Anniversary of the Newspaper Publication of We Are Going

2 May 1962

Content note: This page discusses racism, dispossession or injustice and may be distressing. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that it may name people who have died. Please choose whether and when to continue.

On 2 May 1962, Tribune published the poem We Are Going under the name Kath Walker, the name then used by Oodgeroo Noonuccal. This calendar marks that documented newspaper publication.

Oodgeroo Noonuccal’s poetry in print

The date belongs to the poem’s appearance in Tribune, not the release of the poetry collection of the same name. The collection followed in 1964. Keeping the two publications distinct allows the calendar to use an evidenced day and month without inventing an exact release date for the book.

Listening to the author’s voice

Oodgeroo’s work belongs to the history of Aboriginal writing, advocacy and public expression. Read and listen to her work in its historical context, with attention to dispossession, continuing connection to Country and the authority of Aboriginal voices.

The National Film and Sound Archive provides a recording of Oodgeroo reading the poem. It offers a way to encounter her voice alongside the printed record. The recording is a later document and should not be presented as a recording made on the newspaper publication date.

This entry links to the poem rather than reproducing it. Teachers and readers can use authorised sources, credit the writer and acknowledge that material about dispossession can affect people differently. No learner should be expected to speak on behalf of all Aboriginal people.

Reflecting and learning

Compare the 1962 newspaper publication, the 1964 collection and the later recording. What does each source help us understand about the work’s public life?

Start with the sources below and distinguish the original event from later interpretations and commemorations. When using this date in a classroom or workplace, allow time for questions and further reading. First Nations peoples have diverse histories and perspectives; this brief introduction does not speak for every community.

Sources and further reading

• We Are Going, Tribune, 2 May 1962, page 7 — National Library of Australia / Trove
• We Are Going bibliographic record — AustLit
• We Are Going: Oodgeroo Noonuccal (Kath Walker) — National Film and Sound Archive

Our related products and resources

We do not currently offer products or learning resources specifically for this date. The reading links above are provided for background and further learning. Suitable items from our range will be added here as they become available.