Hot Topics
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
Aboriginal Family History
Aboriginal Health
Aboriginal Literature
Indigenous Research Toolkit
State Library Collections
Western Australian Aboriginal Authors
We go out of our way to purchase books and other resources by Aboriginal authors, particularly those from Western Australia. Choose from works by Doris Pilkington, Jack Davis, Glenyse Ward, Kim Scott and more.
Major References
Aboriginal Voices : Contemporary Aboriginal Artists, Writers and Performers
Published in 1990 for primary school aged children, covering Aboriginal artists and entertainers as well as authors.
Black Words, White page : Aboriginal Literature 1929-1988
In this work Adam Shoemaker provides historical and critical assessments of the work of Aboriginal authors.
Dream Time Machine Time
This video examines the work of four Aborigines in the visual and written arts - Archie Weller writes about the urban Aboriginal experience in Perth, Kath Walker is a poet of international standing, Trevor Nickolls is an urban Aboriginal painter from Melbourne, and Banduk Marika is from a traditional background in Arnhem Land.
Indigenous Literature of Australia = Milli Milli Wangka
Historical and critical treatment by Mudrooroo, an Aboriginal academic and author.
Inside Black Australia : an Anthology of Aboriginal Poetry
A collection of the works of contemporary Aboriginal poets.
Message Stick : Contemporary Aboriginal Writing
Published in 1997 by Jukurrpa Books/IAD Press.
Moorditj : Australian Indigenous Cultural Expressions
CD ROM brilliantly showcasing Aboriginal artists, performers and writers.
Paperbark : a Collection of Black Australian Writings
Published by University of Queensland Press in 1990 in the acclaimed Black Australian Writers Series.
Plays from Black Australia : Jack Davis, Eva Johnson, Richard Walley, Bob Maza
Plays by contemporary Aboriginal writers.
Us Fellas : an Anthology of Aboriginal Writing
Biographies and interviews of Western Australian Aboriginal authors.
Writing from the Fringe : a Study of Modern Aboriginal Literature
This work by Mudrooroo Narogin was published in 1990.
Support for Aboriginal Writers
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Arts Board
Funded by the Australia Council to foster and encourage development of Aboriginal arts, including the provision of financial assistance.
Aboriginal Arts Officer, ArtsWA
The Western Australian Government's Department for Culture and the Arts supports traditional and contemporary Aboriginal arts and culture. An Aboriginal Arts Officer can assist with applications for funding.
Australian Writing and Publishing Guides
A great starting point if you are interested in writing and publishing.
Publishers
Magabala Books
Publishes works which have major Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander involvement. Although their priority lies in the Kimberley region of Western Australian, they increasingly provide advice and publishing services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people elsewhere, and publish manuscripts from throughout Australia.
Aboriginal Studies Press
Aboriginal Studies Press is the publishing arm of AIATSI, the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies. It publishes in all fields of Aboriginal studies including art, biography, contemporary studies, education, history, health, women's studies, housing, land rights, languages, prehistory, psychology, and anthropology. It also publishes children's books, fiction, poetry and drama.
IAD Press
IAD Press (Institute for Aboriginal Development) is an Aboriginal-controlled publisher which publishes works about the Aboriginal languages and cultures of Central Australia. Titles include oral histories, autobiographies, dictionaries, cross-cultural information and general trade titles.