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Before European colonization, Indigenous Australians lived in complex societies with sophisticated social, spiritual, and economic systems. The Nyoongah people of Western Australia maintained deep connections to their land through the Dreamtime, sustainable hunting and gathering practices, and rich cultural traditions.

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James Cook claims possession of the whole east coast of Australia. Cook raises the British flag at Possession Island, off Cape York Peninsula in Queensland.

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The arrival of the First Fleet marked the beginning of British colonization in Australia, leading to devastating impacts on Indigenous peoples including displacement, disease, and violent conflicts. This event would fundamentally alter the lives of Aboriginal people across the continent.

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1788: Colonialists and First Nations conflicts begin

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1788: Colonialists and First Nations conflicts begin

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The First Fleet lands in Port Jackson – British settlement in Australia begins. Clashes between Aboriginal people and the settlers are reported over the next 10 years in the Parramatta and Hawkesbury areas.

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The initial settlement place on the Swan River, which would eventually become Perth – the colonists' disregard of Aboriginal land rights often led to violent confrontations.

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The Proclamation of NSW Governor Richard Bourke in 1835 implemented the legal principle of terra nullius in Australian law as the basis for British settlement. This was 47 years after the arrival of the First Fleet.

This Latin term means “land belonging to no one”, which has been interpreted as a complete absence of people and additionally the absence of “civilised” people capable of land ownership.

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1890: Western Australia established its own government and constitution

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1890: Western Australia established its own government and constitution

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In 1890, Western Australia took a significant step toward self-governance by establishing its own government and constitution. This marked the transition from being a British-administered colony to achieving responsible government within the British Empire. The Western Australian Constitution Act of 1889 provided the legal framework for this change, allowing the colony to elect its own parliament and manage its internal affairs. The move was driven by the region’s growing population, economic development, and demands for local representation. While still under the overarching authority of Britain, this autonomy paved the way for Western Australia's later role in the federation of Australia in 1901.

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The Aboriginal Protection Act was passed in Western Australia, giving the Chief Protector of Aborigines extensive powers over Indigenous peoples' lives. This act formed part of the legal framework that would enable the policies depicted in 'No Sugar', including forced relocations and family separations.

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A.O. Neville became Chief Protector of Aborigines in Western Australia. His policies and beliefs about Indigenous Australians would significantly influence the treatment of Aboriginal people for decades. Neville appears as a character in 'No Sugar', representing the oppressive government policies of the time.

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The Act assumed that Aboriginal people were a 'dying race' in its objective of forced assimilation of future generations. The Chief Protector had wide-reaching power as legal guardian of all Aboriginal children (under 16 years) whom he decided were illegitimate.

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Despite not being recognized as citizens, many Indigenous Australians served in WWI. Upon returning, they faced continued discrimination and were denied benefits given to white soldiers. This period highlighted the stark inequalities in Australian society.

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Born in 1917, Jack  lived for a period at the Moore River Native Settlement and the Brookton Aboriginal Reserve. As a young man, Jack laboured as a stockman and an itinerant worker. His early life taught him the harsh realities of life in racist Australia and inspired him to write and to organise.

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The Great Depression hit Australia hard, leading to increased racial tension and discrimination. Indigenous people faced severe economic hardship and were often forced onto missions and reserves. This forms the immediate historical context for the events in 'No Sugar'.

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The Moore River Native Settlement, which features prominently in 'No Sugar', was in full operation. Indigenous people were forcibly relocated here under government policies. The settlement was known for its poor conditions, strict regulations, and separation of families.

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A significant massacre of Aboriginal people occurred in the Kimberley region, demonstrating the ongoing violence and discrimination faced by Indigenous Australians during this period. Such events influenced Jack Davis's portrayal of institutional racism in 'No Sugar'.

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In Western Australia, Aboriginal people still had to apply to be an Australian citizen. This was part of the Natives (Citizenship Rights) Act of 1944. To apply, Aboriginal people had to prove that they had: - severed all ties with their Aboriginal family and friends.

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1946: Pilbara Aboriginal pastoral workers strike

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1946: Pilbara Aboriginal pastoral workers strike

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The 1946 Pilbara Aboriginal pastoral workers strike was a landmark event in Australian history, lasting from May 1, 1946, to August 1949, making it the longest industrial action in the country's history. This strike involved approximately 800 Indigenous Australian pastoral workers who walked off large pastoral stations in the Pilbara region of Western Australia. This was due to poor working conditions and to rally for fair wages.

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The 1946 Pilbara strike was a landmark event in Australian labor and Indigenous rights history. On May 1, 1946, about 800 Aboriginal pastoral workers walked off over 25 stations in Western Australia's Pilbara region. Led by Indigenous leaders like Clancy McKenna, Dooley Bin Bin, and Peter Coppin, they protested poor wages, living conditions, and lack of freedom. The strike lasted until 1949, making it Australia's longest industrial action. Strikers sustained themselves through mining and trading, eventually establishing successful cooperatives. This event inspired future Aboriginal activism and marked a crucial step towards self-determination and improved rights for Indigenous Australians.

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1946: Pilbara Aboriginal Pastoral Workers Strike

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1946: Pilbara Aboriginal Pastoral Workers Strike

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Due to poor working conditions in tghe Pilbara aboriginal worker went on strike. The strikers demanded social recognition, payment of fair wages, and an improvement in working conditions.

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Solidarity Online – Socialist organisation in Australia affiliated to the International Socialist Tendency

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The Pilbara strike—how Aboriginal workers defied forced labour and exploitation – Solidarity Online

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A historic strike by Aboriginal workers in Western Australia 75 years ago against brutal oppression and forced labour won dignity and improved conditions writes Paddy Gibson

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A landmark referendum saw over 90% of Australians vote to include Aboriginal people in the census and allow the Commonwealth to make laws for them. While this was a positive step, it came too late for many of the people who suffered under previous policies.

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In 1975 Australian Prime Minister Gough Whitlam poured earth into the hands of Vincent Lingiari in a symbolic gesture of returning lands back to the Gurindji people. Courtesy of the National Archives of Australia.

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1975: Gough Whitlam gave back land to Vincent Lingiari and the Gurindji people following the Wave Hill walk-off

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1975: Gough Whitlam gave back land to Vincent Lingiari and the Gurindji people following the Wave Hill walk-off

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In August 1975 Prime Minister Whitlam came to Daguragu and ceremonially returned a small portion of Gurindji land to the traditional owners by pouring a handful of soil into Vincent Lingiari's hand with the words, 'Vincent Lingiari, I solemnly hand to you these deeds as proof, in Australian law, that these lands belong to the Gurindji people'

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1975: Gough Whitlam gave back land to Vincent Lingiari 

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1975: Gough Whitlam gave back land to Vincent Lingiari 

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The Wave Hill walk-off led to land rights recognition, equal wages, legislative changes, and increased national awareness of Indigenous issues.

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Jack Davis's play 'No Sugar' premieres, bringing to light the historical injustices faced by Indigenous Australians. The play draws directly from historical events and policies, particularly those of the 1930s, to tell the story of the Millimurra family's forced relocation to Moore River.

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Mabo v Queensland (No 2), commonly referred to as the Mabo case, is a landmark decision by the High Court of Australia that acknowledged the existence of Native Title in Australia. Initiated by Eddie Mabo and others against the State of Queensland, the case was decided on June 3, 1992. It holds historic significance as the first Australian legal decision to recognize the pre-colonial land rights of Indigenous Australians under the common law.

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Mabo Native Title rights recognized for the first time, rejecting the concept of 'Terra Nullius'

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This act laid the groundwork for the for indigenous people to claim their ancestral lands, and returned the precedent of the native elders being the custodians of their sacred land. It was intended to provide a national system for the recognition and protection of native title and for its co-existence with the national land management system

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Cherbourg Memory » Native Title Act 1993

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Native Title Act was proclaimed on January 1st 1994, after the Mabo Decision. Its purpose was to provide a national system for the recognition and protection of Native Title and for its co-existence with the national land management system.

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1993: Native Title Act proclaimed on January 1, following the Mabo decision

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1993: Native Title Act proclaimed on January 1, following the Mabo decision

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The Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) provides a process through which Indigenous Australians can lodge an application to seek a determination of native title. In 1998, significant amendments were made to the Act, including the introduction of a registration test and Indigenous Land Use Agreements (ILUAs)

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Jack Davis died in Perth on 17 March 2000, widely mourned in both the Indigenous and white communities. His was a special talent: the ability to sympathetically encapsulate the differences between generations of blacks and between blacks and whites. He had an uncanny ear for reproducing the subtleties of the spoken word and he told even the most harrowing stories with a generous measure of humour and irony. Aborigines, he said, ‘learnt to keep themselves alive by laughing’.