The systematic destruction of the traditional culture of aborigines in Australia and the acute suffering they were subjected to have been scarcely portrayed in Australian literature until the 1960s. Kelvin Gilbert attempts to present their plight in his play, The Cherry Pickers, which poignantly presents the suffering of the natives, but it also suggests that the natives adopt a posture of reconciliation. There occurs in due course a process of assimilation, as both the native and the invader eventually come to understand one another. The natives, this paper shows, become white in everything except the color of their skin. The play impresses the reader with its irony and ribald humor and the rich slew of creation, myths, tribal rituals and political oratory.

It was only during the 1960s that Aboriginal writings which could be recognized as a body of work began to be published in numbers. The history of Aboriginal playwriting begins with The Cherry Pickers written by Kevin Gilbert chronicling the exploitation and stealing of the indigenous Australians' country. It is a simple, powerful and realistic portrayal of Aboriginal culture which unfolds through a series of conversations. Gilbert structures the work around a group of indigenous Australians condemned to wander along the margins of their own continent in pursuit of whatever work they can find. The narrative is a rich slew of creation myths, tribal ritual, political oratory, dirty jokes and terrific songs and the small community affairs.

It is spring time and people emerge from their leaky shanties or discarded car bodies, gather together their few rugged possessions and travel to the cherry orchards many hundreds of miles away. The group of `seasonal working' indigenous Australians sit around their temporary camp waiting for a man called Johnollo, a talismanic figure, to bring them news from the cherry orchards about the coming of the cherry picking season. The commencement of the season is traditionally marked by the largest cherry tree called The King Eagle bearing fruit. There is a spirit of revival and intense relief for the cherry season meant a temporary release from near starvation. It also provides some independence and escape from white station managers, Aboriginal reserves and the local police.

English Studies Journal, Cherry Pickers, Systematic Destruction, Multicultural Australia, Natural Consequences, Water Resources, Cultural Connections, Criminal Justice System, Autochthonous Identification, Aboriginal Spirituality, Multiculturalism.