Australian Aboriginal and Indigenous Drama

This guide explores the emergence and impact of Aboriginal drama in Australia. It outlines why Aboriginal drama did not appear on the cultural landscape until the 1960s and moves on to consider the first, influential plays to be produced. We then turn to look at the growth of Aboriginal theatre companies within Australia and the important place Aboriginal drama holds in Australian literature.

Terminology

• Aboriginal: inhabiting or existing in a land from the earliest times or from before the arrival of colonists.
• Cultural heritage: an expression of the ways of living developed by a community and passed on from generation to generation.
• Dreamtime: a commonly used term for describing important features of Aboriginal spiritual beliefs and existence.
• Indigenous: originating or occurring naturally in a particular place.

Key Dates & Events

• 1967 - The Australian Referendum included all Indigenous Australians in the official population count and gave them the option of enrolling to vote.
• 1968 - Kevin Gilbert wrote The Cherry Pickers while serving a prison sentence.
• 1972 - The foundation of Nindethana, the first Aboriginal theatre company.
• 1972 - The foundation of the National Black Theatre in Redfern, Sydney. The company dissolved in 1977.
• 1975 - The National Black Theatre produced Robert Merritt’s The Cake Man. Merritt was serving a prison sentence at the time, but was eventually allowed to attend the premiere of his play.
• 1987 - The first National Black Playwrights’ Conference was held in Australia.
• 1988 - The Aboriginal National Theatre Trust was established in Sydney.