He was a beauty, that ten-foot carpet snake we had as a pet. My father belonged to the Nunukul tribe of Stradbroke Island, and the carpet snake was his totem.

This is a tale of a place not far from home that takes audiences to the oldest living culture on earth. This performance is an adaptation of celebrated poet, author and artist Oodgeroo of the tribe Noonuccal's book, Stradbroke Dreamtime.

In this newly created work from QPAC and Queensland Theatre Company, Oodgeroo's stories come to life on stage helping young audiences to share in her tales of growing up on Stradbroke Island.

Join in a dance telling a Dreamtime story and listen to songs that tell of the water, the land and the people of the island.

Director:  Sue Rider
Composers:  Kahl Wallace & Jhindu Lawrie
Designer: Bill Haycock
Choreographer: Gail Mabo
Cultural Consultant: Paula Nazarski

Original illustration by Bronwyn Bancroft

A QPAC AND QUEENSLAND THEATRE COMPANY PRODUCTION

Celebrated Australian poet, author and artist, Oodgeroo was born on Stradbroke Island in 1920. Many Australians know her as Aunty Kath Walker, however her Aboriginal name was given to her by the Nunukul tribe and means paperbark. This refers to her original writing tools of bark from trees and charcoal from dead fires.

Oodgeroo wrote the story book Stradbroke Dreamtime while she was staying at Mount Tamborine with her friend Judith Wright - also a well-known Queensland poet.

In this newly created work from Queensland Theatre Company and QPAC, Oodgeroo's stories come to life on stage helping young audiences to share in her tales of growing up on Stradbroke Island.

The Story

This is a tale of a place not far from home that takes audiences to the oldest living culture on earth. This performance is an adaption of celebrated poet, author and artist Oodgeroo’s book, Stradbroke Dreamtime.

In this newly created work from QPAC and Queensland Theatre Company, Oodgeroo’s stories come to life on stage helping young audiences to share in her tales of growing up on Stradbroke Island.

Join in a dance telling a Dreamtime story and listen to songs that tell of the water, the land and the people of the island.

Classroom Context

Oral story-telling is one of the oldest forms of communication and an integral part of Aboriginal culture.  In this performance children are offered opportunities to hear local stories about growing up as an Aboriginal person on beautiful Stradbroke Island and the surrounding areas. In classroom learning students are introduced to the centrality of Dreamtime stories and how these stories permeate every aspect of Aboriginal culture. These stories act as a springboard to assist students to reflect on what personal narratives contribute to creating their own culture.

Download the Stradbroke Dreamtime teacher's resources [PDF 259KB]