2011 - Theses - Flinders University

…they had a big story about that. Just prior to that, the wise men of the camp, all the oldfellas reckoned they needed something in the camp. So they went to Blinman and they dugup a grave of old Lango Tommy. He used to work on Warraweena when my Dad was aboy: shepherd he was, him and his old girl…He died of course. He was years older thanmost of them. But they had this, he was one of their head men, one of their leaders andsupposed to have been a very knowledgeable old boy in the Aborigine world. So theywent over there, this party, and they dug up his grave and bought the bones back to RamPaddock Gate and buried him there again. Buried his bones…About that time thisinfluenza struck, you see. They decided that was a bad move, to bring his bones backthere. They blamed that. 120‘They didn’t bring them back again?’ I asked.‘No I don’t know whether they did or not but I do know they cleared out from RamPaddock Gate,’ Keith said. I took another sip of the hot sweet tea he had made me, and wasglad for its warmth in my belly.Minerawuta, April 1930.Becky sets down a pan of water on the ground from the bucket she has drawn from the well.The dogs lap noisily at it, slaking their hoarse throats, and drawn near to camp by the smell ofstews nearly ready to eat. The light will soon be gone: but for now, its last rays pattern theranges to the west with alternate reds on rock face, and dark purple where shadows lie. TheCouncil is showing signs of finishing soon; the tight clump of men shifting, and breakingaway into smaller groups.Suddenly, like a wave breaking over the community, the chill of evening descends and it islike the whole community draws breath. But it is not the cold, or even the defiant shout ofsunset that freezes everyone in that moment. Standing; bent over cooking pots; snatching uppeg dollies; caught in a friendly nod making the rounds of the camps at dusk: all thought isgone save for the vision erupting in the western sky. Three figures hang in the sky; threehuman forms looking down on the wire, wood and tin twisted into dwellings; on the patches73