Naku Dharuk The Bark Petitions

In 1963—a year of agitation for civil rights worldwide—the Yolŋu of northeast Arnhem Land created the Yirrkala Bark Petitions: Naku Dharuk. ‘The land grew a tongue’ and the land-rights movement was born.

Naku Dharuk is the story of a founding document in Australian democracy and the trailblazers who made it. It is also a pulsating picture of the ancient and enduring culture of Australia’s first peoples.

And it is a masterful, groundbreaking history.

Clare Wright’s Democracy Trilogy began with The Forgotten Rebels of Eureka and continued with You Daughters of Freedom. It concludes with this compulsively readable account of a momentous episode in our shared story.

PRAISE:

‘A landmark history.’ Mark McKenna

'Clare Wright is the most remarkable and striking voice working on recovering the lost and forgotten pages of Australian history. Her work, as accessible as it is scholarly, is of the greatest importance.' William Dalrymple

‘A masterful and definitive account of one of the most important political documents in Australian history. Wright brings to life this moving story of unwavering Yolngu resistance and the enduring legacy of their political actions.’ Larissa Behrendt, Distinguished Professor, UTS

‘What distinguishes Wright’s account of the disorder among settler authorities is the length, detail and intimacy of her narration.’ Conversation
‘The non-fiction book to know about…An essential account of the land rights movement and beyond.’ Qantas Magazine

‘Wright is creating an entirely new narrative, a reading of Australian history grounded in her own experience, a story only she is qualified to tell. It is a powerful account, and a weighty one.’ Inside Story
‘Vividly alive and combining the personal with an extraordinary depth of research and sophisticated scholarship...a book that should be read by all Australians.’ Judges of the Book of the Year Award, 2026 NSW Literary Awards