Lionel Fogarty (born 1958), also published as Lionel Lacey, is an

Indigenous Australian Indigenous Australians or Australian First Nations are people with familial heritage from, and membership in, the ethnic groups that lived in Australia before British colonisation. They consist of two distinct groups: the Aboriginal peoples ...

poet and political activist.

Early life

Fogarty was born in 1958 on an

Aboriginal reserve An Aboriginal reserve, also called simply reserve, was a government-sanctioned settlement for Aboriginal Australians, created under various state and federal legislation. Along with missions and other institutions, they were used from the 19th c ...

at Barambah (now called

Cherbourg Cherbourg (; , , ), nrf, Chèrbourg, ) is a former commune and subprefecture located at the northern end of the Cotentin peninsula in the northwestern French department of Manche. It was merged into the commune of Cherbourg-Octeville on 28 Feb ...

) in

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

, where he grew up. He is of the Yoogum (Yugambeh) and Kudjela (?) peoples.

Activism

Fogarty was involved in Aboriginal activism from his teenage years, including involvement with such organisations as

Aboriginal Legal Service The Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT) (ALS), known also as Aboriginal Legal Service, is a community-run organisation in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, founded in 1970 to provide legal services to Aboriginal Australians a ...

, Aboriginal Housing Service,

Black Resource Centre The Australian Union of Students (AUS), formerly National Union of Australian University Students (NUAUS), was a representative body and lobby group for Australian university and college of advanced education students. It collapsed in 1984 and ...

, Black Community School and Murrie Coo-ee. He worked mainly in southern Queensland on issues such as

land rights Land law is the form of law that deals with the rights to use, alienate, or exclude others from land. In many jurisdictions, these kinds of property are referred to as real estate or real property, as distinct from personal property. Land use ...

, Aboriginal health and

deaths in custody A death in custody is a death of a person in the custody of the police, other authorities or in prison. In the 21st century, death in custody remains a controversial subject, with the authorities often being accused of abuse, neglect, racism and ...

. His brother, Daniel Yock, died in the back of a police van shortly after being arrested, in 1993. Fogarty met activist

Cheryl Buchanan Cheryl is a female given name common in English speaking countries. There are several prevailing theories about its etymology. The most common is that it has Italo-Celtic roots and is an Anglicised version of either the French name Cherie (from ...

(born 1955), later the mother of his six children, in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

, who was working with the

National Union of Australian University Students The Australian Union of Students (AUS), formerly National Union of Australian University Students (NUAUS), was a representative body and lobby group for Australian university and college of advanced education students. It collapsed in 1984 and w ...

(NUAUS). He assisted in publishing the newspaper ''Black News Service'' (1975–1977), originally out of the

(BRC) in

(supported by the NUAUS) and later from

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

.PDF
/ref> Buchanan had been involved in the setup of the

Aboriginal Tent Embassy The Aboriginal Tent Embassy is a permanent protest occupation site as a focus for representing the political rights of Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander people. Established on 26 January (Australia Day) 1972, and celebrating i ...

in 1972, and became inaugural director of the BRC. The centre later moved to Brisbane. Buchanan also took him up to

Aurukun Aurukun is a town and coastal locality in the Shire of Aurukun and the Shire of Cook in Far North Queensland, Australia. It is an Indigenous community. In the , the locality of Aurukun had a population of 1,269 people. Geography Aurukun is ...

festival and to meet Mapoon people whose land near

Weipa Weipa () is a coastal mining town in the local government area of Weipa Town in Queensland. It is the largest town on the Cape York Peninsula. It exists because of the enormous bauxite deposits along the coast. The Port of Weipa is mainly invol ...

had been taken from them in the 1930s and 1940s. The BRC was involved in the defence and acquittal of the "Brisbane Three" in 1975. Fogarty was one of the three: he faced charges of conspiracy against the state in Brisbane, along with Denis Walker and Chilean national John Garcia. The charges, which had been laid by then premier of Queensland

Joh Bjelke-Petersen Sir Johannes Bjelke-Petersen (13 January 191123 April 2005), known as Joh Bjelke-Petersen, was a conservative Australian politician. He was the longest-serving and longest-lived premier of Queensland, holding office from 1968 to 1987, during ...

's Special Branch in 1974, were on various offences relating to an alleged plot to "kidnap" Jim Varghese,

students' union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...

president at the

University of Queensland , mottoeng = By means of knowledge and hard work , established = , endowment = A$224.3 million , budget = A$2.1 billion , type = Public research university , chancellor = Peter Varghese , vice_chancellor = Deborah Terry , city = B ...

. After this, Fogarty started writing on political issues. As well as travelling around Australia promoting Murri culture and Aboriginal causes, in 1976 he travelled to the Second

International Indian Treaty Council The International Indian Treaty Council (IITC) is an organization of Indigenous Peoples from North, Central, South America, the Caribbean and the Pacific working for the Sovereignty and Self-Determination of Indigenous Peoples and the recognition ...

South Dakota South Dakota (; Sioux language, Sioux: , ) is a U.S. state in the West North Central states, North Central region of the United States. It is also part of the Great Plains. South Dakota is named after the Lakota people, Lakota and Dakota peo ...

, United States, part of the

American Indian Movement The American Indian Movement (AIM) is a Native American grassroots movement which was founded in Minneapolis, Minnesota in July 1968, initially centered in urban areas in order to address systemic issues of poverty, discrimination, and police ...

. In the

International Year of the World's Indigenous People The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues (UNPFII or PFII) is the UN's central coordinating body for matters relating to the concerns and rights of the world's indigenous peoples. There are more than 370 million indigenous peop ...

in 1993, Fogarty went on an extensive tour in Europe, reading his work.

Poetry

His poetry can be seen as an extension of this activism; common themes include the maintenance of traditional

Aboriginal culture Australian Aboriginal culture includes a number of practices and ceremonies centered on a belief in the Dreamtime and other mythology. Reverence and respect for the land and oral traditions are emphasised. Over 300 languages and other groupings ...

and the effects of European occupation. His work has been described as "experimental", and sometimes "

surrealist Surrealism is a cultural movement that developed in Europe in the aftermath of World War I in which artists depicted unnerving, illogical scenes and developed techniques to allow the unconscious mind to express itself. Its aim was, according to l ...

". He uses Aboriginal language in his poetry, partly as an attempt to extend the dialogue between Australian cultures. Fogarty has been involved with not-for-profit poetry organisation, The Red Room Company, participating in Unlocked, a program for inmates in

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

correctional centres, as well its creative projects including ''Clubs and Societies'' and ''The Poet's Life Works''.

Recognition and awards

* 2016: Shortlisted,

New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards The New South Wales Premier's Literary Awards, also known as the NSW Premier's Literary Awards, were first awarded in 1979. They are among the richest literary awards in Australia. Notable prizes include the Christina Stead Prize for Fiction, th ...

, Kenneth Slessor Prize for Poetry * 2015:

Kate Challis RAKA Award The Kate Challis RAKA Award is an arts award worth , awarded annually by the University of Melbourne in Victoria, Australia to Indigenous Australian creative artists. It is awarded in a five-year cycle, each year in a different area of the arts: ...

for ''Mogwie-Idan: Stories of the Land'' (2012) * 2014: Shortlisted,

Victorian Premier's Literary Awards The Victorian Premier's Literary Awards were created by the Victorian Government with the aim of raising the profile of contemporary creative writing and Australia's publishing industry. As of 2013, it is reportedly Australia's richest literary p ...

, Prize for Indigenous writing * 2012: Scanlon Prize for Indigenous Poetry, for ''Connection Requital''. * 2006:

Australian Council for the Arts The Australia Council for the Arts, commonly known as the Australia Council, is the country's official arts council, serving as an arts funding and advisory body for the Government of Australia. The council was announced in 1967 as the Austr ...

– Promotional And Presentation Grant Award Literature Board * 2996: Nominated,

NBC Banjo Awards The National Book Council Banjo Awards were presented by the National Book Council of Australia from 1974 to 1997 for works of fiction and non-fiction. The name commemorates the bush poet Andrew Barton Banjo Paterson. The Council has enjoyed nota ...

, Poetry Prize, for ''New and Selected poems: Munaldjali, Mutuerjararera'' * 1995:

– Travel Grant Award, toward promotional activities in UK, Italy and Spain * 1994: Queensland OPAL Award – Murri Achievement (Writers) Award * 1989: Patricia Weickhardt Award

Selected works

Fogarty's works include: * ''Selected Works 1980-2016'' (re.press, 2017) * ''Eelahroo (Long Ago) Nyah (Looking) Möbö-Möbö (Future)'' (Vagabond Press, 2014) * ''Mogwie-Idan: Stories of the Land'' (Vagabond Press, 2012) * ''Connection Requital'' (Vagabond Press, 2010) * ''Yerrabilela Jimbelung: Poems About Friends and Family'', with Yvette Walker and Kargun Fogarty (Keeaira Press, 2008) * ''Minyung Woolah Binnung: What Saying Says'' (Keeaira Press, 2004) * ''New and Selected Poems: Munaldjali, Mutuerjaraera'' (Hyland House, 1995) * ''Booyooburra: A Tale of the Wakka Murri'' with illustrations by Sharon Hodgson (Hyland House, 1993) * ''Jagera'' (Murri Coo-ee, 1990) * ''Ngutji'' (Murri Coo-ee, 1984) * ''Kudjela'' (Murri Coo-ee, 1983) * ''Yoogum Yoogum'' (Penguin, 1982) * ''Kargun'' (Murri Coo-ee, 1980)

Early life

Activism

Poetry

Recognition and awards

Selected works

References

Further reading