Sep 20 2008
Rom Watangu
As a history teacher I have a deep interest in Australia’s indigenous history partly due to mum and dad’s stories about their early careers at Cloncurry, Mary Kathleen, Kunbarllanjnja (then called Oenpelli) and with the Kunbidji people at Maningrida from the mid 1950’s to the early 1970’s.
photo credit: SMH See the full slideshow
Yesterday, I was excited to read the SMH report of a significant indigenous art site recently “rediscovered” and studied in the north west Wellington Ranges. This Arnhem Land region of the Territory was where dad prospected extensively for the BMR. This site is currently the subject of ANU studies and will hopefully be preserved from future development impacts.
“This is one of the most fantastic sites anywhere in the world,… (it) demonstrates the power of artistic effort and storytelling. One cannot stand there and not be awed by such creativity.
”Djulirri is like a library or an archive where we can go back and see the log books and diary entries about what happened here in the past.”
Many of our family discussions in the 1960’s and 70’s centred on indigenous history, and more specifically land rights vs mining rights. Dad’s deep personal appreciation of this ancient history must have conflicted severely with the professional demands to mine (exploit?) these same lands.
Growing up, I remember some particularly heated debates between my father, with his strong eclectic views on Gough Whitlam, Rex Conner, George Chaloupka, William Stanner and ALP beliefs, and some brave pioneer land rights/environmental activists who dared to present contrary views. Talk about fireworks.
Any who questioned mining ventures such as Jabiluka, Ranger, Coronation Hill, Rum Jungle, Nabarlek or Olympic Dam were in for a torrid debate. Dinner table discussions by Bruce Walpole, Rex Conner, Bill Foskett, Trevor Jones, Chan and Ken Smith, amongst others, were passionately heated, always stimulating for the participants and sometimes scary to an impressionable youngun’, usually playing innocently in the next room. Boy did I learn what colourful language adults used.
Terania Creek was another hotly debated environmental issue in our household back in the late 1970’s, let alone the storm created over the proposed Gordon River Dam in 1982/3, by which time I remember being brave (stupid?) enough to contribute my contrary views during family ”heated discussions”.
photo credit: Wilderness Org
Now not only should these ancient sites be saved from the rampant mining exploitation of the past 5 decades but recent overzealous developments posing as ‘ecotourism’ that have turned Uluru et al into something resembling the tawdry “DisneyWorld” of Central Australia.
Dad can no longer contribute to these ongoing debates, but I’m certain he’d agree by now that culturally and environmentally significant sites such as these should be permanently preserved above all other interests.
As I reflect on what shaped my adult values, many of which I use daily in my teaching, I wonder, other than the generic obvious, what influences or legacies have your parents given you?
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I wrote a rather lengthy response last night to your great post but lost it. It was at least as rambling as this one.
Basically it said, our family memories of the struggle for Indigenous rights are woven into my understanding of the National narrative, if there is such a thing (eat your heart out Miranda Devine) and are endlessly fascinating. My Dad grew-up around Kempsey and Taree and his stories of the poor treatment the Koori kids received are shameful. Kids banned from the pools, parents refusing to billet black kids for inter-school competitions and then the fact that Kempsey actually voted AGAINST the ‘67 referendum – can you believe that? I wonder about his memories though and how accurate they are, especially considering the racism of our own extended family. Feel proud that Dad is (mostly) not a product of this nasty Australian habit. However, even the most reasonable were often unthinkingly racist in their comments about ‘Purfleet’ and Housing Commission tenants. Dad claims that his family billeted ‘Harry Penrith’ (Burnum Burnum) on their farm, along with half the footy team who were Koori and I assume this is accurate.
The Mid-North Coast that I grew-up in over two decades ago had made limited progress from the immediate post-war period with race-relations IMHO. The local HS never seemed to graduate any Aboriginal kids and the racism of the community was very obvious. I wont quote the kinds of racist vernacular commonly heard during my youth but it was a linguistic currency we can not feel proud of at all. Still feel the shame of one uncle’s comments when Cathy Freemen carried the flag. I told him off…he said I was a smart-arse who become a commie since going to Uni. The reallly scary thing uis that he was reiterated in high-brow magazines like Quadrant and the ‘dog-whistling’ of politicians post Hanson’s election. His racism was merely of the less sophisticated kind.
I am hoping but not sure that Rudd’s Apology – on behalf of us all – will go some way towards making for a more positive and just nation.
Darcy, thanks for contributing.
Unfortunately, many of the racist attitudes you remember from your mid north coast youth are still evident, if not as obvious, today. It is changing, but more still needs to be done.
In my 15 years in the district, local schools have built much stronger links with the Worimi and Biripi communities and various programs in Public schools are addressing this educational disadvantage.
Still a way to go, but I feel community and school leaders have embraced these demands and are now not only listening, but implementing real programs to connect and close the numerous outcome gaps.
I am proud of our local efforts but Rudd will be held accountable in 2011 if real ‘reconcili – action’ is not evident by then.
Mum, the left leaning social justice influence in my life, would love today’s GetUp action.