Postcolonial Transformation and Traditional Australian Indigenous Story

Abstract

Published in 1964, 'The Legends of Moonie Jarl', told by Wilf Reeves and illustrated by his sister Olga Miller, marked a new direction in Australia's literary history. My examination of the history of traditional Australian Indigenous stories for children has established the first publication by an Indigenous author and illustrator in this genre as earlier than previously thought. As a research fellow in 2004, I assessed approximately 300 Indigenous and non-Indigenous representations in this genre.' The Legends of Moonie Jarl' is important not only as the turning point in Australia's literary history for a child readership, but also in the unique way this picture book challenges colonial assumptions and transforms reader perceptions of Aboriginality and traditional culture. In this paper I analyse the textual and visual strategies employed in the first story map in this collection within the context of postcolonial literary theory. This new reading of an old text is informed by an outline of the historical and social parameters which led to its publication.