THE FIRST GARDEN

Olive Pink sounds like a name straight from a Roald Dahl book. But the heroine of this outdoor play is a 72-year-old Aboriginal-rights activist. Set in the 1950s and based on a true story, Miss Pink was a force to be reckoned with.

Playwright Christopher Raja and his wife Natasha were inspired to explore the life of the woman who took on many roles including environmentalist, botanic illustrator and anthropologist while fighting the cause for indigenous equality.

The play first premiered in 2011 in Alice Springs before going on to Darwin. “The first shows were a great success,” says Christopher Raja. “It seemed to resonate with people and brought together the whole gamut of the society – the indigenous elders, rich Alice Springs gentry types, environmentalists, lawyers, anthropologists, school teachers and children. To see them together learning and being entertained was so special for us.”

And it was special for the Sydneysiders in the audience too. Fortuitously, staff from the Sydney Botanical gardens attended the Darwin performance. “They came up to us and said, ‘wow, you’ve got to do this in Sydney’.”

“We’re so excited to be coming to Sydney to share such an unique Australian story. It covers the key characters in Australian history that have been long forgotten.”

Mar 8-17, Band Lawn, Royal Botanical Gardens, Sydney, $22-32, 9231 8111, oztix.com.au