Oodgeroo: Bloodline to Country

Editorial

Oodgeroo: Bloodline to Country tells the tale of one of Australia's most complex and stirring women, Kath Walker, or Oodgeroo Noonuccal - her traditional name. Born in 1920 in Moreton Bay, Oodgeroo felt a strong sense of inequality between Aborigines and white Australians. This was furthered by her father, who instilled within her a sense of fighting for justice and equality.

This new play was written by Sam Watson, a family friend and co-founder of the Australian Black Panthers in 1971, along with Oodgeroo's son, Denis. The story details her life, including one event which haunted her: as a passenger on a hijacked plane in 1974, Oodgeroo fought hard to save the life of one passenger selected for execution - to no avail.

Oodgeroo was the first Aboriginal woman to publish a book, We Are Going (1964), and was a high profile political activist, lobbying to gain full citizenship for Aboriginal people. She was awarded an MBE in 1970, which she returned in 1987 ahead of the bicentenary year of 1988, in protest of the poor treatment of Indigenous Australians.

La Boite Theatre Company artistic director, David Berthold, believes this production to be a major event. "She was, and remains, a towering figure," he explains, "And I know that this inventively staged theatre event will speak powerfully to us all."

Julianne Gill