"Truganini" is a song by Australian rock band Midnight Oil from their eighth studio album, Earth and Sun and Moon (1993). It was inspired by Truganini, a Nuenonne woman from south-east Tasmania. The song uses a recurring Australian issue—drought—to pose the question "what for?", meaning "why did Europeans bother to colonise this harsh place?" The song mentions two prominent indigenous Australians whose lives were altered by European settlement and discusses current day sentiment towards the old country, namely the monarchy.
Truganini (song)
Midnight Oil are an Australian rock band composed of Peter Garrett, Rob Hirst (drums), Jim Moginie and Martin Rotsey (guitar). The group was formed in Sydney in 1972 by Hirst, Moginie and original bassist Andrew James as Farm: they enlisted Garrett the following year, changed their name in 1976, and hired Rotsey a year later. Peter Gifford served as bass player from 1980 to 1987, with Bones Hillman then assuming the role until his death in 2020. Midnight Oil have sold over 20 million albums worldwide as of 2021.
Midnight Oil at Vieilles Charrues Festival, 2022
Martin Rotsey, Midnight Oil guitarist, at the Souths Leagues Club in Brisbane, 2007
Midnight Oil at Manly Leagues Club, 2005