2011 - Theses - Flinders University

the church, ‘Where I can keep an eye on you,’ Florence says, as Mrs Forbes watches her boyssweat in the midday heat. 233 Sister Hathaway has found her a good bed from the missionstores, and put all the costs— seventeen pounds, five shillings —to the Aborigines ProtectionBoard, who still list Mrs Forbes as a dependent of the Mission, ‘A white woman, aged 76,widow of a full-blood Aborigine.’ 234 Mrs Forbes says little, only smiles politely, andpatiently. They will put her where they want her, now.Druid Vale, December, 2003The enormous removalist truck has been parked beside the house all day, and it is full. I amexpecting to spend all night cleaning the house for the family to whom we have sold it, once Ihave attended the Hawker Kindy breakup. After a year convincing the Education Departmentto keep the kindy open, despite diminishing numbers, I cannot miss this celebration, althoughI am about to join the exodus myself. Besides my four-year-old is in the Christmas play, andcleaning must wait. Then my eight-year-old daughter drops my baby on the concrete, and wehave to factor in a rushed trip to the Hawker hospital where they can use their new X-raymachine to confirm that his swollen arm is not broken. Still, it seems a better idea for me todrive to our new home at Monarto with the sobbing baby, than send Murray and stay behindcleaning. Secretly I think he got the short straw.I load up the trailer with all the animals that are making the move with us: meat rabbits,ducks, geese, goats, dogs and the cat. Murray will bring the horse. The fowls swelter in thelate afternoon sun during the kindy breakup, but soon night is falling and I am driving southdown the bitumen road to Monarto in the Adelaide Hills. The children fall asleep in the car,and I am left with the radio and the dark. I cry most of the way. I am leaving a life, a163