“Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal: A Critical Analysis

Introduction: “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

“Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal first appeared in 1964 in her debut poetry collection We Are Going. The poem reflects the deep cultural loss experienced by Aboriginal people through colonisation and urbanisation, contrasting the freedom, joy, and communal connection of traditional life with the alienation, materialism, and regimentation of modern city living. Drawing on vivid contrasts between past and present — such as the “didgeridoo” and “woomera” replaced by “neon lights” and “traffic” — the poem mourns the erasure of Indigenous traditions, language, and landscapes. Its popularity stems from its emotional honesty, accessible language, and powerful imagery, which made Aboriginal experiences visible to a broad Australian audience at a time when such voices were marginalised. By merging personal nostalgia with cultural critique, Noonuccal captures both the resilience and the grief of a people whose way of life has been irreversibly changed.

Text: “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

In my dreams I hear my tribe
Laughing as they hunt and swim,
But dreams are shattered by rushing car,
By grinding tram and hissing train,
As I see no more my tribe of old
As I walk alone in the teeming town.

I have seen corroboree
Where that factory belches smoke;
Here where they have memorial park
One time lubras dug for yams;
One time our children played
There where the railway yards are now,
And where I remember the didgeridoo
Calling to us to dance and play,
Offices now, neon lights now,
Bank and shop and advertisement now,
Traffic and trade of the busy town.

No more woomera, no more boomerang,
No more playabout, no more the old ways.
Children of nature we were then.
No clocks hurrying crowds to toil.
Now I am civilized and work in the white way,
Now I have dress, now I have shoes:
‘Isn’t she lucky to have a good job!’
Better when I had only a dillybag.
Better when I had nothing but happiness.

Annotations: “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Line	Simple Meaning	Literary Devices
In my dreams I hear my tribe	The speaker dreams of hearing her community’s joyful sounds.	Imagery 🎨, Nostalgia 💭
Laughing as they hunt and swim	The tribe is happy and active in traditional life.	Imagery 🎨, Positive Tone 🌞
But dreams are shattered by rushing car,	Modern life interrupts her dreams with cars.	Juxtaposition ⚖️, Onomatopoeia 🔊
By grinding tram and hissing train,	The noise of urban transport replaces natural sounds.	Onomatopoeia 🔊, Imagery 🎨
As I see no more my tribe of old	She no longer sees her community as it was.	Contrast ⚖️, Nostalgia 💭
As I walk alone in the teeming town.	She is isolated in the crowded city.	Alliteration ✨, Imagery 🎨
I have seen corroboree	She has seen traditional dances and ceremonies.	Cultural Reference 🪶, Imagery 🎨
Where that factory belches smoke;	A factory now stands where traditions once occurred.	Personification 🗣️, Imagery 🎨
Here where they have memorial park	A park now stands in a place once used traditionally.	Contrast ⚖️
One time lubras dug for yams;	Aboriginal women once gathered food here.	Historical Reference 📜, Imagery 🎨
One time our children played	Children once played freely in nature.	Nostalgia 💭, Imagery 🎨
There where the railway yards are now,	A railway has replaced the old play areas.	Contrast ⚖️, Imagery 🎨
And where I remember the didgeridoo	She recalls hearing a traditional musical instrument.	Cultural Symbol 🪘, Imagery 🎨
Calling to us to dance and play,	The instrument invited the community to gather and celebrate.	Personification 🗣️, Imagery 🎨
Offices now, neon lights now,	Modern infrastructure replaces traditional spaces.	Repetition 🔁, Imagery 🎨
Bank and shop and advertisement now,	Commercial areas have replaced nature and culture.	Listing 📋, Contrast ⚖️
Traffic and trade of the busy town.	The town is full of business and transport.	Alliteration ✨, Imagery 🎨
No more woomera, no more boomerang,	Traditional tools are no longer used.	Repetition 🔁, Cultural Symbol 🪶
No more playabout, no more the old ways.	Traditional lifestyles and customs are gone.	Repetition 🔁, Nostalgia 💭
Children of nature we were then.	They once lived in harmony with nature.	Metaphor 🌿, Nostalgia 💭
No clocks hurrying crowds to toil.	They had no time pressure in the past.	Personification 🗣️, Contrast ⚖️
Now I am civilized and work in the white way,	She works under Western systems now.	Irony 😏, Contrast ⚖️
Now I have dress, now I have shoes:	She has adopted Western clothing.	Repetition 🔁, Symbolism 🪶
‘Isn’t she lucky to have a good job!’	Others see her new life as fortunate.	Irony 😏, Direct Speech 🗨️
Better when I had only a dillybag.	She feels life was better with only a traditional bag.	Symbolism 🪶, Nostalgia 💭
Better when I had nothing but happiness.	She believes the old life was happier despite having less.	Contrast ⚖️, Hyperbole 💥

Literary And Poetic Devices: “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Device	Example from Poem	Explanation
Alliteration ✨	“teeming town”, “traffic and trade”	Repetition of initial consonant sounds to create rhythm and draw attention to certain images or ideas.
Cultural Reference 🪶	“corroboree”	Direct mention of a traditional Aboriginal ceremony, grounding the poem in cultural identity.
Contrast ⚖️	“Children of nature we were then. / Now I am civilized and work in the white way”	Shows stark differences between traditional and modern life, highlighting cultural loss.
Cultural Symbol 🪘	“didgeridoo”, “woomera”, “boomerang”	Objects representing Aboriginal heritage and traditions, evoking identity and belonging.
Direct Speech 🗨️	“‘Isn’t she lucky to have a good job!'”	Quoted speech from an external voice, showing societal attitudes and irony.
Historical Reference 📜	“One time lubras dug for yams”	Refers to traditional food-gathering practices of Aboriginal women before colonisation.
Hyperbole 💥	“Better when I had nothing but happiness”	Exaggeration to stress that emotional well-being outweighed material possessions.
Imagery 🎨	“grinding tram and hissing train”, “neon lights now”	Vivid sensory descriptions that make the contrast between past and present tangible.
Irony 😏	“Isn’t she lucky to have a good job!”	The “luck” is viewed sarcastically, as the job comes at the cost of cultural loss.
Juxtaposition ⚖️	“dreams are shattered by rushing car”	Placing opposing elements side by side — peaceful dreams versus harsh urban noise — to highlight change.
Listing 📋	“Bank and shop and advertisement now”	Enumerating modern intrusions, emphasizing the overwhelming transformation.
Metaphor 🌿	“Children of nature we were then”	Compares Aboriginal people to “children of nature” to show their close bond with the land.
Nostalgia 💭	“Better when I had only a dillybag”	Expresses longing for the simplicity and joy of the past.
Onomatopoeia 🔊	“hissing train”, “grinding tram”	Words that imitate sounds, making the urban intrusion more vivid.
Personification 🗣️	“that factory belches smoke”	Gives human qualities to a factory, making industrialisation seem aggressive.
Positive Tone 🌞	“Laughing as they hunt and swim”	Joyful tone reflecting the happiness of traditional life.
Repetition 🔁	“No more woomera, no more boomerang”	Repeating phrases for emphasis, reinforcing the sense of cultural erasure.
Sensory Detail 👂	“Calling to us to dance and play”	Appeals to hearing, allowing readers to imagine the didgeridoo’s sound.
Symbolism 🪶	“dillybag”	Represents Aboriginal culture and self-sufficiency, contrasting with modern possessions.
Tone Shift 🎭	From joyful memories (“Laughing as they hunt and swim”) to resignation (“Now I am civilized and work in the white way”)	Change in tone from nostalgia to loss, mirroring the emotional journey of the speaker.

Themes: “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

🌿 Connection to Nature and Traditional Life: In “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal, the poet evokes a deep sense of harmony with the natural world and Indigenous traditions, portraying a lifestyle in which people lived as “children of nature” without “clocks hurrying crowds to toil.” This connection is shown through sensory-rich memories of hunting, swimming, and communal gatherings, as in “Laughing as they hunt and swim” and “the didgeridoo calling to us to dance and play.” These images, combined with references to traditional tools like the “woomera” and “boomerang”, establish a world where life was guided by seasons and culture rather than economic systems. By contrasting this life with her present, Noonuccal mourns the loss of not only natural surroundings but also the values and rhythms embedded within them.

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⚖️ Cultural Displacement and Loss: “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal vividly depicts the displacement of Aboriginal culture under the forces of colonisation and urbanisation, where spaces once used for communal living are transformed beyond recognition. The poet laments how “One time lubras dug for yams” in the very spot where “the railway yards are now”, symbolising a profound shift from self-sustaining cultural practices to industrial domination. Factories “belching smoke” stand where corroborees once gathered the community, and neon lights have replaced the warmth of fires. Through repetition — “No more woomera, no more boomerang” — the poet reinforces the eradication of cultural symbols, underscoring that displacement is not merely physical but an erasure of language, art, and identity.

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😏 Irony of Civilisation: In “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal, the poet critiques the so-called “progress” of Western civilisation, using irony to reveal the cost of this transformation. While others remark approvingly, “Isn’t she lucky to have a good job!”, the speaker counters with the belief that life was “better when I had only a dillybag”. This ironic juxtaposition highlights how societal definitions of success — wearing a dress, owning shoes, and working in the “white way” — are hollow when they replace cultural fulfillment with economic labor. The modern world’s markers of “civilisation” are shown not as gains, but as losses disguised as benefits, as material possessions have supplanted what she calls “nothing but happiness.”

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💭 Nostalgia and Memory as Resistance: “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal is deeply anchored in nostalgia, where memory serves as both a personal refuge and an act of cultural preservation. Even as she walks “alone in the teeming town”, her mind returns to the days when she was surrounded by her tribe, “laughing as they hunt and swim”. The contrast between dreams — vibrant, communal, rooted in tradition — and waking reality — filled with “traffic and trade of the busy town” — intensifies her longing for a time before disruption. This persistent return to the past is more than longing; it is a subtle form of resistance, asserting that the old ways hold enduring value despite the dominance of the present.

Literary Theories and “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Literary Theory	References from the Poem	Explanation
Postcolonial Theory 🌏	“One time lubras dug for yams”, “No more woomera, no more boomerang”	Examines the impact of colonisation, showing how Indigenous practices, tools, and spaces have been replaced by Western industrial and commercial structures. Highlights cultural erasure and identity loss.
Marxist Theory 💰	“Now I am civilized and work in the white way”, “Isn’t she lucky to have a good job!”	Analyses class structures and economic power; critiques how capitalist labor systems replace communal living with wage work, framing material possessions as progress despite emotional loss.
Eco-Criticism 🌿	“Children of nature we were then”, “Better when I had only a dillybag”	Focuses on the relationship between humans and nature; the poem contrasts sustainable traditional lifestyles with the environmental and spiritual costs of industrialisation.
Feminist Theory 👩	“One time lubras dug for yams”, “Now I have dress, now I have shoes”	Highlights Indigenous women’s roles in traditional life versus their assimilation into Western gender norms; explores how colonialism reshaped female identity and labor.

Critical Questions about “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Literary Works Similar to “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Representative Quotations of “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

Quotation	Context	Explanation with Theoretical Perspective
“In my dreams I hear my tribe” 🗨️	Opening memory of cultural connection.	Postcolonial Theory 🌏 – Highlights the centrality of Indigenous community in identity, framing the dream as resistance to colonial erasure.
“Laughing as they hunt and swim” 🌞	Depicts joyful traditional life.	Eco-Criticism 🌿 – Connects joy and freedom to a harmonious relationship with nature.
“Dreams are shattered by rushing car” 🔊	Modern sounds interrupt her memories.	Postcolonial Theory 🌏 – Symbolises colonial intrusion disrupting cultural continuity.
“One time lubras dug for yams” 📜	Refers to women’s traditional food gathering.	Feminist Theory 👩 – Reflects Aboriginal women’s agency in pre-colonial society, later undermined by Western norms.
“Where that factory belches smoke” 🗣️	Industrialisation replaces traditional spaces.	Eco-Criticism 🌿 – Personifies environmental degradation, critiquing industrial encroachment on sacred land.
“No more woomera, no more boomerang” 🪘	Lists lost cultural tools.	Postcolonial Theory 🌏 – Shows material symbols of cultural heritage erased by colonisation.
“Children of nature we were then” 🌿	Describes life before colonisation.	Eco-Criticism 🌿 – Frames traditional Aboriginal identity as inseparable from the natural world.
“Now I am civilized and work in the white way” 😏	Speaks ironically about assimilation.	Marxist Theory 💰 – Critiques the capitalist and colonial framing of “civilisation” as economic participation.
“Isn’t she lucky to have a good job!” 🗨️	A voice from outside praises her assimilation.	Marxist Theory 💰 – Ironically shows capitalist labour as falsely equated with progress.
“Better when I had nothing but happiness” 💭	Concludes with longing for a simpler past.	Postcolonial Theory 🌏 – Rejects materialist measures of success, valuing cultural and emotional richness instead.

Suggested Readings: “Then and Now” by Oodgeroo Noonuccal

1. Collins, John. “Oodgeroo of the tribe Noonuccal.” Race & class 35.4 (1994): 77-87.
2. Fox, Karen. “Oodgeroo Noonuccal: Media Snapshots of a Controversial Life.” Indigenous Biography and Autobiography, edited by Peter Read et al., vol. 17, ANU Press, 2008, pp. 57–68. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt24h88s.9. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.
3. Collins, John. “OBITUARY: OODGEROO OF THE TRIBE NOONUCCAL.” Aboriginal History, vol. 18, no. 1/2, 1994, pp. 1–4. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24046080. Accessed 12 Aug. 2025.