We remember those who left us, In the days of long ago, Oombulgurri, Oombulgurri, Where the quiet waters flow.
In the Google search bar, type exactly: "Oombulgurri" poem filetype:pdf Oombulgurri Poem Pdf
In the poem by Ali Cobby Eckermann , the poet explores the profound trauma of displacement and the resilience of Aboriginal identity following the government-forced closure of the Oombulgurri community in 2011. The Weight of Dispossession We remember those who left us, In the
Ali Cobby Eckermann’s poem " Oombulgurri ," found in Little Bit Long Time In other versions, the poem is described as
In some academic contexts, the poem is credited to Aboriginal activist and writer (a renowned poet from the Yamatji and Wajarri language groups), who has written extensively about dislocation and colonial violence in the Kimberley. In other versions, the poem is described as a community lament —a collective work passed orally before being transcribed in local school anthologies or land rights documentation.
Frequent use of repetition, particularly with words like "wails," emphasizes the overwhelming nature of the dispossession. NSW Government Resources & PDF Guides
The poem opens with images of "tumbleweeds of blue pattern dresses" drifting down empty streets. These dresses represent the women who were once the heart of the community; their absence is felt through the discarded clothing that now litters the landscape.