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Jack Davis Jack Davis i(A286 works by) (a.k.a. Jack Leonard Davis; Davis J.)
Born: Established: 11 Mar 1917 Subiaco, Inner Perth, Perth, Western Australia, ; Died: Ceased: 17 Mar 2000 Perth, Western Australia,
Gender: Male
Heritage: Aboriginal Noongar / Nyoongar / Nyoongah / Nyungar / Nyungah/Noonygar ; Aboriginal
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BiographyHistory

Jack Leonard Davis grew up at Yarloop, Western Australia. His mother was forcibly removed from her parents, and Davis himself later discovered the details of her family history. Sent to the Moore River Native Settlement to learn farming at the age of 14, Davis' experiences there would later provide a foundation for his dramatic writing. After nine months, he left the Settlement. His father's subsequent death created a family crisis, which led to the first of many jobs for Davis. He has worked as a stockman, boxer, horse-breeder, train driver and truck driver.

While living at the Brookton Aboriginal Reserve, Davis started to learn the language and culture of his people. He was the Director of the Aboriginal Centre in Perth from 1967 to 1971 and became the first Chair of Aboriginal Lands Trust in Western Australia in the same year.

His writing spans the genres of drama, poetry, short fiction, autobiography and critical material, and reflects a lifelong commitment to Aboriginal activism. His work explores such issues as the identity problems faced by Aboriginal youth in contemporary society, the wider sense of loss experienced in Aboriginal cultures, and the clash of Aboriginal and White law.

Davis has won numerous awards and honours, including the The Order of the British Empire - Medal (Civil) in 1976, the Bicentennial BHP Award for the Pursuit of Excellence in literature and the arts in 1988 and the Swan Gold Theatre Award in 1990. Some of his poems were set to music by Chester Schultz in 1984, and he has also received honorary doctorates from Murdoch University and the University of Western Australia.

Jack Davis also made a significant contribution to Aboriginal literary life as a cultural activist and administrator. In the 1980s, he co-founded the Aboriginal Writers, Oral Literature and Dramatists' Association, was a member of the council of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies and the Aboriginal Arts Board. Davis was named a Living Treasure in 1998.

Jack Davis' sister Dot Collard appeared in his play 'No Sugar', which was a great success and was performed in Vancouver for the Expo '86.

Exhibitions

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Most Referenced Works

Awards for Works

y separately published work icon Paperbark : A Collection of Black Australian Writings St Lucia : University of Queensland Press , 1990 Z299632 1990 anthology poetry drama short story criticism prose autobiography biography (taught in 2 units)

'This is the first collection to span the diverse range of Black Australian writings. Thirty-six Aboriginal and Islander authors have contributed, including David Unaipon, Oodgeroo Noonuccal, Gerry Bostock, Ruby Langford, Robert Bropho, Jack Davis, Hyllus Maris, William Ferguson, Sally Morgan, Mudrooroo Narogin and Archie Weller. Many more are represented through community writings such as petitions and letters.

Collected over six years from all the states and territories of Australia, Paperbark ranges widely across time and genre from the 1840s to the present, from transcriptions of oral literature to rock opera. Prose, poetry, song, drama and polemic are accompanied by the selected artworks of Jimmy Pike, and an extensive, up-to-date bibliography.The voices of Black Australia speak with passion and power in this challenging and important anthology.' Source: Publisher's blurb.

1990 highly commended Human Rights Awards Prose Award
y separately published work icon No Sugar 1980 (Manuscript version)x400874 Z264453 1980 single work drama (taught in 21 units)
— Appears in: ドリーマーズ : ノー・シュガー 2006;

'The spirited story of the Millimurra family’s stand against government ‘protection’ policies in 1930s Australia.' (From the publisher's website.)

1992 winner Australian Centre Literary Awards The Kate Challis RAKA Award Drama
1987 Special Western Australia Week Literary Award Special
1986 joint winner AWGIE Awards Stage Award Original
1987 winner Western Australian Premier's Book Awards Special Award
1987 winner Human Rights Awards
Last amended 10 Dec 2019 16:04:44
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