Oodgeroo Noonuccal ( ; born Kathleen Jean Mary Ruska, formerly Kath Walker; 3 November 1920 – 16 September 1993) was an Australian poet, political activist, artist and teacher. She was best known for her poetry, and was the first Aboriginal Australian to publish a book of verse. Oodgeroo Noonuccal is a traditional Quandamooka name that she adopted for herself in 1988 (Oodgeroo refers to the paperbark tree, and Noonuccal is the name of her tribe).