.
The first Daisy Utemorrah Award is named in honour of the late Kimberley Elder, author and poet Daisy Utemorrah, who was one of the founders of Magabala Books.
Kirli Saunders, a Gunai woman, with ties to the Yuin, Gundungurra, Gadigal and Biripi people, was awarded the inaugural Daisy Utemorrah Award for her rhythmic junior verse-novel, Mother Speaks.

2020:

Tony Birch wins the Indigenous Writer’s Prize for his book The White Girl.
Wiradjuri author Tara June Winch wins the Miles Franklin Award for her book The Yield.

2021:

Mununjali person, Ellen Van Neerven’s Throat wins the Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry.

2022:

Anita Heiss’s Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray: River of Dreams wins the Indigenous Writer’s Prize.
The First Scientists: Deadly Inventions and Innovations from Australia’s First Peoples by Kamilaroi man and founder of Deadly Science Corey Tutt wins The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) Book of the Year for Younger Children.
Somebody’s Land by Adnyamathanha man Adam Goodes, Ellie Laing, and illustrated by Barkindji author and illustrator David Hardy wins The Australian Book Industry Awards (ABIA) Picture Book of the Year (ages 0-6).
Evelyn Araluen, a descendant of the Bundjalung Nation, wins the Stella Prize with her debut collection Dropbear, the youngest and first poet to win the award.

Fiction by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors

Year of publication	Title	Author	Short synopsis
1989	Lori	John Wilson	A story about Lori and her experiences of growing up in the cane fields of North Queensland in the 1960s. A reflection of resilience and courage.
1993	Me and Mary Kangaroo	Kevin Gilbert	A celebration of friendship in a verse style that celebrates the friendship of a young Aboriginal boy and his pet kangaroo.
1993	Sweet water- stolen land	Phillip McLaren	An Aboriginal and a non-Indigenous family’s lives and destinies meet in this exploration of racial brutality and the Myall Creek massacres of the Frontier Wars.
1994	Bridge of triangles	John Muk Muk Burke	Exploring the struggle of a young Aboriginal boy’s experiences of family difficulty when juggling the path to identity.
1997	Plains of promise	Alexis Wright	Utilising imagery of the urban and the outback, this novel explores human ambition and the notion of failure alongside a clash of black and white.
1997	Steam pigs	Melissa Lucashenko	Sue, a young Aboriginal woman, escapes life with her large family to live in the city, but she finds herself on the receiving end of violence from a new man.
1998	My Girragundji	Meme Mcdonald & Boori Pryor	A vivid story about a young boy’s childhood friend, a green tree frog who, through spirituality, guides him through difficulty.
1999	Benang: from the heart	Kim Scott	This multi-modal work challenges pre-conceived notions and ideas around white invasion.
1999	The Binna Binna man	Meme Mcdonald & Boori Pryor	A novel that illustrates the powerful connection to Country. A journey of knowledge and staying true to yourself, told through laughter and affection.
1999	Hard yards	Melissa Lucashenko	This novel explores protagonist Roo Glover’s challenges of striving for athletic greatness and overcoming challenges of adoption, detention, poverty and finding family.
2001	Bitin’ back	Vivienne Cleven	A humorous novel set around single mother Mavis and her son who decides he is a white woman, and the subsequent challenges in a small town. Touching on issues of homophobia and racism.
2001	Earth	Bruce Pascoe	A story of love, hypocrisy and murder. Overcoming despair to see hope triumph against all odds, as old values are brought back to life.
2001	Long time now	Alf Taylor	An original collection of witty stories woven together.
2001	There’ll be new dreams	Phillip McLaren	A journey from a country town to the city where dreams live. Exploring marriage, kidnapping, family, music and art.
2001	Who am I? The diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937	Anita Heiss	A diary of a young Aboriginal girl who is a member of the Stolen Generations. Her struggles, resilience and experiences are stored in her diary as she journeys to her identity.
2002	Her sister’s eye	Vivienne Cleven	This novel explores the diversity of emotions that stem from the saying ‘always remember where you’re from’. Through two sisters comes a story of survival, and how to move on from the past.
2002	Njunjul the sun	Meme Mcdonald & Boori Monty Pryor	The story of a young Aboriginal boy’s experience and struggles since leaving his family for the city life and his realisation that he must know his own people to know his own sense of identity.
2002	Too flash	Melissa Lucashenko	An exploration of the challenges of being a young Aboriginal person in an urban environment – touching on friendship, class, race, history and identity.
2003	Kakadu calling	Jane Christophersen	A collection of stories from Jane Christophersen, a Bunitji Elder from Kakadu. Depicting the Australian bush and the experience of travelling through Country.
2003	Not quite men no longer boys	KC Laughton	An Aboriginal boy, who is barely 19, leaves the bush for a tour of duty in Vietnam. This novel explores the associated lessons, challenges and, ultimately, life and death he encounters, alongside friendship.
2004	Home	Larissa Behrendt	A young Aboriginal lawyer returns to the traditional land of her grandmother, bringing to life a family history affected by the Stolen Generations.
2005	Butterfly song	Terri Janke	Where does a black lawyer fit in a white system? Tarena explores this question by heading back to the home of her grandparents, Thursday Island, where she takes on her first case that includes a man, a guitar and a special song.
2006	Carpentaria	Alexis Wright	An epic set in the gulf of north western Queensland, in a town called Desperance, that explores several interconnected stories within the Aboriginal community and outside of it.
2006	Swallow the air	Tara June Winch	A narrative of a broken family and a young girl’s search for identity and belonging. May learns that it is the people you meet that shape you.
2007	Me, Antman & Fleabag	Gayle Kennedy	A collection of short stories that encapsulates the story of the Aboriginal narrator, her partner Antman, their dog Fleabag and their life while travelling in rural Australia.
2007	Yirra and her deadly dog, Demon	Anita Heiss & students of La Perouse Public School; illustrated by Adam Hill	Yirra needs to find a dog trainer quickly or she’ll be forced to give Demon to a new family, as Yirra’s mum and neighbours are sick of him. Bursting with energy, Yirra and Demon offer a view into contemporary Aboriginal life and identity.
2009	Bloke	Bruce Pascoe	Jim Bloke is a typical Aussie guy – as an orphan he has had some tough trots but takes care of himself and knows what’s important in life. Jim tackles the difficulties and challenges in finding his identity.
2009	Every secret thing	Marie Munkara	In a clash of faith and culture, life on an Aboriginal mission is positioned between a battle of saving souls and saving traditional cultures.
2009	Legacy	Larissa Behrendt	Simone, a young and clever Aboriginal lawyer studying at Harvard, juggles her relationship with her father, a prominent Aboriginal rights activist.
2010	That deadman dance	Kim Scott	Young Noongar man Bobby befriends new arrivals, joining them for hunting and land exploration. Unrest around the community means Bobby is left to take sides, who will he choose?
2011	Blood	Tony Birch	Although only a child, Jesse knows he will be the one to take care of his sister. In a path of destruction from his mum, Jesse – seeing violence and trouble before him – knows to trust what’s in his blood.
2011	Purple threads	Jeanine Leane	A book based on childhood experiences of growing up Aboriginal in a white country farming town. In a household of fiercely independent women, the Aunties have sage advice for their nieces.
2012	Charlie Burr: and the crazy cockroach disaster	Sally Morgan; illustrated by Peter Sheehan	After having his magic box confiscated, mischievous Charlie must get back into his mum’s good books if he wants to perform in his school’s magic show.
2012	Fog a dox	Bruce Pascoe	Albert is a bushman, living life surrounded by animals and birds, with a pet dingo and now Fog, a dox (a fox raised by a dingo). Everything is going well for Albert until he has an accident.
2012	Grace beside me	Sue McPherson	Follow Fuzzy, a teenage girl living in rural NSW with her Nan and Pop, facing the challenges of adolescence and finding self-acceptance.
2012	The interrogation of Ashala Wolf	Ambelin Kwaymullina	Ashala has been captured by a man intent on destroying her tribe by using a machine to extract secrets from her mind. Will the tribe survive this interrogation?
2012	Mazin Grace	Dylan Coleman	Growing up on the Mission isn’t easy for Grace. She struggles to find a place she belongs in a community that rejects her for reasons she doesn’t understand.
2012	Ruby moonlight	Ali Cobby Eckerman	A verse novel focusing on the impact of colonisation in South Australia in 1880. Ruby, the refuge of a massacre, shelters in the woods and must overcome fear of discovery for her need for human contact.
2013	Calypso summer	Jared Thomas	Calypso, a Nukunu man who is fresh out of high school, fails to secure what he thinks is his dream job in sports retail, and begins working for a health food shop. Pressure from his boss to gather native plants leads him to his Nukunu family and an immersive journey into culture.
2013	Deadly D and Justice Jones: making the team	David Hartley & Scott Prince	Dylan is unhappy after having to move from Mt Isa to Brisbane. He finds support in his principal and in new-found friend Justice Jones. An excursion to watch the Broncos train turns into Dylan’s alter ego being scouted as ‘Deadly D’. How will he keep the curse a secret?
2013	The disappearance of ember crow	Ambelin Kwaymullina	Ember Crow is missing. To find her friend Ashala Wolf, she must control her behaviour and abilities. What no one realises is that Ember is harbouring terrible secrets and is trying to protect the tribe.
2013	The heaven i swallowed	Rachel Hennessy	A tale of the Stolen Generations, told from the perspective of the white perpetrator. Grace takes Mary, an Aboriginal girl, into her home believing she can save her by providing the benefits of white society. How will her past condemn her?
2013	Mullumbimby	Melissa Lucashenko	Jo’s divorce settlement evokes her need for a sea change, buying a property on her ancestor’s Country to grow a connection with the land. With dissent from her teenage daughter, disdain from her white neighbours and a native title war looming, where will she find herself?
2013	A most peculiar act	Marie Munkara	This story casts a sardonic eye on the protectionist policies of the early 20th century. Sugar, an Aboriginal fringe-camp dweller, resists assimilation and challenges the authorities, with an outcome no one could foresee.
2013	Rise of the fallen	Teagan Chilcott	A paranormal romance, including demons, angels and elementals all at war for power. Emilie, a feisty young girl, finds herself stuck in a love triangle and is soon lost in the world she’s been running from.
2014	Deadly D & Justice Jones: rising star	David Hartley & Scott Prince	The rugby league adventure Deadly D finds himself in as a new NRL Superstar keeps getting deadlier. What will Dylan and Justice Jones do when a reporter finds out about Dylan’s curse?
2014	Rift breaker	Tristan Michael Savage	A sci-fi adventure novel that explores alienation and identity. Milton Lance, a lowly engineer, returns to the interior of the space vessel to find the entire crew dead. Milton undertakes a journey leading him to a knowledge that he is a saviour of worlds.
2015	Becoming Kirrali Lewis	Jane Harrison	Kirrali, an Aboriginal girl adopted into a white family, is comfortable where she is in life and where she is headed, although not knowing ‘who she was’. University serves as a catalyst for her awakening and pursuit of identity.
2015	Deadly D & Justice Jones: the search	David Hartley & Scott Prince	Dylan and Justice Jones continue their journey of keeping Dylan’s secret of the curse that makes him Deadly D. Should Dylan fess up to his mum that he has been using his superpowers?
2015	The foretelling of Georgie Spider	Ambelin Kwaymullina	Georgie Spider has foretold the end of the world, and the only one able to stop it is Ashala Wolf. Georgie has foreseen Ashala’s death, but can she change the future?
2015	Ghost River	Tony Birch	The river is a place of history and secrets. For Ren and Sonny it serves as a place for freedom and adventure. Each visit sees a secret slip into the waters. Who has the courage to survive it?
2015	The Girl From the Great Sandy Desert	Jukuna Mona Chuguna,  Pat Lowe	The Girl from the Great Sandy Desert is the remarkable account of the life of Mana, a young Walmajarri girl and her family in the desert country of north-west Australia.
2015	Harry’s secret	Anita Heiss	Harry has a secret – he loves to draw. Art isn’t as cool as skateboarding, fishing and footy. As Harry enters an art competition, will his talent remain hidden?
2015	Sea horse	Bruce Pascoe	Jack and his family escape to Seahorse Bay whenever they can, exploring the waters, fishing and cooking. When Jack and his dad find a sunken ship, they decide to salvage it. What story does it hold?
2015	Sister heart	Sally Morgan	After being stolen from her family and sent to an institution, a young Aboriginal girl must find strength in new friendships in the face of tragedy.
2015	The swan book	Alexis Wright	Set in the future, with Aboriginal people still living under the Intervention in the north, and with climate change affecting the environment. Drawing attention to issues faced by Aboriginal people today.
2016	After the carnage	Tara June Winch	A collection of punchy and emotional short stories that encapsulate intergenerational grief, cross-cultural grief, racism and family dysfunction.
2016	Eagle, crow and emu	Gladys Milroy & Jill Milroy	Three stories, told in the tradition of teaching stories, follow journeys of self-discovery and fulfilment.
2016	Matty’s comeback	Anita Heiss	Matty adores football and is South Sydney’s number-one supporter and a star in his local team. When things don’t go to plan in helping his team to the semi-finals, help comes from surprising places.
2016	Mrs Whitlam	Bruce Pascoe	Marnie loves riding horses but does not own one. The adventures begin when she is gifted a horse, Mrs Margaret Whitlam, a big Clydesdale dubbed Maggie.
2016	The Drover's Wife	Leah Purcell	Lawson’s original short story is reimagined vividly to portray the drover’s heroic wife as a righteous avenger - on behalf of herself, her children and her race - in a savage male world.
2016	Songs that sound like blood	Jared Thomas	Roxy goes on a confronting journey searching for herself, with music in her soul and songs in her heart. She moves to the city from a small town to follow her dreams. Her biggest challenge is experiencing emotions extending beyond her knowledge.
2017	My Australian story: our race to reconciliation	Anita Heiss	An unforgettable journey to Corroboree 2000, celebrating Australia’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander heritage and the acknowledgment of past wrongs.
2017	Terra Nullius	Claire G. Coleman	In the near future Australia is about to experience colonisation once more. What have we learned from our past?
2018	Too Much Lip	Melissa Lucashenko	Set in the fictional Australian town of Durrongo, stories of generations of an Aboriginal family living on Country are shared through a fast-paced plot.
2018	Catching Teller Crow	Ambelin and Ezekiel Kwaymullina	Examining racism, violence, terrible historic injustices and corruption within the police force, this book explores trauma and survival.
2018	Brontide	Sue McPherson	Brontide is a coming of age story about four boys and their lot in life. Recounted through storytelling sessions at their school over a period of five days, these boys chronicle their lives. They are at times demanding, occasionally rude, always funny and unexpectedly profound.
2019	The White Girl	Tony Birch	An exploration of the lengths we will go to in order to save the people we love.
2019	The Yield	Tara June Winch.	A story of a people and a culture dispossessed. But it is as much a celebration of what was and what endures, and a powerful reclaiming of Indigenous language, storytelling and identity.
2019	Ghost Bird	Lisa Fuller	Follows the tale of Aboriginal twins Laney and Stacey, who grew up in their lower-middle-class rural Australian town.
2020	Benevolence	Julie Janson	Presents an important era in Australia’s history from an Aboriginal perspective.
2020	Song of the Crocodile	Nardi Simpson	A lament to choice and change, and the unyielding land that sustains us all, if only we could listen to it.
2020	Truganini: Journey Through the Apocalypse	Cassandra Pybus	A story of an old Aboriginal woman who would wander across their farm on Bruny Island, in south-east Tasmania, in the 1850s and 1860s
2021	Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray (River of Dreams)	Anita Heiss	Set around the time of Gundagai's flood of 1852, it concerns the life of a young Wiradjuri woman, Wagadhaany, the daughter of Yarri, and her relationships with her colonial masters, and her people who live near Murrumbidya.
2021	After Story	Larissa Behrendt	A brave, unflinching journey of an Indigenous mother and daughter who embark on a tenday literary tour of England, and in the process uncover many truths from back home.
2021	The Boy from the Mish	Gary Lonesborough	A story about first love, identity, and the superpower of self-belief.
2021	After Story	Larissa Behrendt	When a mother and daughter take the overseas trip of a lifetime, they discover that the past is never quite behind them
2022	This All Come Back Now	Mykaela Saunders	Included in this anthology of First Nations fiction, are all those things that have been taken from us, that we collectively mourn the loss of, or attempt to recover and revive, as well as those that we thought we’d gotten rid of, that are always returning to haunt and hound us.
2022	Koori Princess	Anita Heiss	An insightful and humorous story of a young girl's determination to be who she wants to be.
2022	Tracks Of The Missing	Carl Merrison, Hakea Hustler	Deklan ‘Dek’ Archer and his mates arrive at school to a tense atmosphere. ‘Old Mate’, Mr Henry, who has lived in town for a long time, has been found murdered.
2022	This All Comes Back Now	Mykaela Saunders	An anthology of First Nations speculative fiction about all those things that have been taken from us, that we collectively mourn the loss of, or attempt to recover and revive, as well as those that we thought we’d gotten rid of, that are always returning to haunt and hound us.
2022	Sixty Seven Days	Yvonne Weldon	Evie has been raised in the heart of Aboriginal Redfern, by a proud trailblazing Wiradjuri family. She remembers so much about the previous world – the Dreamtime, the ancestors, and the knowing – but she also harbours a dark pain that is becoming almost too much to bear.

Biography and non-fiction by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors

Year of publication	Title	Author	Short synopsis
1987	My place	Sally Morgan	An autobiography about the journey for knowledge about Morgan’s family history and the false pretence she lived with when growing up.
1988	Don’t take your love to town	Ruby Langford Ginibi	A story covering five generations of familial ties, an autobiography portraying growing up in Australia, depicting the social divide of black and white.
1991	A boy’s life	Jack Davis	An autobiography of Davis’ experience of boyhood in south-west WA during the Great Depression.
1994	Auntie Rita	Jackie Huggins	Rita Huggins told her memories to her daughter, and this book encompasses some of that conversation as well as their two voices, and two views on a shared life.
1995	Jandamarra and the bunuba resistance	Banjo Woorunmurra & Howard Pederson	The true story of Aboriginal resistance fighter Jandamarra and the fight against the last stage of invasion as leases and lines are marked across Aboriginal Country.
1995	When the pelican laughed	Alice Nannup	Exploring growing up as a black woman in Australia through humour and insight.
1996	Follow the rabbit-proof fence	Doris Pilkington Garimara	Telling the story of Pilkington’s mother, this novel follows the journey home after escaping a settlement where she was placed after being stolen from her family as a result of government policies.
2003	Is that you, Ruthie?	Ruth Hegarty	A memoir depicting Ruthie’s life on an Aboriginal Mission in Cherbourg from where she was sent to work as a domestic servant.
2003	Shadow lines	Stephen Kinnane	The story of Jessie Argyle, a survivor of the Stolen Generations, and her life of falling in love with an Englishman against strong opposition.
2007	Born to run, my story	Cathy Freeman	A memoir of Cathy Freeman’s childhood, earmarked by running and determination.
2010	Maybe tomorrow	Meme McDonald & Boori Monty Pryor	Exploring the life and career path of Boori Monty Pryor, from the Aboriginal fringe camps of his birth to the catwalk, basketball court and DJ console. Told with humour and compassion.
2011	The Aboriginal soccer tribe	John Maynard	An exploration of Aboriginal contributions to soccer on a worldwide scale
2012	Am I black enough for you?	Anita Heiss	A memoir on identity, asking the question of what it means to be Aboriginal.
2012	Double native	Fiona Wirrer-George Oochunyung	A memoir depicting life and the search for identity and exploring the contemporary Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander dance movement. Finding the missing piece and discovering how Austrian heritage meshes with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander identity.
2012	The little red yellow black book: an introduction to Indigenous Australia (3rd ed.)	Bruce Pascoe & AIATSIS	The bestselling introduction to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australia, written from a First Nations viewpoint, the book facilitates understanding, respect and reconciliation between all Australians.
2013	Our stories are our survival	Lawrence Bamblett	This story brings light to the continued strength of Aboriginal culture, focusing on the continuity of Wiradjuri culture
2013	Traditional Healers of Central Australia: Ngangkari	NPY Women's Council Aboriginal Corporation	Ngangkari are Anangu traditional healers, who have received special tools and training from their grandparents.
2014	Dark emu	Bruce Pascoe	Dark emu provides an extensive argument in opposition to the ‘hunter-gatherer’ label placed on pre-colonial Aboriginal people.
2014	Tell Me Again	Amy Thunig	A journey through childhood and adolescence, growing up with parents who struggled with addiction and incarceration.
2015	Not just black and white	Lesley Williams & Tammy Williams	A memoir about two women’s determination to ensure history is remembered accurately. With honesty, humour and unexpected friendship.
2015	Old man’s story: the last thoughts of Kakadu Elder Bill Neidjie	Bill Neidji & Bill Lang	In his own words, ‘Old man’ records aspects of his life and the importance of looking after Country for the younger generation of Gagudju people. With personal reflection throughout.
2016	Finding Eliza: power and colonial storytelling	Larissa Behrendt	In this personal story, Eliza Fraser’s life forms a starting point to interrogating the nature of colonial storytelling and the way in which this has contributed to a racial divide in Australia.
2016	Manyarni-kari Yurrk, more stories from Gurindji Country	Erika Charola, Felicity Meakins (Eds), Ronnie Wavehill, Dandy Danbayarri, Blanche Bulngari, Pincher Nyurrmiari, Banjo Ryan, Violet Wadrill, Connie Ngarmeiye, Topsy Dodd Narnjal, Biddy Wavehill Yamawurr	On 23 August 1966, approximately 200 Gurindji stockmen and their families walked off Wave Hill Station in the Northern Territory, protesting against poor working conditions and the taking of their land by pastoralists.
2016	Pictures from my memory: my story as a Ngaatjatjarra woman	Lizzie Marrkilyi Ellis	Ellis’ autobiographical account of experience in the Western Desert, where first contact between her family and white Australians was at the time of her birth. Weaving personal reflections with history.
2016	Talking to my Country	Stan Grant	A powerful and personal memoir on race, culture and national identity. A response to racism in Australia and the hardship and difficulty in being an Aboriginal person.
2018	Gathering sticks – lighting up small fires	Margaret Heffernan (with Gerard Waterford & Frances Coughlan)	A biography that captures Margaret Heffernan’s desire to pass on to her children and future generations the story of her life, a life in transition from traditional culture to a very different world that is still unfolding.
2018	We Always Stay, stories from seven remarkable Aboriginal teachers in remote Australia	Linda Anderson, Tarna Andrews, Fiona Gibson, Mona Kantawara, Barbara Martin, Yamurna (Nancy) Oldfield, Carolyn Windy, Lisa Hall	We Always Stay contains the stories of seven remarkable teachers from remote communities in central Australia. All of these teachers speak, read and write in at least their own language as well as English. Many of them are multilingual in several Aboriginal languages.
2018	Growing up Aboriginal in Australia	Anita Heiss (editor)	An anthology compiled by award-winning author Anita Heiss, showcasing many diverse voices, experiences and stories in response to the question of what it is like to grow up Aboriginal in Australia.
2018	Marcia Langton: Welcome To Country 2nd edition	Marcia Langton	Australia is home to the longest continuing culture on Earth, and Welcome to Country 2nd edition highlights myriad ways to engage and deepen our knowledge and appreciation of the First peoples through travel.
2019	Sand Talk	Tyson Yunkaporta.	Looking at global systems from an Indigenous perspective, this book provides a template for living.
2019	Birrka Marnini, Making Things Mudburra	Shannon Kulngankarri Dixon, Wendy Hughes, Janey Walanyku Lungabirni Dixon, Raymond Dimakarri Dixon, Maureen Bill, Sarah Bill, Raylene Bill, Susan Kingston, Johnny Devlin Nangkurrunyungu, Amanda Hamilton-Holloway, David Osgarby, Rob Pensalfini, Felicity Meakins	Mudburra country is located in the middle of the Northern Territory. Our people live in Elliott and Marlinjaand further away in Top Springs, Yarralin and Kalkaringi. In this book, we show you how we prepare some bush medicines, such as bush vicks, and how we collect different tucker, such as hunting turkeys and collecting mussels. We also show you some of our country at Narrwan.
2019	Young Dark Emu	Bruce Pascoe.	Using the accounts of early European explorers, colonists and farmers, this book reconsiders the hunter-gatherer label for pre-colonial Aboriginal Australians for young readers.
2019	Australia Day	Stan Grant	A story about our country, about who we are as a nation, about the indigenous struggle for belonging and identity in Australia, and what it means to be Australian.
2019	Salt: Selected Essays And Stories	Bruce Pascoe.	This volume of Pascoe’s best and most celebrated stories and essays, explores Australia’s landscape, culture, land management and history.
2019	Noongar Bush Tucker	Vivienne Hansen, John Horsfall	This book is an attempt to preserve bush tucker knowledge for future generations of Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people to ensure the information is not lost with the passing of Elders.
2019	Songspirals	Laklak Burarrwaa, Ritjilili Ganambarr, Merrkiyawuy Ganambarr-Stubbs, Banbapuy Ganambarr, Sarah Wright, Sandie Suchet-Pearson, Kate Lloyd, Djawundil Maymuru, Gay'wu Group of Women None	A rare opportunity to connect with the living tradition of women's songlines, as recounted by Yolngu women from far north Australia.
2019	Tell Me Why: the story of my life and my music	Archie Roach	A powerful memoir of a true Australian legend: stolen child, musical and lyrical genius, and leader.
2020	Jack Charles	Jack Charles	Jack Charles has worn many hats throughout his life- actor, cat burglar, musician, heroin addict, activist, even Senior Victorian Australian of the Year. But the title he's most proud to claim is that of Aboriginal Elder.
2020	Great Journeys undertaken by Aboriginal people in ancient Australia	Francesca Robertson, Noel Nannup, Jason Barrow	Based on recent research from Edith Cowan University converging contemporary Western and Nyoongar Aboriginal knowledge perspectives, this publication reimagines the epic journeys of ancient Aboriginal people in the Western Australian region in view of the shifting climatic and geographic conditions over millennia and the quest for survival and expansion; features Nyoongar and other Aboriginal language terms and concepts
2020	A Question of Colour; my journey to belonging	Adam C Lees and Pattie Lees	Pattie Lees was just ten-years-old when she and her four siblings were separated from their mother on the grounds of neglect and placed into State care.
2020	Loving Country	Bruce Pascoe, Vicky Shukuroglou	Photographed guidebook that offers a new way to travel and discover Australia through an Indigenous narrative
2020	Fire Country	Victor Steffensen.	A powerful account about Indigenous land management and how the revival of cultural burning practices, and improved 'reading' of Country, could help to restore our land.
2020	My Tidda, My Sister	Marlee Silva	This book shares the experiences of Indigenous women and girls, to provide a rebuttal to the idea that 'you can’t be what you can’t see'. For non-Indigenous women, it demonstrates the diversity of what success can look like and offers an insight into the lives of their Indigenous sisters and peers.
2020	Talkin' Up To The White Woman	Aileen Moreton-Robinson	In this ground-breaking and timeless book, Distinguished Professor Aileen Moreton-Robinson undertakes a compelling analysis of the whiteness of Australian feminism and its effect on Indigenous women.
2020	Songlines The Power and Promise	Lynn Kelly and Margo Neale	The First Knowledges series offers an introduction to Indigenous knowledges in vital areas and their application to the present day and the future.
2021	With The Falling Of The Dusk	Stan Grant	A deeply powerful, poetic and compelling book on the challenges facing our world, from one of Australia's most experienced journalists and international commentators
2021	Moort, a celebration of a traditional and contemporary Aboriginal family system	Francesca Robertson, Noel Nannup, David Coall, Dan McAullay, Alison Nannup	A scholarly, cross-cultural exploration of the Nyoongar Aboriginal concept of moort (family) pre and post-contact with a view to improving the way government agencies (particularly welfare bodies) understand and interact with present-day Nyoongar families and their children.
2021	Everything You Need to Know About the Uluru Statement from the Heart	Megan Davis and George Williams	An essential reading on how our Constitution was drafted, what the 1967 referendum achieved, and the lead-up and response to the Uluru Statement. Importantly, it explains how the Uluru Statement offers change that will benefit the whole nation.
2021	Wiradjuri Country	Larry Brandy	This is a unique book combining language, culture, Indigenous history and storytelling, written by a Wiradjuri author
2021	Another Day In The Colony	Chelsea Watego	A ground-breaking work – and a call to arms – that exposes the ongoing colonial violence experienced by First Nations people.
2021	Heroes, Rebels And Innovators	Karen Wyld, Jaelyn Biumaiwai	Be inspired and amazed by these incredible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander icons! With colourful artwork and evocative writing, this book tells stories every Australian should know.
2022	The Boy From Boomerang Crescent	Eddie Betts	It’s a long, hard road from the Nullarbor to the MCG. How does a self-described ‘skinny Aboriginal kid’ overcome a legacy of family tragedy to become an AFL legend?
2022	Big Love	Brooke Blurton	A raw, moving and uplifting memoir about courage, resilience and the transformative power of love,
2022	Jack of Hearts: QX11594	Jackie Huggins and Ngaire Jarro	Born an only child in North Queensland, Jack Huggins had an idyllic childhood in Ayr, where his family somehow escaped the harsh Queensland government treatment of  First Nations’ peoples.
2022	Growing Up Wiradjuri	Anita Heiss	A collection of personal stories by Wiradjuri Elders. The writers are Uncles and Aunties who came of age in New South Wales in the 1950s and 1960s.
2022	Finding the Heart of the Nation – 2nd Edition	Thomas Mayor	In this updated edition of the bestselling book, Finding the Heart of the Nation, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander author Thomas Mayor gets behind the politics and legal speak to explain why the Uluru Statement from the Heart is an invitation to all Australians.
2023	The Queen is Dead	Stan Grant	The Queen reigned for seventy years. She came to the throne at the height of Empire and died with the world at a tipping point. What comes next after the death of what Stan Grant calls 'the last white Queen'?

Picture books by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors

Year of publication	Title	Author & illustrator	Short synopsis
1972	Stradbroke dreamtime	Oodgeroo Noonuccal, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft	A collection of 27 short stories reflecting old and new Dreaming stories with colourful illustrations.
1987	Tjarany Roughrail: the dreaming of the roughtail lizard and other stories	Gracie Greene, Joe Tramacchi & Lucille Gill	Eight Dreaming stories from the Kukatja people of the remote Kimberly region of Western Australia.
1993	As I grew older: the life and times of a Nunga growing up along the Murray River	Ian Abdulla	An autobiographical picture book by an Aboriginal artist who recreates his experiences as a child growing up on the banks of the Murray River, and his family’s survival and skill development.
2000	Kupi-kupi and he girl	Daphne Punytjina Burton, illustrated by Carolyn Windy	A traditional bilingual story from Areyonga in the Northern Territory. A whimsical account of a young girl who spends her time chasing willy-willies, when one day the Kupi spirits take her away to a waterhole where she is guarded by a giant water snake, and her subsequent rescue.
2001	A is for Aunty	Elaine Russell	This book explores the alphabet to illuminate life growing up on a mission, including billycart racing and yabby fishing.
2004	The mark of the wagarl	Lorna Little, illustrated by Janice Lyndon	Maadjit Walken is the Sacred Rainbow Serpent. She is the mother spirit and creator of Nyoongar Country in the south-west of WA. This is the story of how a little boy dared to question the wisdom of his Elders and how he received his totem.
2006	The lizard gang	Kirra Somerville, illustrated by Grace Fielding	Zed, Boo, Eliza and Zoro, a spirited gang of monitor lizards who are constantly trying to one-up each other, have to learn the meaning of teamwork if they want to escape a raging flood.
2007	Bilby and the bushfire	Joanna Crawford, illustrated by Grace Fielding	When a storm sparks a raging bushfire, Bilby and his friends must leave their homes to escape the danger. What will Bilby do?
2008	Malu kangaroo	Judith Morecroft, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft	This story tells how people first learned to surf through the kangaroo spirit of Malu Kangaroo who teaches and guides the young children on the beach.
2009	Maralinga, the Anangu story	Yalata, Oak Valley Communities with Christobel Mattingley	In words and pictures, the Anangu story is told: what happened in the Maralinga Tjaritja lands of South Australia before and after the bombs went off.
2009	Sam’s bush journey	Sally Morgan, illustrated by Bronwyn Bancroft	Sam loves DVDs, iPods and iPhones and hates the outdoors; he would not even care if it disappeared. When he goes to stay with his Nanna he begins walking in the bush.
2010	Caterpillar and butterfly	Ambelin Kwaymullina	A caterpillar lived all alone; the world was large and strange, which made her fear. Caterpillar was determined to escape any possible danger, so she hid in the safety of her chrysalis until gaining the inner strength to enjoy the wonders of the world.
2010	Dead man’s gold	Michal Torres, illustrated by Sharyn Egan	A story that draws on the legends of the outback, featuring treasure hunting, droving and gold prospecting. Billy Stone heads out on a cattle muster but it leads to startling discoveries.
2010	Fair skin black fella	Renee Fogorty	The other girls shun Mary, a young girl who lives on a cattle station because she has fair skin. A community Elder speaks up for her and with wisdom instils that Aboriginality transcends skin colour.
2010	How frogmouth found her home	Ambelin Kwaymullina	Frogmouth is not like the other birds. She does not want to live in trees, so she travels the land for somewhere else that feels like true home, along the way helping other animals finding their homes.
2010	Loongie, the greedy crocodile	Kiefer Dann & Lucy Dann	Loongie is a greedy saltwater crocodile who lives in the mangroves at Walaman Creek in the remote Kimberley region. He doesn’t have any friends. Loongie needs to learn why he shouldn’t be greedy.
2010	Me and my dad	Sally Morgan	While spending the day at the beach with his dad, a young boy soon learns that even his fearless dad has something he’s afraid of and needs help to overcome.
2010	The old frangipani tree at flying fish point	Trina Saffioti	Set in a small Queensland town in the 1950s, a young girl must get help from her family when she has nothing to wear to the annual fancy dress carnival.
2010	Our world Bardi Jaawi, life at Ardiyooloon	One Arm Point Remote Community School	Ardiyooloon is home to the Bardi Jaawi people and is at the end of a red dirt road at the top of the Dampier Peninsula. This book explores the lives of the children living in this community.
2010	Scaly-tailed possum and echidna	Cathy Goonack, illustrated by Marlene, Katrina & Myron Goonack.	A Dreaming story that features the scaly-tailed possum, which is only found in the remote Kimberley region, and the echidna. This story tells of the Wandjina, the Creator.
2010	Shake a leg	Boori Pryor & Jan Ormerod	A collaboration about having fun and sharing the cultural power of story and dance. When three young boys meet an Aboriginal chef who makes deadly pizza, they are in for a surprise.
2010	Why I love Australia	Bronwyn Bancroft	Celebrating country through vivid imagery and words to explore the beauty of Australia and the associated feelings.
2010	Sharing	Aunty Fay Muir, Sue Lawson, Leanne Mulgo Watson	A tender, thoughtful story with a gentle reminder of all the ways sharing makes us stronger.
2011	The girl from the Great Sandy Desert	Jukuna Mona & Pat Lowe illustrated by Mervyn Street	An account of the life of Mana, a young Walmajarri girl and her family in the desert country of north-west Australia. A collection of stories accompanied by black-and-white illustrations.
2011	Once there was a boy	Dub Leffler	The story of a small boy with a broken heart and the young girl he befriends who shares his secret. A timeless text for both children and adults.
2011	Stolen girl	Trina Saffioti, illustrated by Norma MacDonald	A fictionalised account of one member of the Stolen Generations. A young girl is taken from her family and sent to a children’s home. Until she opens the door and ventures her first step home.
2012	A beach for us to play	Nola Turner-Jensen, illustrated by Maggie Prewett	Have fun with Maggie and her family on their beach adventure. Part of the Deadly reads for deadly readers – salt water series.
2012	Bubbay: a Christmas adventure	Josie Boyle	Bubbay lives in the outback, spending his days protecting a herd of goats from dingoes, sleeping in his swag and occasionally visiting Mrs Timms for eggs. One Christmas, Bubbay wishes for something he has never wished for, and used the natural and spiritual world and other companions to get it.
2012	Bush bash!	Sally Morgan, illustrated by Ambelin Kwaymullina	Dingo is headed somewhere and seems very excited. He won’t tell the animals where he is going, so they follow him until his final destination is revealed.
2012	My home Broome	Tamzyne Richardson, illustrated by Bronwyn Houston	Centered on a poem, this book encapsulates the multicultural town of Broome with vivid illustrations and artistic expression.
2012	The sugarbag	Nola Turner-Jensen	An adventure of two young brothers who are travelling to visit their grandfather. They encounter a tiny native bee and follow it in hope of some delicious sugarbag.
2012	Two mates	Melanie Prewett	A true story of the special mateship of two boys growing up in Broome, Jack is Aboriginal and Raf is non-Indigenous and has spina bifida. They share their daily life together and go on adventures, hunting barni and dressing up.
2013	Alfie’s search for destiny	David A Hardy	This story follows Alfie’s search for his destiny, and the highs and lows he experiences after leaving home.
2013	Bakir and Bi	Jillian Boyd, illustrated by Tori-Jay Mordey	Based on a Torres Strait Islander Creation story, Bakir (rock) and Mar (storm bird) live together on a remote island with their two young children. While fishing they discover a special pelican named Bi.
2013	Remembering Lionsville: my family story	Bronwyn Bancroft	This book brings together Bancroft’s family’s oral history and her own childhood memories.
2013	Too many cheeky dogs	Johanna Bell, Illustrated by Dion Beasley	A cheeky story about naughty camp dogs living in a remote Aboriginal community.
2014	Alfie’s big wish	David Hardy	Alfie goes on a quest for companionship after his friends leave him, which causes him to feel alone and sad. Sometimes wishes come true.
2014	Badudu stories	May L O’Brien, illustrated by Angela Leaney	True stories about Aboriginal children moving from a remote community to a mainstream school, told from the children’s perspective.
2014	The lost girl	Ambelin Kwaymullina	A girl has lost her way, wandering away from her mother and the Aunties. Mother nature will help her find her way home.
2014	Silly birds	Gregg Dreise	A tale of morality that follows Maliyan, a proud eagle who meets a silly turkey. They go on an adventure to work towards doing the right thing, through the guidance of Elders.
2014	The spotty dotty lady	Josie Boyle, illustrated by Fern Martins	A story of a woman who is inspired by a flower in her garden and she begins to paint spots on everything she owns. Touching on the transformative power of nature.
2015	ABC dreaming	Warren Brim	A book that features the artwork of Warren Brim, using Australian plants and animals to explore the alphabet.
2015	Budinge and the Min Min lights	Uncle Joe Kirk, illustrated by Sandi Harrold	A Dreaming story about young Budinge, who sees a bright light twinkling through the trees in the deep Australian bush. Could these be the Min Min lights?
2015	Kookoo kookaburra	Gregg Dreise	Follow Kookoo the kookaburra who moves from entertaining to making fun of and teasing the other animals, who then leave him alone. Will he learn his lesson and regain his friends?
2015	My lost mob	Venetia Tyson	A story about a young emu who has lost his mob, and his journey to find them. He meets various other characters, who provide the young emu with their own directions.
2016	Dingo’s tree	Gladys Milroy & Jill Milroy	A story of Dingo, Wombat, Crow and their friends as they struggle to exist alongside mining and surviving its devastating impact.
2016	Dream little one, dream	Sally Morgan, illustrated by Ambelin Kwaymullina	This bedtime story celebrates the wonders of nature in a rhythmic way, from morning to night.
2016	I love me	Sally Morgan, illustrated by Ambelin Kwaymullina	A story about self-esteem and celebrating individuality.
2016	Joey counts to ten	Sally Morgan, illustrated by Ambelin Kwaymullina	Learn to count through the rhythm of life in the bush, as Joey and his mum go about their day.
2016	My mum’s special secret	Sally Morgan, illustrated by Ambelin Kwaymullina	A book about Mother’s Day, where mum tells baby kookaburra her special secret, and baby kookaburra has a secret too.
2016	Welcome To Country	Aunty Joy Murphy, Lisa Kennedy	A very accessible welcome that introduces and gives meaning and explanation within the text to the customs and symbols of Indigenous Australia.
2017	Mad magpie	Gregg Dreise	Mad Magpie tells the story passed on from his Elders about Guluu, the angry magpie, and how Guluu resolves his anger.
2018	Benny Bungarra’s big bush clean up	Sally Morgan, illustrated by Ambelin Kwaymullina	An environmental tale aimed at early childhood and lower primary readers, showing how animals are affected by rubbish left in their habitat.
2019	Baby business	Jasmine Seymour	The story of the baby smoking ceremony that welcomes baby to Country.
2019	Gulumerrdjin Madawa	Jason Lee	An introduction to Larrakia language, the language of the Gulumerrdjin (Larrakia) people of the Darwin and Cox Peninsula regions (NT), through a selection of animal-related words and original illustrations
2019	Wilam, A Birrarung Story	Aunty Joy Murphy, Andrew Kelly,  Lisa Kennedy (Illustrator)	Tells the story of one day in the life of the vital, flourishing Birrarung (Yarra river).
2019	Cooee Mittigar	Jasmine Seymour, Leanne Mulgo Watson	Cooee Mittigar, meaning Come Here Friend, is an invitation to yana (walk), on Darug Country and tells a story on Darug Songlines, introducing children and adults-alike to Darug Nura (Country) and language.
2020	Coming home to country	Bronwyn Bancroft	A visual and lyrical depiction of coming home to Country from acclaimed author and illustrator Bronwyn Bancroft.
2020	Miwal ga Djambuwal	Djalarra Stanley Rankin	A Dreamtime story from the Marrangu Djinang people from Central Arnhem Land, relating to the ancestral travels of Miwal (Spirit Woman) and Djambuwal (Spirit Boy) travelling through the region, naming places of significance and in the boy's case changing to become part of the landscape.
2020	Respect	Aunty Fay Muir,  Sue Lawson, Lisa Kennedy	A tender, thoughtful story reminding us to respect others and respect ourselves. Part of the Our Place series which welcomes children to culture.
2020	Our Home, Our Heartbeat	Adam Briggs, Kate Moon,  Rachael Sarra	Adapted from Briggs’ celebrated song 'The Children Came Back', Our Home, Our Heartbeat is a celebration of past and present Indigenous legends, as well as emerging generations, and at its heart honours the oldest continuous culture on earth.
2021	Welcome, Child!	Sally Morgan	A beautiful and heartfelt celebration of the love we feel for a new child.
2021	Awesome Emu	Gregg Dreise	A charming morality tale that reminds us to be humble about our successes.
2021	Sea Country	Aunty Patsy Cameron,  Lisa Kennedy	Sharing the stories and traditions from seasonal island life in Tasmania, with evocative text and stunning illustrations, Sea Country lets the reader know when to pick ripe wild cherries, when the moon (mutton) birds fly home and how the nautilus shells smell like the deepest oceans.
2021	Walking In Gagudju Country: Exploring The Monsoon Forest	Diane Lucas,  Ben Tyler, Emma Long	Walk with us through one of the Top End's magnificent monsoon forests, in Kakadu National Park, learning about the plants, animals and Kundjeyhmi culture along the way.
2021	Story Doctors	Boori Monty Pryor, Rita Sinclair	An empowering story for all Australians, acknowledging our true history, embracing inclusivity, and celebrating the healing powers of nature and culture.
2021	The River	Sally Morgan, Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr	A celebration of the life of the river, taking the reader on a journey of what their eyes can see and their ears can hear; see green ants crawling, hear frogs croaking, a goanna running, a fish splashing...
2022	Open Your Heart to Country	Jasmine Seymour	Told in English and Dharug, this moving account of reconnection to Country, shares the nourishing power of returning home and being immersed in the language of Country, and invites readers to reflect on the importance of place, not only for First Nations’ peoples but for everyone.
2022	Ngulajuku! Tiger’s story of how Nyirrpi came to be	Tiger Tjapaljarri Morris with Fiona Napaljarri Gibson and Angela Harrison	In the book, Morris describes life before kardiya (whitefellas) came to the Tanami. He talks about early experiences with kardiya at Mt Doreen and Yuendumu, mission life in the early days at Yuendumu, and the mammoth task of a small group of Warlpiri men and women who cleared a 150-kilometre stretch for the road from Yuendumu to Nyirripi.
2022	Bush Dance: A Treasury Of Stories	Sally Morgan, Ambelin Kwaymullina	From dingos to galahs, children can watch, learn, listen and count and experience the beauty of country in this magnificent treasury.
2022	Tjitji Lullaby	Zaachariaha Fielding, Michael Ross, Lisa Kennedy	Tjitji is a very special lullaby, showcasing our our rich and diverse animals and land, helping families transition to quiet time and bedtime
2022	Where's My Baby?	Gregg Dreise	A board book that encourages young readers to learn new adjectives in English and the names of iconic Australian animals in the First Nations language, Gamilaraay, in an enjoyable way.
2022	Thank You Rain!	Sally Morgan, Johnny Warrkatja Malibirr	Full of the plants and animals that welcome rain: raindrops in the treetops; birds singing in the rain; raindrops wetting the dry earth and filling creek beds; birds, frogs and kangaroos all enjoying the rain and finishing with Johnny dancing with happiness!
2022	Dhawun Ngamingmi-lda-nha (Looking After Country)	Merinda Walters	A children's book in Gamilaraay and English which addresses the environmental impact of feral animals in Australia.
2023	Shordi Krik (Shorty Creek)	Students from Barunga School with ILF Lifetime Ambassador Justine Clarke	Join students from Barunga School on a trip to their local creek where they play and swim. Written in Kriol and English, everyone will be singing along with this joyful song and learning more about life in Barunga as they go!
2023	Country Tells Us When…(Yawuru Edition)	Tsheena Cooper,  Dalisa Pigram-Ross,  Mary Dann,  Sheree Ford	Some cultures around the world have four seasons that they look out for on a calendar; Summer, Autumn, Winter and Spring. Us Mangala mob, we don't have four seasons that are told to us by a calendar. We have six seasons and Country tells us when they have arrived by what we feel, see, taste, smell and hear
2023	We Look, We Find	Women and Children from Napranum Community	This storybook is the result of a collaborative story writing and art workshop held in the Napranum Community during 2021.

Graphic novels by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors

Year of publication	Title	Author	Short synopsis
2011	Ubby’s underdogs: the legend of the phoenic dragon	Brenton McKenna	Set in Broome in the 1940s, Ubby the streetwise Aboriginal girl, leads her rag-tag gang of underdogs through myths, legends and adventures. After recruiting Sai Fong, a Chinese girl from Shanghai, a series of bizarre adventures full of myths begin.
2013	Neomad	Yijala Yala Project	This three-part sci-fi fantasy adventure comic is available with an interactive comic for tablets and weaves in the significant cultural heritage of Murijuga, on the Burrup Peninsula.
2013	Ubby’s underdogs: heroes beginnings	Brenton McKenna	The ambitious pearling master Paul Donappleton challenges Ubby and her underdogs. Old myths and legends start to take on new meaning as the limits of courage and friendship are tested.
2017	Cleverman	Ryan Griffen, Wolfgang Bylsma & Emily K Smith	Ancient creatures known as the ‘Hairypeople’ must co-exist with humans and battle for survival. One young man, the Cleverman, must navigate his power and unite this divided world.
2021	Storm Warning Book 1	Lauren Boyle	Storm Warning is an adventure story for our times. It is a wake-up call to pay attention to what Earth is telling us through unprecedented weather patterns.
2021	Exo-Dimensions	Seraphina Newberry	Exo-Dimensions is a roller coaster of a ride into central Australian Indigenous creation stories, woven through family relationships, honour and sheer adventure.
2021	Mixed Feelings	Declan Miler	This first book in a series introduces the main character, Pam, as she struggles with the anxieties of fitting in at school.
2022	Indigiverse - Dark Heart	Scott Wilson Katie Houghton-Ward	Most people are oblivious to the dangers that lurk in the shadows. Dark Heart reveals a 65,000 year old story of the Elder Protectors that stand between Us and Them.

Poetry by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander poets

Year of publication	Poem or collection of poems	Author	Short synopsis
1970	My people: a Kath Walker collection	Oodgeroo Noonuccal	A large collection of Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poetry, dedicated to those fighting for treaty for her people.
1982	Yoogum Yoogum	Lionel Fogarty	A collection of poems that explores the anger and hurt that many oppressed black Australians feel, while including the warmth and compassion of Aboriginal people for their communities.
1991	Do not go around the edges	Daisy Utemorrah, illustrated by Pat Torres	This book tells the story of Daisy Utemorrah’s life through poems and parables, touching on Creation, tradition, family and Country.
1992	The dawn is at hand	Oodgeroo Noonuccal	A collection of poems exploring Aboriginal experience in Australia.
1992	Raukkan and other poems	Margaret Brusnahan	Lyrical poetry exploring the memories of growing up in South Australia’s Coorong Lagoon country.
1996	Dreaming in urban areas	Lisa Bellear	A collection of emotional poetry that combines a journey of personal and social reconciliation.
1999	Of muse, meandering and midnight	Sam Wagan Watson	A contemporary poetry collection exploring relationships, the urban landscape and youth.
2004	I shall surprise you by my will	Romaine Moreton	A singular poem reflecting the challenge of working against oppression, and surprising the oppressor.
2004	Smoke encrypted whispers	Sam Wagan Watson	A volume of selected poems earmarked with language and images of the mangrove-lined city, childhood and ancestors.
2007	Story about feeling	Bill Neidjie & Keith Taylor	A collection of poetry that reflects on all aspects of life, with the oral tradition echoing in the words Neidjie uses to move between subjects from the spiritual and environmental realms.
2012	Mogwie Idan: stories of the land	Lionel G Fogarty	Illustrating the struggles of Aboriginal people in contemporary Australia and reflecting life on a Murri mission.
2012	Ruby Moonlight	Ali Cobby Eckermann	A verse novel that centres around the impact of colonisation in mid-north South Australia around 1880.
2014	Love poems and death threats	Sam Wagan Watson	This collection of poetry reflects a dark and satirical take on contemporary Australia. These poems reflect politics, and wit through vivid imagery.
2015	Inside my mother	Ali Cobby Eckerman	This poetry collection serves as a tribute to Country, to Elders, to animals and to the spirits of the landscape.
2015	Sister Heart	Sally Morgan	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.
2016	Comfort food	Ellen van Neerven	Exploring different places and cultures, this collection of poetry touches on identity, sovereignty and the quest for love.
2016	Lemons in the chicken wire	Allison Whittaker	A collection of poems that explores the idea that borders or barriers are no match for love, through distinct imagery and gritty textures.
2016	Sunset	Maggie Walsh	This collection of poetry reflects Walsh’s hardships and success, personal and distinct.
2016	The Red Dress Woman	Gloria Daylight Corliss, Patsy Mudgedell	A beautifully illustrated poem about the homecoming of stolen generation children
2018	Blakwork	Alison Whittaker	An original and unapologetic collection from which two things emerge; an incomprehensible loss, and the poet’s fearless examination of the present.
2018	False Claims On Colonial Thieves	Charmaine Papertalk Green, John Kinsella	A book that fearlessly pushes back against discourses of “Australia,” and these poems read that “country of milk and money” as a theatre of long-standing epistemic violence.
2019	Kindred	Kirli Saunders	A poetry anthology that talks to identity, culture, community and the role of Earth as healer.
2020	Bindi	Kirli Saunders,  Dub Leffler	A verse novel for mid-upper primary students and written ‘for those who plant trees’, Bindi explores climate, bushfires, and healing. Written from the point of view of 11-year-old, Bindi and her friends on Gundungurra Country.
2020	Homeland Calling	Desert Pea Media, Ellen van Neerven	A collection of poems created from hip-hop song lyrics that channel culture and challenge stereotypes. The verses are the result of young First Nations artists exploring their place in the world, expressing the future they want for themselves and their communities.
2020	Fire Front: First Nations Poetry and Power Today	Curated and introduced by Alison Whittaker	Anthology that showcases Australia's most-respected First Nations poets alongside some of the rising stars. Divided into five thematic sections and is a testament to the renaissance of First Nations poetry.
2020	Guwayu - for All Times: A Collection of First Nations Poems	Jeanine Leane	An uncensored collection of 61 poems from First Nations poets in 12 First Nations languages are an exquisite expression of living First Nations culture while journeying through a range of poetic forms from lyric, confessional, protest, narrative and song, showcasing new voices and established poets.
2020	Living on Stolen Land	Ambelin Kwaymullina	A prose-styled look at our colonial-settler 'present' as it pulls apart the myths at the heart of our nationhood, and challenges Australia to come to terms with its own past and place within and on 'Indigenous Countries'. Themes include stolen lands, sovereignties, time, decolonisation, First Nations perspectives, systemic bias and other constructs that inform our present discussions and ever-expanding understanding.
2020	Throat	Ellen Van Neervan.	Exploring love, language and land, this book shines a light on Australia's unreconciled past and precarious present with humour and heart.
2021	Whisper Songs	Tony Birch	Divided into three sections - Blood, Skin and Water - the poems in Whisper Songs address themes of loss (of people and place), the legacies of colonial history and violence, and the relationships between Country and memory.
2021	Drop Bear	Evelyn Araluen	An interrogation of the complexities of colonial and personal history with an alternately playful, tender and mournful intertextual voice, while deftly navigating the responsibilities that gather from sovereign country, the spectres of memory and the debris of settler-coloniality.
2021	Homecoming	Elfie Shiosaki	Homecoming pieces together fragments of stories about four generations of Noongar women and explores how they navigated the changing landscapes of colonisation, protectionism, and assimilation to hold their families together.
2021	Mookanunganuk, selected poems by Mooradoop Kathy Mills	Mooradoop Kathy Mills	A debut anthology of poetry by prominent NT Indigenous elder Mooradoop Kathy Mills which spans the past four decades and chronicles a life championing the recognition of Indigenous Australian and human rights.
2021	How To Make A Basket	Jazz Money	An examination of the tensions of living in the Australian colony today using poetry as an extension of protest against the violence of the colonial state, and as a celebration of Blak and queer love.
2022	Cartwarra Or What?	Alf Taylor	Selected poems and stories is a compendium of Alf's works that span several literary genres, and is representative of an older generation of Blak writers who were survivors of the Stolen Generations.
2022	Songlines, stories from Yarrabah and beyond	Barry Cedric	Songlines, Stories from Yarrabah and beyond brings together lyrics, related commentary and images reflecting author Barry Cedric's work as a singer/songwriter and educator.

Awards celebrating Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorship and contributions

Listed below are examples of awards that celebrate Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorship and contributions to wider textual areas:

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander publishing companies

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander publishing companies allow production and publication to remain in the hands of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. This, in turn, helps to support culturally appropriate and responsive storytelling and knowledge-sharing. These agencies assist in heightening the voice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, provide support from pitch to final product, and support the growth of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorship and creation. These are some examples:

There are a number of book resources that have been written in or translated into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages. In searching for these resources, consider contacting your local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander language centre, and exploring the collections of publishing companies focused on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages and content.

Consider also engaging with the information and resources shared through literacy foundations, such as the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and the Australian Literacy & Numeracy Foundation.

Other online guides and reference materials

The following links provide resources, research and support for promoting reconciliation in the English classroom.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures resources: English

A Queensland Studies Authority guide for supporting the implementation of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures cross-curriculum priority within the subject/learning area of English.

Australian Centre for the Moving Image – about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures

An collection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander contributions to screenwriting and wider moving-image media.

BlackWords: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander writing and storytelling

A database of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander–authored texts with over 6,000 writers and over 17,000 texts recorded.

‘Bringing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the classroom: Why and how’ (2013) Cara Shipp

Discussions on why First Nations perspectives are important, and strategies to include them in the classroom.

Deadly Vibe magazine PDFs and accompanying teaching resources

A history of Deadly Vibe magazine and associated teaching resources for a variety of issues.

‘Getting it right’: Anita Heiss on Indigenous characters

An article on how to write and include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander characters in creative writing.

Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature (2008) Anita Heiss and Peter Minter (eds)

A collection of work from Aboriginal authors from the past 200 years, from Bennelong’s 1796 letter to more contemporary writers.

Teaching resources to accompany Magabala books

Teacher guides for a range of fiction, non-fiction and children’s books, as well as guides to working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content.

Literature by non-Indigenous authors, with reconciliation-related themes

To teach about First Nations literature ethically and authentically, it's vital to include First Nations perspectives. Shifts in cultural responsiveness has seen a marked increase in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artists and writers creating and contributing to performances, art, and literature. First Nations peoples have always contributed to the arts, although not always in the public sphere. When engaging with works by non-Indigenous creators about First Nations content and themes, it's essential to approach with an awareness of the creators' positionality and the broader context of the work. See the Narragunnawali Evaluating Resources Guide to learn more.

Fiction by non-Indigenous authors with reconciliation-related themes

Year of publication	Title	Author	Short synopsis
1973	The nargun and the stars	Patricia Wrightson; illustrated by Robert Ingpen	After losing his parents, Simon is forced to live with distant cousins on a sheep run, making him feel like an outsider in Wongadilla. Simon soon develops an attachment to the land and a drive to protect it when threatened.
1994	The burnt stick	Anthony Hill	A story reflecting one of many stories of the Stolen Generations, following John Jagamarra, a young Aboriginal boy who was stolen.
1998	Deadly, Unna?	Phillip Gwynne	A rite-of-passage novel about two friends (one Nunga and one white), their friendship and their journey of tackling the depths of racism that exist around them. A film adaptation, Australian Rules was released in 2002.
2000	Two hands together	Diana Kidd	Lily makes a new best friend when the Rileys move next door, but she cannot understand why her dad does not like them. Why is he being mean?
2002	The Barrumbi kids	Leoni Norrington & Rachel Maza	A story of two best mates who deal with struggles, adventures and the paradoxes of life in a rural setting.
2002	Journey to the stone country	Alex Miller	After a marriage breakdown, Annabelle retreats to her old family home in tropical North Queensland, where she meets an Aboriginal man of the Jangga people, Bo, who claims to hold the key to her future.
2005	The secret river	Kate Grenville	A historical fiction that transports the reader to a corner of the new colony of New South Wales. The protagonist, William, realises that if he is to develop a new home, he must forcibly take it from the rightful owners.
2006	Bye, beautiful	Julia Lawrinson	A family drama set in the 1960s around a policeman and his teenage daughters, Sandy and Marianne. After moving from a small town, both daughters are drawn to the town’s heart-throb Billy, even though they are warned against him.
2007	Sorry	Gail Jones	Following Perdita and her experience of a troubled childhood, and the bonds she develops with an Aboriginal girl, Mary, and a deaf boy, Billy. A story of friendship, loyalty and sacrifice.
2008	The lieutenant	Kate Grenville	The record of a friendship of a First Fleet soldier and a young Aboriginal girl, post-invasion. A tale of friendship and difference.
2009	The devil you know	Leonie Norrington	Damien, a resilient young boy, faces domestic violence, bullying and racism. A story of the difficulty of facing his mother’s violent partner who returns to their new home in the Northern Territory.
2009	Jasper Jones	Craig Silvey	Jasper Jones, an Aboriginal boy who is an outcast in a small mining town, knocks on Charlie’s window in the middle of the night, leading to challenges, white lies and the ultimate search for the truth.
2011	Nanberry: black brother white	Jackie French	In a story set in a colony post-invasion, Australia’s first Western surgeon adopts Nanberry, a young Aboriginal boy, to raise as his son. Walking in two worlds, Nanberry and his brother Andrew explore the world around them.
2014	Nona and me	Clare Atkins	Rosie and Nona are sisters and best friends. It doesn’t matter that Rosie is white and Nona is Aboriginal. After moving apart at age 9 and returning for school in Year 10, Rosie has lost interest. When political issues arise, will Rosie choose her first love or her oldest friend?

Non-fiction by non-Indigenous authors with reconciliation-related themes

Year of publication	Title	Author	Short synopsis
1999	Why weren’t we told?	Henry Reynolds	The story that resonates with many Australians, exploring the teaching of a false and idealised history of Australia, and shattering myths of a peaceful history.
2003	Art, history, place	Christine Nicholls	Nicholls looks at the astonishing diversity and visual power of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art and how traditions and influences have shaped its progress.
2003	The Papunya school book of country and history	Nadia Wheatly	Wheatley combines many voices and stories in a multi-layered text that is a collaboration between students and staff of the Papunya school.
2007	The 1967 referendum: race, power and the Australian Constitution	Bain Attwood & Andrew Markus	An exploration of the legal and political significance of the referendum and the long struggle to achieve change.
2008	The tall man: death and life on Palm Island	Chloe Hooper	The story of two worlds colliding through a death in custody in a tropical paradise.
2010	Listening to Country: a journey to the heart of what it means to belong	Ros Moriarty	A non-Indigenous insight into the spiritual and emotional world of Aboriginal women. Ros Moriarty details her learning from hearing stories and secrets from the matriarchs of her husband’s family.
2010	Riding the black cockatoo	John Danalis	This non-fiction text explores a personal journey of reconciliation and friendship in returning an Aboriginal skull kept in the Danalis family to the traditional owners, the Wamba Wamba descendants.

Picture books by non-Indigenous authors with reconciliation-related themes

Year of publication	Title	Author & illustrator	Short synopsis
1987	My place	Nadia Wheatley, illustrated by Donna Rawlins	This story follows one piece of land in Australia and the people who have lived there, from the Dreaming until present day. Children describe their families, their pets and their celebrations.
1997	And a kangaroo too	National Gallery of Australia	Explore Australian animals represented by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, alongside the names of the animas in English as well as in the Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander language of the artist.
2000	Ernie dances to the digeridoo	Alison Lester	Ernie moves to the outback community of Gunbalanya in Arnhem Land, Northern Territory, for a year. He writes home to his friends about his experiences and makes new friends.
2000	The rabbits	John Marsden & Shaun Tan	A part-allegorical fable about the coming of the ‘rabbits’, friendly and curious soon becomes dark as it appears the visitors are invaders. Looking at the perspective of the colonised.
2007	You and me: our place	Leonie Norrington, illustrated by Dee Huxley	Uncle Tobias is joined by two young boys on his fishing trip, who listen to Uncle Tobias and other Uncles and Aunties telling stories about their ancestors. Explores how cultures coexist.
2008	Collecting colour	Kylie Dunstan	Through the sharing of two cultures, Aboriginal women’s weaving is celebrated in Arnhem Land, as Rose and Olive collect colours to make coloured mats with Olive’s mum and Aunty.
2008	Tom Tom	Rosemary Sullivan, illustrated by Dee Huxley	This story explores the nurturing and adventure in the day of Tom Tom, a young Aboriginal boy in the Northern Territory.
2010	Look see, look at me	Leonie Norrington, illustrated by Dee Huxley	A story about growing up and exploring the world and celebrating outback life in an Aboriginal community.
2011	Playground	Compiled by Nadia Wheatley, illustrated by Ken Searle	In this anthology, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices are brought together to tell stories of childhood, utilising memoirs, oral histories, photographs, and illustrations.
2015	Stories for Simon	Lisa Miranda Sarzin, illustrated by Lauren Briggs	A story about coming together to work towards a brighter future while acknowledging the past. Simon learns about the national apology to the Stolen Generations after receiving a boomerang.

Graphic novels by non-Indigenous authors with reconciliation-related themes

Year of publication	Title	Author	Short synopsis
2007	Requiem for a beast: a work for image, word and music	Matthew Ottley	A boy who goes on a melancholy, challenging and terrifying journey that transcends into a life-affirming lesson of self-discovery. Includes the stories of dispossessed Aboriginal peoples.
2010	Deadly (series)	James Fosdike	Australia’s population flees as the earth becomes toxic, with only Aboriginal people remaining and surviving.
2015	Reg Saunders: an Indigenous war hero	Hugh Dolan	The story of Reg Saunders, the first Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian to become an army officer.

Poetry by non-Indigenous poets with reconciliation-related themes

Year of publication	Poem or collection of poems	Author	Short synopsis
1954	‘At Coolalah’	Judith Wright	This poem explores the black-white relationship in Australia
1973	‘Two dreamtimes’	Judith Wright	A poem dedicated to Aboriginal poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal, exploring race relations and discrimination in Australia.
2008	Anna the goanna	Jill McDougall, illustrated by Jenny Taylor	A picture book filled with verse exploring the diverse lives of Aboriginal children.

Reflective questions for English staff and students

How can embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and perspectives in the subject/learning area of English help to promote reconciliation?

How can an author’s personal and cultural context add meaning to their work? How can a reader’s personal and cultural context contribute to the way they interpret or respond to a literary work?

Research one or more Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander author or poet. How do you think their personal and cultural context and experiences inform their work? Why is recognising context and perspective an important consideration when looking at texts?

How has time, historical context and reconciliation changed the use of terminology and language about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, cultures and contributions in literature today? Use the Narragunnawali Terminology Guide to help respond to this question.

Why is it important to acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander voices within varying texts?

What is the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander literature and dramatic arts? 
 

Why are these relationships important?  
How are they similar or different to non-Indigenous cross-arts collaboration, in style or in purpose?

Organise an excursion to a First Nations theatre or poetry performance.

Were you able to learn about any of the themes, stories or messages?
How did you respond to being an audience member?
How was the piece similar or different to non-Indigenous performances/poems that you have seen or heard?
How were they similar or different to other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander performances/poems you have seen or heard?

How have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures influenced Australian literature, and what active role do these histories and cultures play today?

How have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors contributed to the field of Australian literature as a whole?

What is the relationship between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorship/storytelling and the subject/learning area of English? How does this relationship simultaneously intersect with wider subject/learning areas such as Music, Drama, Media Arts, Visual Arts and Languages? Why are these relationships important?

Engage with a timeline of significant historical events relating to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and cultures, and to reconciliation in Australia. Select a few of the texts listed in this guide and consider when they were written in terms of the wider timeline. Are these historical events reflected or visible in the published work? Do you think this is an important consideration in exploring the wider context of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorship? Why? You could use this timeline for inspiration, and explore the resources listed in the Narragunnawali History resource guide to support you in responding to this question.

Analyse and respond to the following quote about the importance of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authorship: ‘First Nations people and communities have not only had history denied to us, OUR stories have been both destroyed and misappropriated. I like the comment of the German writer, Bernhard Schlink, that those who have their history denied to them are entitled to the dignity of telling and controlling their own narrative’ – Tony Birch Interview.

If you’d like to engage with further texts, such as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander music, songs, films, digital stories, wider media arts and texts in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages, consider consulting the following Narragunnawali resource guides:

Drama
Media Arts
Music
Technologies – Design & Technologies and Digital Technologies
Languages

Humanities and Social Sciences - English Resource Guide

Background to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content and perspectives within the subject of English

SUBSCRIBE NOW