Australian Perspectives – Jack

Davis
BY BEDE PRINCE
Jack Davis (1917-2000)
“Aboriginal Australia”

“The First-born”
“Where are my first-born, said the brown land, sighing”

o r the “Tell m
y e a r s f e what
“ I s t ra i n m l a u gh t e r ” you wh ha
om I b ppened,
hei r
sound of t ore aft
er ”

“You are silent, you cringe from replying”

”Flung into a common grave”
Angry and confrontational tone in both poems
“Now only their spirits
dwell in the caves”
“Now you primly say you’re justified, and sing of a nation’s glory,
but I think of a people crucified – the real Australian story"
 Cr u c i fi e d
M ur de r e d

Massacred
Australia is crying like a
mother over her lost
children
To the others – causes guilt

Davis is pointing the finger at white Australia

“Aboriginal Australia” answers the question the “The First-
born” poses.
Thank you for listening