2011 - Theses - Flinders University

their way back when they got to Patsy Springs and Mr. Whyte told them ‘That missionary haskilled himself” and her Dad said “No that can’t be right” but it was. Nyanga, Mr Page. 193Beltana, 2001I hadn’t yet become firm friends with Keith Nichols, and spoke with him from my carwindow where the wiry old man had hailed me at his gate. Did he know about Mr Page atNepabunna? I asked.Jim Page was a missionary who cut his throat. Mert Lewis wasn’t on the mail run that day– Mr. Harvey was (I went to his wedding) – and he said ‘just as well’, he couldn’t havecoped with it. Jim went into his hut or tent and told the mailman he was just getting themail bag, wait a while, then he came staggering out with blood everywhere…I thinkeveryone knew why. He got a letter saying a woman he was supposed to marry fromEngland was coming out. You wouldn’t find the letter, he’d have burnt it. 194Later, when we shared extra cups of tea just to prolong our visits together, he added his ownthoughts on the rumours surrounding Jim’s death:…like as far as concrete evidence or anything like that, well we don’t know. But I thinkthat that could’ve been very true because the mailman would know and that’s where Iheard that part from: old Mert Lewis. I suppose it was from Mert anyway – most likelywas from him – that he’d taken a letter to him from England and well look[ed] at [it] Isuppose and see the postmark on it from England. And then the fact that he committedsuicide: well I suppose they put two and two together and got five ... after he died therewere that sort of rumours around that he’d been having affairs or one affair orsomething. 195Gladstone, 2002Enis Marsh opinion came across strongly as she reflected on what she had heard, and whatshe knows:Oh people talked about him. They talk about him now as if it only happenedyesterday…Because now, really it’s bought up because of suicide, suicide rate is so highnow, not only in our community but everywhere. I think that’s really why they talk about131