The family is arrested for "camping illegally" and sent to the Moore River Settlement. Act Two: Life at Moore River is brutal. They face starvation rations, floggings, and the removal of children to domestic service. Jimmy refuses to bow to the Superintendent, Mr. Neal. Act Three: Jimmy is arrested for insolence and sent to a chain gang at Rottnest Island (then a prison for Aboriginal men). The family is relocated to a squalid camp at Brookton. Act Four: The family endures humiliation and poverty. In a devastating climax, we learn that Jimmy has died of an illness on Rottnest. The family continues to resist, refusing to sign the hated "contract" that would give them meager rations without sugar.
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The central conflict ignites when the local white community and politicians decide to forcibly relocate the entire Aboriginal population of Northam to the Moore River Native Settlement. The official excuse is an outbreak of scabies, but the underlying motivation is political convenience ahead of an election. At Moore River, the Millimurras face even harsher conditions, institutional cruelty, and attempts to strip them of their language and traditions. Key Characters jack davis no sugar pdf
itself refers to a protest song from the era, highlighting how basic sustenance was used as a tool of biopolitical control Forced Relocation
The climax of the play occurs during a mandatory Australia Day celebration at Moore River. Neville visits to deliver a speech about progress and civilization. The Noongar residents are forced to sing Christian hymns. However, the event is disrupted by Sam and Billy King, who subvert the celebration, turning the official narrative of Australian progress on its head. Joe and Mary return, facing punishment but standing resiliently together with their newborn child—a symbol of the survival of the Noongar future. Literary Techniques and Dramatic Devices
The local Northam policeman. He represents the everyday, casual racism of the state, enforcing rules with petty malice. The family is arrested for "camping illegally" and
Jack Davis’s landmark play No Sugar remains one of the most significant pieces of Australian literature. First performed in 1985, this powerful historical drama offers an uncompromising look at the systemic oppression, displacement, and resilience of Indigenous Australians during the Great Depression.
If you are a student or teacher, check your school, college, or university library database. Many institutions offer legal digital access to Australian plays through academic platforms like , ProQuest , or electronic reserve systems. 2. Digital Play Publishers
. Set in Northam and the Moore River Native Settlement, the narrative explores the systemic oppression of Aboriginal people under white colonial administration. The Story of the Millimurra Family Jimmy refuses to bow to the Superintendent, Mr
– A black tracker working for Neal. He occupies a tragic middle ground: abandoned by his own people for collaborating with the whites, yet never accepted by the whites as an equal.
The sadistic head of the Moore River Native Settlement. Unlike Neville’s detached bureaucracy, Neal inflicts direct physical and psychological abuse, using violence and isolation to break the spirits of the residents. Key Themes and Motifs Resistance vs. Compliance
