Other key Aboriginal texts

This is a selection of key texts by Aboriginal authors whose work could not be included in the Macquarie PEN Anthology of Aboriginal Literature because of space limitations. In order to assist teachers looking for further reading, they are grouped according to recommended reading level.

Key texts for lower primary

Key texts for upper primary

Secondary and tertiary studies:

Key texts for lower primary

Bin Saad, Sermsah, The Best Little Knitter in the West, illustrated by Samantha Cook, Magabala Books, Broome, 2000

Christophersen, Jane, My Home in Kakadu, illustrated by Christine Christophersen, Magabala Books, Broome, 2005

Crawford, Joanne, A Home for Bilby, illustrated by Grace Fielding, Magabala Books, Broome, 2004

Crawford, Joanne, Bilby and the Bushfire, illustrated by Grace Fielding, Magabala Books, Broome, 2007

Duroux, Mary, The Rain Flower, illustrated by Karen Briggs, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 2005

Eglitis, Anna & Brim, Warren, Creatures of the Rainforest: Two artists explore Djabugay country, Magabala Books, Broome, 2005

Emmerton, Sylvia, My mob, going to the beach, illustrated by Jaquanna Elliott, Black Ink Press, Thuringowa, 2004

Ishiguchi, Paul, Crabbing at High Tide, illustrated by Carl Stahlmann, Magabala Books, Broome, 2001

Jackson, Sarah, Tell Me Why, illustrated by Robyn Templeton, Magabala Books, Broome, 2004

Kartinyeri, Doris, Bush Games and Knucklebones, illustrated by Kunyi June-Anne McInerney, Magabala Books, Broome, 2003

Koorang, Mundara, The Little Platypus and the Fire Spirit, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra,  2005

Laurel, Hilton, The Cowboy Frog, Magabala Books, Broome, 2003

Malbunka, Mary, When I Was Little, Like You, Allen & Unwin, Sydney, 2003

Papunya School with Nadia Wheatley and Ken Searle, PapunyaSchool Book of Country and History, Allen and Unwin, Sydney, 2001

Pitt, Tamina with Janke, Terri, What Makes a Tree Smile?, illustrated by Francine Ngardarb Riches, Magabala Books, Broome, 2003

Sarago-Kendrick, Delphine, Nana’s Land, Magabala Books, Broome, 2004

Solomon, Selena, Dabu the Baby Dugong = Kazi Dhangal, illustrated by Dennis Nona, Magabala Books, Broome, 1992

— —Dabu Grows Up: The tale of a dugong, illustrated by Dennis Nona, Magabala Books, Broome, 2002

Williams, Edna Tantjingu Eileen Wani Wingfield, Down the hole, up the tree, across the sandhills : Running from the State and Daisy Bates, illustrated by Kunyi June-Anne McInerney, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 2000

Key texts for upper primary

Frankland, Richard J., Digger J. Jones: Holy snappin’ duck poo! My Diary, Scholastic, Sydney, 2007

Heiss, Anita, Who Am I? The diary of Mary Talence, Sydney 1937, Scholastic, Sydney, 2001

Heiss, Anita & the Students of La Perouse Public School, Yirra and her deadly dog, Demon, ABC Books, Sydney, 2007

Secondary and tertiary studies: Autobiography and biography

Bell, Jeanie, Talking About Celia, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1997

Bin Salleh, Rachel (ed.), Holding Up The Sky: Aboriginal women speak, Magabala Books, Broome, 1999

Burgoyne, Iris Yumadoo Kochallalya, The Mirning: We are the whales, Magabala Books, Broome, 2000

Camfoo, Tex & Nelly,  Love Against the Law: The autobiographies of Tex and Nelly Camfoo, recorded and edited by Gillian Cowlishaw, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 2000

Chalarimer, Ambrose Mungala, The Man from the Sunrise Side, Magabala Books, Broome, 2001Chesson, Keith, Jack Davis: A life-story, Dent, Melbourne, 1988

Coe, Mary, Windradyne:  A Wiradjuri Koori, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1986
Collard, Dot as told to Beryl Hackner, Busted out Laughing, Magabala Books, Broome, 2003

Crawford, Evelyn, as told to Chris Walsh, Over My Tracks: A Remarkable Life, Penguin, Melbourne, 1993

Crugnale, Jordan (ed.), Footprints Across Our Land: Short Stories by SeniorWesternDesert Women, Magabala Books, Broome, 1995

Hegarty, Ruth, Is That You Ruthie?, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1999

Henty-Gebert, Claire, Paint Me Black, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 2005

Holt, Albert, Forcibly Removed, Magabala Books, Broome, 2001

Lester, Yami, Yami: The autobiography of Yami Lester, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 1993

Loos, Noel, & Mabo, Koiki, Edward Koikoi Mabo: His life and struggle for Land Rights, University of Queensland Press, St Lucia, 1996

Nannup,  Alice; Marsh, Lauren & Kinnane, Stephen, When The Pelican Laughed, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, South Fremantle, 1992

Marshall, Paul (ed.), Raparapa: Stories from the FitzroyRiver Drovers, Magabala Books, Broome, 1988

Pederson, Howard & Woorunmurra, Banjo, Jandamarra and the Bunuba Resistance, Magabala Books, Broome, 1995

Tucker, Margaret, If Everyone Cared, Ure Smith, Sydney, 1977

Van den Berg, Rosemary, No Options, No Choice! The Moore River Experience: My father, Thomas Corbett, an Aboriginal half-caste, Magabala Books, Broome, 1994

Walgar, Monty, as told to Cloud Shabalah, Jinangga: On my tracks, Magabala Books, Broome, 1999

Walker, Della, Me and You: The life story of Della Walker as told to Tina Couttis, Aboriginal Studies Press, Canberra, 1989

Williams, Magdelene with Pat Torres, This Is My Word, Magabala Books, Broome, 1999

Wilmot, Eric, Pumulwuy: The rainbow warrior, Weldons, Sydney, 1987

Secondary and tertiary studies: Poetry

Bil Bil, Marjorie, It Just Lies There From the Beginning: Aboriginal stories and poems from the Top End, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 1995

Brusnahan, Margaret, Raukkan and Other Poems, Magabala Books, Broome, 1992

Buchanan, Michelle, Consuming Reality, Cheryl Buchanan, Coominya, 1998

Canning, Ken (Burraga Gutya), Ngali Ngalga (let’s talk): poetry, Breakout Press, Sydney, c1990

Dodd, Bill, Just Billy, Cheryl Buchanan, Comminya, 1988

Duroux, Mary, Dirge for Hidden Art, Heritage Publishing, Moruya, 1992

Fesl, Eve (ed.), Koori Poems from the Heart, Koori Research Centre, La Trobe University, Melbourne, 1991

Harding, John, Johnny Harding’s Little Black Book of Poems: Address book, Dynamo House, Melbourne, 1994

Imlah, Cherie, The Dark Side: Poems, Jiggi Publishing, Jiggi, 1990

Maffi-Williams, Lorraine (ed.), Spirit Song: A collection of Aboriginal poetry, Omnibus Books, Norwood, South Australia, 1993

Moreton, Romain; Taylor, Alf & Smith, Michael J., Rimfire: Poetry from Aboriginal Australia, Magabala Books, Broome, 2000

Robinson, Roland, The Nearest the Whiteman Gets: Aboriginal narratives and poems of New South Wales, Hale & Iremonger, Sydney, 1989

Taylor, Alf, Singer Songwriter, Magabala Books, Broome, 1992
— —Winds, Magabala Books, Broome, 1994
— —Rimfire: Poetry from Aboriginal Australia, Magabala Books

Watson, Maureen, Stepping Out, Amurriwal, Brisbane, 1994

Secondary and tertiary studies: Plays and Scripts

Bennett, Roger, Funerals and Circuses, Currency Press, Sydney, 1995
— —Up The Ladder, Playlab Press, Brisbane, 1997

Harding, John, Up the Road, Currency Press, Sydney, 1997

Harrison, Jane, Stolen, Currency Press, Sydney, 1998

Johnson, Eva, ‘What do they call Me?’ in Australian Gay and Lesbian Plays, ed. Bruce Parr, Currency Press, Sydney, 1996

Maris, Hyllus and Borg, Sonia, Women of the Sun, Currency Press, Sydney, 1983

Merritt, Robert J., The Cake Man, Currency Press, Sydney, 1978

Walley, Richard, Coordah, Currency Press, Sydney, 1987

Secondary and tertiary studies: Anthologies of mixed genres

Akiwenzie-Damm, Kateri and Douglas, Josie, Skins: Contemporary Indigenous writing, Jukurrpa Books / Kegedonce Press, Alice Springs / Canada, 2000

Brewster, Anne; van den Berg, Rosemary and O’Neill, Angeline (eds.), Those Who Remain Will Always Remember: An Anthology of Aboriginal Writing, Fremantle Arts Centre Press, Fremantle, 2000

Davis, Kerry (ed.), Across Country: Stories from Aboriginal Australia, ABC
Books, Sydney, 1998

Heiss, Anita (ed.), Life in Gadigal Country, Gadigal Information Service, Sydney, 2002

Heiss, Anita and van Toorn, Penny (eds.), Southerly: Stories Without End, Vol. 62, No. 2, Sydney, 2002

Minter, Peter (ed.), Meanjin: Blak Times: Indigenous Australia, Vol. 65, no. 1, Melbourne, 2006

Reed-Gilbert, Kerry (ed.), Message Stick: Contemporary Aboriginal Writing, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 1997

Sabbioni, Jennifer; Schaffer, Kay & Smith, Sidionie, Indigenous Australian Voices: A reader, Rutgers University Press, New Jersey, 1998

Secondary and tertiary studies: Anthologies of poetry

Douglas, Josie, compiled by, Untreated, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 2001

Bennett, Roger (ed.), Voices from the Heart: Contemporary Aboriginal poetry from Central Australia,  IAD Press Press, Alice Springs, 1995

Moreton, Romain; Taylor, Alf & Smith, Michael J., Rimfire: Poetry from Aboriginal Australia, Magabala Books, Broome, 2000