BIG SLICE OF HOUSING MONEY FOR ABORIGINAL TRAINING SCHEME. Report by
ERWIN CHLANDA.
A major part of government funded construction work in Central
Australian bush communities will be project managed by an Aboriginal
owned company, Tangentyere Constructions.
This will exclude from the open tendering process nearly half of the
Aboriginal housing construction effort in the southern half of the NT
outside Alice Springs.
Tangentyere will project manage work worth more than $10m in the next
three years, building 42 houses in seven communities.
The company will continue a program for Aboriginal builder's
apprentices, 19 of whom have received their level two certificates for
one year on the job.
But private firms who have been doing the work for decades say they
will miss out on contracts.
The 2003/04 budget is $8m (of which Tangentyere will handle about
$3.3m).
In 2004/05, on present indications, the budget may be only $5m, with
more than half going to the training program.
An Alice Springs based project manager, Ian Stower, says his company's
IHANT activities were already cut by around 75 per cent.
He says the cost of a house under the new regime has risen by $40,000
to about $240,000.
But a spokesman for NT Housing Minister John AhKit says the new scheme
will be groundbreaking in the training of Indigenous people.
He says: "In the last 30 years outside contractors have not had an
interest in training people.
"This is a new way of doing things, so that we can create sustainable
skills and work in the bush."
Territory Construction Association CEO John Baker says companies had
been under no obligation to take on apprentices in the past.
"The opportunities within communities were not there," he says.
However, historian Dick Kimber remembers a type of apprenticeship
scheme in Papunya and Yuendumu in the 1970s, which took into account
that young Aboriginal men and women did not have enough formal English
to do conventional exams.
He says the carpenters, mechanics, nursing sisters and canteen/store
managers in the community trained young Aboriginal people to degrees of
"genuine competence".
"The priority was to have them do the necessary work, not to have it
done for them," says Mr Kimber."The advent of unemployment benefits in
some instances, I believe, took away the incentive to do apprenticeship
work, as the wages were likely to be no more than the benefit."
In the Top End the Northern Land Council is setting up employment
training committees in the communities, involving local schools and
councils, with the view of keeping maintenance contracts in local
hands, and later, providing home-grown builders.
Meanwhile the scheme in The Centre ties in ATSIS, funding from CDEP for
the trainees, Federal subsidies for apprentices, NT Government services
and evaluation by the Charles Darwin University.
Mr AhKit's spokesman says the houses included in the apprenticeship
program will be built more slowly so that training can be carried out.
The program will operate in Papunya, Ntaria (Hermannsburg), Laramba,
Aherrenge, Docker River, Willowra and Ltyentye Apurte (Santa Teresa).
A construction source says Tangentyere Construction has a rating of $2m
a year from Contract Accreditation Ltd, but will be handling more than
$3.3m.
"We're not acting purely as building contractors, but also as program
managers for the Department of Community Development," says Hans
Mouthaan, manager of Tangentyere Construction.
And a government source says Tangentyere's fee is "well under a
miullion a year".
Mr Mouthaan says he was for 14 years building manager for Clarendon
Homes in NSW "one of the biggest building companies in Australia".
"We built 1000 contract homes a year."
TRIBAL LAW RULES ONLY WHEN IT FITS CRIMINAL CODE. Report by ERWIN
CHLANDA.
Crimes such as sex with minors and grievous bodily harm committed in
the guise of Aboriginal law will not be condoned by the Territory
Government, according to Justice Minister Peter Toyne.
He says initiatives will be taken to incorporate "Aboriginal customary
law" in the legal system but that won't include practices that
contravene the Criminal Code.
"As part of the Government's reform of child sexual assault offences we
will remove the defence of traditional marriage to child sexual assault
cases that is currently in the Criminal Code."This legislative action
will ensure that the law is very clear and reinforce that sexual
intercourse with a child under 16 years is a criminal offence without
exception," Dr Toyne said.He was responding to the recently-released
recommendations of the NT Law Reform Committee's Inquiry into
Aboriginal Customary Law, "Towards Mutual Benefit".
Dr Toyne says the inquiry was established to "support and sustain
Aboriginal customary law" but only in areas "that do not contravene the
Criminal Code" and so long as it is "consistent with universally
recognised human rights and fundamental freedoms".
Dr Toyne said payback is an area of customary law that will be further
addressed in the development of localised Aboriginal Law and Justice
Plans, "with the view to advance forms of payback that do not breach
the criminal or general law, such as monetary payments.
"Northern Territory Government affirms that the Northern Territory
Criminal Code applies to all citizens of the Northern Territory without
exception.
"This means that the Northern Territory Government does not condone any
of the crimes in that Code, including but not limited to murder,
manslaughter, dangerous act, rape, incest, carnal knowledge, kidnap,
assault and theft."
The inquiry was established to find "some mutual benefit in areas
including but not limited to governance, social well-being, law and
justice, and economic independence" and "subject to the overriding
protections offered by International treaties and the NT general law".
ATSIC Northern Territory Commissioner Kim Hill said the Territory
government's response to the customary law inquiry is a "start" but it
needs to be backed up by action "to fully recognise and incorporate
Aboriginal customary law into the legal system".
Mr Hill said Aboriginal customary law is an integral and central part
of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and should be
"developed into a legislative framework".
"Indigenous peoples' system of law must be recognised if our
communities are to move forward.
"Without full and meaningful recognition this won't happen," said Mr
Hill.
GAP YEAR: RELIEVE PRESSURE, EARN DOLLARS. Report by JOHANNA CASTLES.
Alice Springs students who have just finished Year 12 commonly take a
year off study and work.
It appears to be more usual here than it is in other states.
According to Catherine Nickson, the Year 12 Coordinator at St Philip's
College, some 80 per cent of the class of 2002 opted to defer from
university.
She believes this is because "they have to leave Alice and that costs
money".
They will have to pay more than just HECS (Higher Education
Contribution Scheme) fees.Accommodation, electricity, food and general
costs of living away from home can be "very expensive".
If the students work for a year, earning at least $16,000 (verifiable
by the tax office) they will be eligible for a youth allowance, which
will help meet their costs.
Mrs Nickson believes that the pressure of Year 12 should not be a
factor in students' choosing to defer.
"There is a lot of work, but [the amount of pressure] is up to the
students themselves. They need to be organised."
She does, however, believe that the pressure is increased if a student
is juggling studies with a part-time job, which in this society, is
almost a necessity.
An option offered to students to help cope with the pressures, is to
take Year 12 over two years so the course is more spread out.
However, they may still need to defer in order to become eligible for
the youth allowance.
Rob Evison tried this approach. He graduated from Centralian College
last year after completing Year 12 over two years.
Says Rob: "In theory, you will do well because you have extra time for
study, but in practice, it makes you slack because you have more time
to do nothing."
Nonetheless, Rob believes it has its benefits: in his two years he
worked closely with Centre Stage Theatre, planning and designing a
number of shows.
He then stayed on in Alice in 2003 to work for youth allowance and next
year plans to study a Bachelor of Arts and Science majoring in
psychology and music.
He will also audition for the Design course at the National Institute
of Dramatic Arts (NIDA).
Rob believes that deferral is a good option, as it gives students "a
real sense of responsibility and makes them more prepared for uni".
Billy St John has applied to study Audio Engineering at SAE College
next year, after taking the year off to work as a music teacher at St
Philip's.
He had decided fairly early that he didn't want to go straight to
tertiary study as he felt that he wasn't ready to leave Alice Springs
and his family.
While HECS fees and the costs of living away from home are becoming
expensive, Billy is prepared, with the money saved from his year off.
He sees no negatives in deferring, as it "it prepares you for what is
to come".
David Pearson, completed year 12 in 2000, took a year off and is now in
his second year at Adelaide University.
He believes that, while for some people, deferring is the best option,
others will lose their motivation, if they don't go to uni straight
away.
During his deferral year David realised how much he wanted to go to
university but says that once he went, he "found it hard to get back
into it".
He had considered studying law but decided against it as the HECS fees
were three times as high as those of his current course in media and
international affairs.
His choice of universities was also influenced by the cost of living
away from home. David chose to go to Adelaide as it is the cheapest
place from which to get back to Alice Springs.
Although his HECS fees are fairly high, David's main problem is youth
allowance.
It's less than the unemployment benefit and David believes it isn't
enough: "You can pay back HECS later, but if you haven't got money now,
you can't live."
Renee de Jong chose not to defer, but rather went straight to the
University of Adelaide to study Commerce after graduating from
Centralian College in 2001.
Her family felt it important that she go straight to university rather
than get caught up in a full-time job.
Renee knows people who have lost work habits and motivations after
taking a year off, which has had a detrimental effect on their studies,
so she was eager to go.
She doesn't qualify for youth allowance, relying solely on her family,
which "has been a financial strain". She is very grateful to them for
their support, which has also helped her adapt to university life, a
"hard but beneficial" change. Living independently has been easier as
she had learnt a lot of home responsibilities at an early age.
Therese O'Brien also chose not to defer in 2002, but rather go straight
to Adelaide University.
Music is a non-deferrable subject, but in nay case Therese had been
looking forward to it all through high school and never planned to
defer. She doesn't need to pay HECS until she starts working full time,
and at the moment, is living off youth allowance.
"It's not really living comfortably enough, but I chose not to work,"
she says.
She will get a part time job next year.
Therese believes that the current cost of university is "definitely too
much, but there's not much students can do except keep paying the
bills".
Dylan Fitzsimons, studying Law and Asian studies at Australian National
University in Canberra, is aided by the John Hawkins Scholarship given
to him by Rotary, which pays $10,000 towards his HECS fees.
Having already saved money during high school, Dylan chose not to defer
from university; he wanted to "get straight into it".
The expense of living away from home can be hard, though, especially
when "it costs about $500 if you want to go home and see your family".
Dylan pays $200 a week to live at a university college.
That means he doesn't need to pay food, water or electricity, and he
also works part time at MHR Warren Snowdon's office in Canberra.Dylan
believes that the cost of courses could affect the choices people make.
He has noticed that "in Alice Springs there are a lot of different
social classes, whereas here [ANU], it's more homogenous, people are
really from the same social class."
"DID THEY SHOOT IN SELF-DEFENCE?" "NO! THEY SHOT 'EM LIKE A DOG." Part
Eleven of a Feature by DICK KIMBER.
'Real True History': The Coniston Massacre
Encounters on the Third Patrol
Last week's article finished with an account by Henry Tilmouth,
part-owner of Napperby Station, solving the problem of an attack on
him, frontier style. A plainer statement Ð "The bullet entered his
body over the heart. I had no further trouble with the blacks" Ð
would be difficult to find.
However, since the man killed, Wangaridge, was not supported by any
other warriors there must be doubt about Henry's initial perception of
"blacks É sneaking up."
And what the dog and the boomerang thrower, only "a little way" away,
were doing for 10 minutes, while Henry was getting out a bullet jammed
in the bridge of his rifle, is a bit of a puzzle. It was
extraordinarily good fortune for Henry that Wangaridge, who must have
been no more than 50 metres away, waited (?) for 10 minutes until Henry
had cleared the rifle and had it at his shoulder before, apparently
unimpeded by the dog, he again approached.
Meanwhile, the second patrol was over and there had been an attack on
Nugget Morton (also the subject of last week's article). It may be that
news of the second patrol had Government Resident John Cawood and
Sergeant Noblett a bit worried, and wishing that someone other than
George Murray was available for the patrol that was required to now
arrest Nugget Morton's attackers. Indeed it remains a puzzle why
Sergeant Noblett was always required in Stuart Town.
However, he undoubtedly had to determine priorities, and the demands
for assistance in the Glen Helen area meant that other Mounted Police
were needed in that area too. Whatever the reasons, the delay was
brief, and on the 19th September George Murray was again back in Alice
Springs, preparing for another patrol.
It is difficult to conclude other than that John Cawood approved of the
"teach them a lesson" approach. There is also circumstantial evidence
that he did not yet know of the newspaper report and thought that the
news could be kept fairly quiet. He probably thought that Murray would
be taking two adult Native Constable black-trackers with him, and must
have accepted that he would recruit station men to the patrol.
Murray, no doubt now beginning to feel a bit like a yo-yo, arrived at
Nugget Morton's Broad-meadows station on the 24th September. Nugget had
recovered from his wounds, but the scars were still as visible as was
his determination to do something about who had caused them.
Leading this third major patrol, George Murray was now experienced in
the general nature of the country and knew something of the Anmatyerre
and Warlpiri people. He also knew that his attempted arrests always
resulted in resistance and attacks, which in turn resulted in the
shooting of all males in any camp.
In saying this, though, it is easy to forget that, whatever actually
transpired on the patrols as against what was sometimes reported,
George obviously had to be a very competent and courageous bush
policeman, and an expert horseman, to be travelling the desert
distances he was.
Death by spear or by perishing were always genuine possibilities. He
might have put his soul to one side, but even in his generation he must
have been exceptionally tough of body and mind.
"Nugget" Morton was a very tough pastoralist who had been in the Lander
River country for about four years, had overlanded stock across the
Tanami Desert, and was known to be ruthless in his dealings with
Anmatyerre and Warlpiri who challenged him in any way. He was
undoubtedly a good bushman, and a good rifleman.
Alex Wilson, who after Joe Brown's death had been obliged to return to
Nugget to work, had no love for him, but had no way of avoiding the
situation in which he now found himself. Whether he liked it or not,
George Murray wanted him for the patrol.
He was a man on the spot who could make up the numbers, he knew how
Murray operated and, since Nugget was required to take over Jack
Saxby's "crossfire" role, Alex was also useful in an overall support
rifleman role.
I envisage that, in addition to this role, he replaced Major as the man
in charge of the horses while travelling, and Police Paddy as the
"sweeper" who had to head off anyone of a group who was trying to flee.
Why there were no formally employed police trackers is a puzzle, even
if Police Paddy and Major were not available (as seems to have been the
case). Instead a local boy, whose name is unknown, became the fourth
member of the patrol.
He was probably a Kaytetye or Anmatyerre lad, about 12-14 years old,
and presumably acted as horse-tailer for the "plant of about fourteen
horses" supplied by Nugget, and as general rouseabout while in camp.
It is clear that George Murray believed that just three armed men, all
with rifles and revolvers, were sufficient for the patrol that lay
ahead of him.
This was a potentially dangerous assumption, and must have been made on
the basis that, because of the drought, the local people were in small
scattered groups, no more than 30 in number.
There is something that also suggests a death or glory approach by
George Murray.
Tennyson's "The Charge Of The Heavy Brigade At Balaclava", with its
later echo of George's mates at the Charge of the Light Horse at
Beersheba, captures something of how I think he perceived himself.
The "gallant three hundred, the Heavy Brigade", charged galloping into
the enemy's ranks, and: "Fell like a cannonshot,/Burst like a
thunderbolt,/Crash'd like a hurricane,/Broke thro' the mass from
below,/Drove thro' the midst of the foe,/Plunged up and down, to and
fro,/Rode flashing blow upon blow,/Brave Inniskillens and
Greys/Whirling their sabres in circles of light!"
George didn't have a sabre, and he doesn't seem to have been so poetic.
He was a soldier-policeman, a hard man doing a hard task in hard
country. And the Anmatyerre and Warlpiri people were honed lean and
hard by their land, too.
I remember once being out with an old desert man in a drought and, when
I looked out over the heat-haze shimmering land and remarked, "Hard old
men in the early days!", he added, "Hard old women, too!"
It was probably on the 25th or 26th of September that the patrol moved
out from Nugget's station. They captured three innocent young men
initiates early in the patrol, but they would not betray their kinsmen
and elders.
They "humbugged" Murray for three days, leading him to dry soakages and
abandoned camps.
Then, when he realised what they were doing, they used the cover of
darkness to burn their feet at the fire until they blistered, and pound
their toes so that they could not walk the next day Ð or so they
thought.
Constable Murray wrapped hessian bags about their feet and forced them
on. And when they still "humbugged", he took one aside, out of sight of
the others, fired two shots into the dust, and ... They obviously took
this as a very real threat, and fearfully led the patrol towards a
waterhole.
Although there is no doubt about this account Ð George Murray gave
the same information in two interviews 27 years apart Ð neither he
nor Nugget Morton thought to mention the use of the three initiates as
guides, or any other details associated with them, at the time of the
enquiry.
George Murray's and Nugget Morton's accounts to the enquiry of what
happened on the rest of the patrol contain enough words and phrases of
identical or near-identical nature to suggest that they had rehearsed
them together. I suspect that most people would have done the same
under similar circumstances.
George Murray begins the further account:
"On nearing a place called Tomahawk Waterhole I instructed Wilson and
the small black boy to keep the pack horses well behind. Morton rode
down the bed of the creek and I rode about 100 yards in the scrub. I
came across seven male adult natives, I galloped around and they
assembled in one heap. I dismounted and the natives immediately
attacked. I called to Morton, at the same time firing several shots
wide of the natives. The position appeared serious and I fired to stop
the natives. The shots attracted Morton and he was immediately on the
scene."
As George is a bit light-on for details at this point, Nugget now takes
up the story.
"The four armed blacks were belting Constable Murray who was on foot. I
dismounted and drew my revolver as I ran. I fired several shots at the
natives. I also heard Constable Murray fire several shots. The four
natives were killed. I recognised them as being four of the natives who
attacked me."
It was unfair of me to wonder whether the seven men had "assembled in a
heap", a rather odd expression, before or after the shooting. Perhaps
the four who were shot were "assembled in a heap". And perhaps the
three young initiates who had initially misled Constable Murray joined
them, for they are not mentioned from this time onwards. Further to
this, no-one is reported as being buried on this patrol.
The surviving three unarmed men gave satisfactory accounts of their
movements, and helpfully "stated that the four dead had only arrived
there some few days before and that they were the cheeky ones who had
tried to kill Morton".
An interesting point is that this was probably the tenth time Murray
had dismounted and been attacked. It is fair to assume that he been
waddied, boomeranged and yam-sticked (if not also knifed, speared and
tomahawked) innumerable times.
The total combination of blows must have been more than the blows
Nugget Morton had endured in the 15-man attack on him. And yet there is
no evidence that he needed the slightest bit of medical attention or
bandaging. This is truly remarkable. His luck held in the next attack
too.
The patrol travelled via Boomerang Waterhole on the Lander to Circle
Well, away to the north-east. Here eight men were "rounded up" and,
when Nugget spoke to them in their own language, telling them to throw
their weapons down, all but two did so. These two, though they had
"been casually employed" by Nugget, had also been two who had held his
arms when he was attacked. When, despite several exhortations to throw
down their weapons, they continued to hold them, Constable Murray
dismounted. On the basis of all of his other accounts the result was
predictable.
"Immediately I stepped to the ground the two of them jumped on top of
me. I threw them aside and got possession of a tomahawk from one of
them. He then attacked me with his boomerang and I used the tomahawk to
defend myself. The second blow struck him on the back of the head and
he fell dead. The second native was in the act of driving a spear
through me from about two yards distance. I drew my revolver and both
Morton and I fired in the same instant and the native was killed."
A question might have been asked by a member of the enquiry team had
anyone thought about his account. How was it that, if the native was
attacking you with a boomerang, and therefore facing you, you managed
to hit him in the back of the head with the tomahawk? No doubt a
reasonable explanation could have been given.
The other six men, who must have been Anmatyerre because Nugget could
"fluently" speak their language, told Nugget and Constable Murray that
their main group was camped well to the east, and the patrol rode on.
Fifty kilometres later they came to "a soakage at the lower end of the
Hanson River" at which was a camp of about 40 people, nine of them men.
As Nugget recounts, much the same procedure was followed as in earlier
situations.
"We rounded this mob up. There was only myself and Constable Murray
there because Wilson was with the pack horses. The natives were all
armed with weapons. I spoke to them in their own lingo.
"Most of the nine were amongst the Aboriginals who attacked me. I told
them to drop their weapons and be quiet. The blackfellows yabbered to
the lubras to run away quick because they were going to kill us. Some
of the natives put their boomerangs down and others put their spears up
against the little bushes. Some refused point blank to put down their
arms. We tried to get them away from their weapons but they kept
circling back to them.
"Constable Murray dismounted and his horse again galloped back to the
packs. Immediately the blacks attacked him with their boomerangs,
sticks and spears. I saw Murray and a native both wrestling for one
spear. The natives were right up against Murray then and I saw him
drive the spear into the black. He then jumped back, drew his revolver
and fired at the other blacks close handy. He sang out to me,
ÔShoot quick or they will get me.'
"I jumped off my horse and went to Constable Murray's assistance with
my revolver in my hand."
And as Constable Murray concludes:
"Even after several shots were fired it did not steady them. When order
was restored it was found there were eight killed."
The ninth, I suspect, was severely wounded, and therefore not worth
mentioning. I envisage him dying of his wounds, as all others who were
wounded did, during a lunch-break or overnight camp.
Several further points can be made about the patrol and this incident.
First and most obvious is that most Australians in the year 2003 would
probably call this incident a tragedy. However, in 1970 when I talked
with old retrobate Nugget Hunter, a bush worker of the era, about the
Coniston massacre, he simply exclaimed, "Teach them a lesson! Do them
good!" Other evidence suggests that he represented what the majority of
Central Australian bush workers thought in 1928. Secondly, when Nugget
Morton, who spoke the local language "fluently", heard the mostly
unarmed men say to their wives that they believed that they were going
to be shot, why didn't he reassure them that this was not intended at
all?
Thirdly, since at least half of the men of the group were unarmed, it
is rather unfortunate that all of them were killed too!
Perhaps Alex Wilson's response to Bob Plasto's question, which is a
general one about the numerous encounters in the overall Pine Hill to
Coniston area, is the reality.
"Did they shoot in self-defence?" Bob asked. "No! They shot 'em like a
dog," Alex responded.
Fourthly, as with all other clashes on this patrol, there is not the
slightest suggestion that any of the men who had been killed were
buried.
One other aspect of interest is that both Constable Murray and Nugget
Morton state that Alex Wilson was not involved in any of the shooting
throughout this patrol. They took it entirely upon themselves to
deliver the justice they saw fit.
It seems to have been stretching the rule of law quite a bit. And yet
it is worth pondering again, "What would I have done had I been a
member of that patrol back in 1928?" Not all of us would have been
minding the horses.
As they returned to Broadmeadows station in mid-October after three
weeks of hard travel (according to Constable Murray they had been
living on bush tucker for part of the time), it is likely that George
and Nugget made a body count. Much as it is likely to have been an
under-estimation, 14 is what they would have tallied. They could have
added one more for the man Nugget had shot during the initial attack on
him.
Meanwhile, out in the Glen Helen country, and in contrast to the
earlier independent actions by owner Fred Raggatt and his private
punitive party of Tucker, Giles and Tilmouth out near Central Mount
Wedge, a police patrol had had success in a very different way. There,
over much the same time as the Murray patrol, the police party had
arrested 20 people.
As an indication of how the drought was having an impact rather than
there being a propensity for such acts, 12 had been arrested for
breaking into the Glen Helen station store; three for cattle killing on
Glen Helen; and five for killing working camels on Redbank station.
(Redbank was owned by Archie Giles and, at that time, was the
western-most property on the north side of the MacDonnell Ranges).
These prisoners were lodged in the Alice Springs gaol Ð which must
have been at bursting point Ð on the 18th October.
On the very same day, while John Cawood and Sergeant Noblett were
probably still drinking whisky to the success of this patrol (the
amount of whisky bottles consumed was a criticism of the administration
in later years), Mounted Constable Murray arrived back in town. They
must have almost choked on their whisky when they heard his news.
While it is entirely true that Constable Murray had only a brief time
to fill out a report about the patrol, as he had to start for Darwin on
the 19th to attend the trial of Padygar and Arkirkra for the murder of
Fred Brooks, Sergeant Noblett must have been on "red alert" by this
time. With his encouragement the report was very brief, so brief in
fact that it omitted to mention, or even vaguely suggest, that at the
very least 14 men had been shot.
NEXT: The trial of Padygar and Arkirkra.
LETTERS: Education administrators: use by date expired.
Sir,- Your paper is to be highly commended on last week's lead story,
"Education department shafts its star principal".
It exposed to the public the absolutely outrageous treatment handed out
to Diane deVere, former long serving principal of Papunya School.
Kieran Finnane raised many issues on which the relevant authorities,
particularly one, failed to deliver answers. It has been a cowardly act
by the administrators and a gutless stand by Minister Syd Stirling.
The thriving school and innovative initiatives developed by Diane are
testament to an educator who put education first. No poser attitude
with Diane, she just got on with the job and proved her worth to
Papunya Community, not to mention the kids, many times over.
It is particularly galling when one is aware of the inbuilt inertia,
with regard to educational leadership, that emanates from the Gap Rd.
Education Office. The prevailing attitude there is one of reaction,
rather than having the pro-active role for which they are well paid.
The crux of Diane's "crime" is that she refused to "tug her forelock"
for a particular administrator at the Gap Rd. office.
The fact that she got offside, for educational beliefs, with certain
influential people at Papunya, was a "death" sign for Diane staying
there.
The admission, in the negative, that Kieran extracted from [former]
community council chairman, Syd Anderson, about the present state of
education at Papunya since Diane's removal was a telling blow for
senior Gap Rd. administrators and those community people at Papunya who
brought her undone.
This has been a vindictive action by certain people and it is a huge
shame job on those people.
An immediate term springs to mind when one reflects on some of these
administrators. It is "used by date expired".
In the meantime, the public should be informed as to the contract
salary (believed to be in excess of $130,000) paid to Diane's successor
of two years at Papunya. A person who is being removed from the school
at the end of this year.
Whatever spin the department puts on the attendance figures at Papunya,
they have fallen dramatically since Diane's departure. The principal
position there now, because of the low student numbers, now equates to
more like a head teacher rating.
The bottom line is that those in charge, from the Minister down, do not
take Indigenous education seriously enough. Too many bureaucrats can
stay in their comfort zone, in many cases for years on end, and
contribute zilch to educational leadership.
The supreme irony of all this is that Diane was always providing
leadership but has now been shown the door. If an inquiry, something
akin to a Senate investigation, were to be held on Diane's case, the
findings would certainly render educational authorities and the
Minister with a serious case to answer. Shame, shame, shame and shame
again!
Graham Buckley
Alice Springs
Dogs shot?
Sir,- There was a very nasty incident in the river bed opposite my home
recently.
Two police officers on off-road motorcycles, along with the town
council dog controller, hounded two pet dogs all over the riverbed.
When the dogs were exhausted and finally captured, they were put in the
dog cage and taken out to the back of the dump and shot.
"Ruby" and "Whitey" were neither sick nor mangy and never known to
vicious.
They were known along Sturt Terrace by some of the local residents as
the well cared for and much loved pets of a small group of Aboriginal
people.Ruby was a handsome brown three-year-old belonging to Janey.
Unfortunately Janey was not there when this ugly incident took place.
The next day she went to the pound with money in her pocket to pay for
the release of her dog, but neither dog was there.
Surely these dogs had a right to be taken to the pound, like your dog
or my dog.
It is alleged that Whitey, a male dog, bit a police officer. Any hunted
and harassed dog would be a frightened dog. If he bit the officer maybe
the dog was frightened, not vicious.
Apart from that, the point is, why did Ruby, the innocent one, lose her
life in this unjust way?
G. Gorey
Alice Springs
ED:- A spokesperson for the town council would neither confirm nor deny
that the dogs were shot. They were disposed of in compliance with the
Animal Control By-laws in "a humane fashion" by "standard methods used
by all councils", said the spokesperson.
The details of the methods used are "not information we are willing to
release to the public".
The owners of the dogs had been previously cautioned about the dogs not
being under effective control, said the spokesperson.
COUNCIL RETURNS FIRE ON SACKING DEMANDS.
The Town Council has expressed full confidence in, and support for
Planning and Infrastructure director Roger Bottrall and senior
engineerHenry Szczypiorski, the subject last week of public criticism
by 53 out of 54 council outside work-force employees.
The council says comments in a letter circulated to the media by the
employees (see last week's issue) "are representative of a depot
workforce which is resistant to any change".Ê
"This letter, which made allegations of abhorrent behaviour, and which
advised the council to seek to end the employment relationship with two
senior managers, has made no allegation which has any substance," says
the council."It is couched in vague, personally malicious, and specious
terms, which are not accepted by council.Ê"With regard to the act
of distributing the letter to the media and Chief Minister's office the
LHMU Workplace Delegates have gone outside the Dispute
Avoidance/Grievance provisions of the current Enterprise Bargaining
Agreement, and outside the ASTC Code of Conduct.Ê" As such they
are matters which will be subject of investigation and potentially
disciplinary action.Ê
"The actions also break a negotiated agreement and undertakings
provided by these same delegates at a meeting on 17 October
2003.Ê
"It is not conceivable [that] this has been done with any other intent
than to bring the council into disrepute and to inflame an issue which
should be handled within the workplace.
"The council condemns the actions of the workplace LHMU
delegates.Ê"The council É has no alternative, whilst
retaining credibility in the eyes of the community, than to express
support for the current management in Operations and Infrastructure
Department in the strongest and most emphatic terms, and to pursue the
correct and proper disciplinary processes.
Ê"In order to progress this issue there will now be an
investigation into the handling of correspondence from the ASTC
depotÊby LHMU delegates on Thursday 6 November 2003 and the
relationship with provisions of the ASTC EBA and ASTC Code of Conduct,
with recommendations acted upon."
Actions and consequences. COLUMN by ANN CLOKE.
Anyone who's been vigilant en route to or from the airport, couldn't
have failed to spot the message written under the screen of the now
defunct drive-in cinema Ð I LOVE (HEART SYMBOL) U BABY GIRL MORE
THAN I CAN SAY!
With lots of kisses and hugs (0X0X0X0). The lover/writer must have been
totally besotted: he would have needed a cheery picker (or a really
tall ladder) to reach the screen. We drove past it again on Saturday
when we farewelled little Harry, David's grandson, and Sally, flying
home to Sydney and Colin, after a two week interlude in the Alice.
Harry was mobile Ð rolling around, into anything and everything at
eye level, pulling drawers out, tugging at curtains and tablecloths,
sweeping wildly along low coffee tables and surfaces: "Yega," Colin and
Sally say to him, which means "no" in Zulu. Great, I like the idea of
bi-lingual , but little Harry, at this point, hasn't quite got a grasp
on English, let alone African!
Harry-proofing the house was easy (once I got into the swing of
things): putting stuff back into rightful places has taken somewhat
longer, and the house is a bit too quiet.
"It's so noisy in here I can't hear myself think!" my mother would
bemoan as five of us (I'm the oldest) ran around the house making as
much noise as we possibly could on inclement days. And there were a few
wet days in Christchurch!
With impeccable timing, Danny and Yvonne, ex Northern Territory, now
residing in Tasmania, thought that David and I needed light-hearted
relief: they sent a piece through about the life of the Ôfifties
to Ôsixties child.
I've modified or embellished where necessary.According to today's
regulators and bureaucrats, those of us who were kids in the
Ôfifties, Ôsixties, Ôseventies and early
Ôeighties probably shouldn't have survived .
Our cots were covered with brightly coloured lead based paint which was
constantly licked, sucked and chewed .
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles or household
disinfectants and cleaning agents, no kiddie-lock latches on doors or
cabinets and it was okay to play with leaden pots and pans.
DAD'S CARWe walked to school, or rode our pushbikes in packs of six and
seven Ð we didn't wear bike helmets and wore our coats by only the
hood.
There were no seat-belts or air-bags in Dad's car and riding in the
passenger's seat was a real treat.
We drank water from the garden hose, not a bottle, and it tasted just
as good É when we did have a bottle or can, we used one straw to
share with four or five little friends, and no-one actually died in the
process.
We ate dripping sandwiches, bread and butter puddings (rice and sago,
favourites at home) and drank fizzy sugar filled drinks, but we didn't
have to worry about becoming overweight Ð we were always outside
amusing ourselves because we didn't have play stations or video games,
a choice of 99 plus television channels, surround sound systems, mobile
phones, personal computers or access to internet chat-rooms.
We had friends Ð we were lucky enough to be able to leave home in
the morning and amuse ourselves all day long, and provided we were back
before dark, no-one minded.
We played rounders and cricket in the street and sometimes that ball
really stung.
We spent hours building precariously balanced tree houses and cubbies.
We built go-carts out of wooden crates and bits of scrap metal.
It wasn't until we were speeding down hill that we realised we'd
forgotten the brakes!
We had fistfights, punched each other black and blue, and we learned to
get over it.
We fell out of trees, got cut and bruised, broke bones and teeth, but
there were no law suits Ð there were accidents and we learnt not to
do the same thing again.
We began to think for ourselves and solve problems.
Our actions were our own Ð consequences were expectedÉand we
survived! It's interesting readingÉHarry arrived with two teeth,
and left with four, plus a few little grazes, but nothing that time,
tlc and emulsions won't fix.
He'll have a few more bumps and bruises before he celebrates his first
birthday, I'm sure, speed crawling with little friends, towards an
exciting childhood, which will be entirely different from that of the
Ôfifties and Ôsixties baby boomers, and a generation apart
from the progeny of the Ônineties.
DO YOU HAVE SHORT LEGS? COLUMN by STEVE FISHER.
If biology gave you short legs, how does Pilates make them longer?
This may not be a major issue, but in the sloth of a hot and silent
Centralian Sunday, its importance can grow, along with other
less-than-fundamental questions of our time.
The trouble is that most questions are unwelcome. We all prefer
answers. But I have a favourite question that I would like to share
with you. It is, "Why bother?" This enquiry has multiple uses and many
facets. It always allows a little light to shine on complicated
subjects. In fact, these two words may be limited on their own, but
side-by-side they are transformed.
Ask yourself the same question and much will be revealed. For example,
why bother to grow Brussels sprouts in the desert (I do it and I can
explain). Why bother to follow the bizarre antics of earnest characters
in country dramas (harder to justify). Why bother with male grooming
(it makes no difference). Put "why bother" in front of your daily
activities. It changed my life.I have other favourite questions too. My
second is, "For crying out loud, what is the matter with people?" This
one is great. You can use it to work out the reasons why friends never
return your calls or why the entertainment industry award themselves so
many prizes.
Just for the record, my third best-ever question is, "Do you really
need another smoko break?" which may well be culturally inappropriate.
If it is, I apologise. I probably need a break.
Questions are useful because they reveal what hides behind the
superficial veneer of life. I used to work with a man whose response to
me asking him to pass me a pen was, "Why do we keep the pens there
anyway?"
I think this is called the research mentality. Needless to say, he got
right under my veneer. But being a believer in the power of questions,
I could hardly argue, which was even more frustrating.
My smug conviction that questions are the source of all wisdom was
recently rocked at a talk by an eminent scientist called Susan
Greenfield, soon to become "resident thinker" at a university in
Adelaide. She explained that the world is becoming answer-rich and
question-poor. Technology, whether implanted, hand-held or injected,
will offer the answer to everything. She has written a book about the
subject called "Tomorrow's People".
As a result of technology, fewer and fewer people will have to trouble
themselves with thinking about the relationships, choices and issues of
everyday life.
Children will be raised in a world that is even more modifiable than
the one that we live in. There will be no baldness or obesity. No
experience will be beyond our reach. Our lives will be shaped by a more
complex and compact version of the Internet or a suite of interesting
body-developing non-prescription drugs. As Greenfield pointed out, this
is not an attractive idea, given the loss of individuality that would
result.
More important to me would be the loss of questions. Watching someone
as full of vigour as Susan Greenfield and with a brilliance several
light years ahead of most of us, simply brought more questions to mind.
What effect would a spell in the Northern Territory have on her, I
wondered, gazing into the middle distance and thinking about the
intellectual cut and thrust of a silent Sunday respreading my mulch?
So I drifted back to where I had started. Just imagine; slender legs,
strong muscles but not a Pilates video or a body balance class in
sight. It's the gym bore's ultimate dream. But if this and every other
challenge was taken away, why would we bother to carry on at all?
steve@afishoutofwater.com
CRICKET: WESTS BOUNCE BACK. Report by PAUL FITZSIMONS.
West, slow out of the blocks to date this season, literally took a
dilapidated Rovers side apart at Traeger Park on Saturday when they
took full points for an outright victory in the two day encounter.
At Albrecht Oval reigning premiers RSL Works consolidated their
position by accounting for a lack lustre Federals, winning on the first
innings.
West did incredibly well on day one of the match when they scored 366
on an oval normally never expected to attract such a run-making feast.
Recruit Luke Sprague stamped his name on the game by scoring a century,
and on Saturday was at it again with the ball.
Rovers were always going to have to be at their best to match the West
target and with Darryl Connor unavailable due to work commitments, were
further handicapped even before they went to the wicket.
West wasted no time in claiming points by dismissing the Blues in a
mere 35.1 overs for 135.
The only real resistance came from Adrian McAdam who managed to compile
56, while the West trio of Jeremy Biggs, Darren Clarke and Shane
Trenbath notched up three wickets each.
Sent back in, Rovers could hardly raise a yelp as Jeff Kaye dominated
by taking 6-39, with the dynamic Sprague snaring 2-4 and so giving West
outright victory.
Matt Pyle topped the scoring with a solid 38 but otherwise the Blues
battled and were dismissed for a paltry 88.
At Albrecht Oval the front runners of the season, Federal, were brought
down to earth when they fell well short of the required 331 for victory
against RSL Works.Federal had 80 overs at their disposal to score the
required tally but could only muster 209.
Tom Clements produced 59, albeit off 55 overs to top score with opener
Darcy Bradmore, 44.
Skipper Jason Swain contributed 33 before falling lbw to Matt Forster,
and Matt Allen added 28.
The tail gave little, however. and RSL were able to claim victory
thanks to Graham Schmidt who bowled 27 overs to claim 3-65.
Matt Forster bowled 23 overs to take 4/55, and Tom Scollay, who was
given his first opportunity with the ball, celebrated with a wicket for
no runs. Cameron Robertson had just the one spell of seven overs to
return 1-16.
PICTURED at right: Rover's opener Justin Dowson, having nicked the
ball, looks back as he is about to be caught, much to the delight of
West's captain, Jeremy Bigg.
RUGBY: YOU WOULDN'T BELIEVE THE QUINELLA. Report by PAUL FITZSIMONS.
Who would have ever dreamed of it? Fancy having the Warriors (formerly
Kiwi Warriors) run on the field at Anzac Oval on the very night and at
the same time as the All Blacks were set to claim Australia at Telstra
Stadium and enter the final of World Cup Rugby.
CARU officials had such faith in the true believers that they knew
their fixtures would go on. But very few picked the quinella. Here in
Alice Springs the Devils blitzed their to date undefeated opposition,
the warriors, by 39 to nil; while at Telstra, Australia ran all over
New Zealand to score a 22 to 10 victory and so march into yet another
chance to claim the Webb Ellis Trophy.
On the home front it was a testimonial game for Jim Nyland of the
Devils and the Federal boys made every post a winner.
They were aware that a wedding engagement reduced the Warriors' fire
power and maybe a few loyalists from the land of the long white cloud
stayed home to take in the big game.
The Devils ran the ball from the first whistle and sent Dave Humphries,
David Recklies, Anthony Wentzel, Julian Oakley and Luke Walladge across
for tries.
Levi Calesso hit his straps and in playing a pearler of a game also
scored three conversions, a penalty goal and a field goal.
More importantly the Devils unearthed a new talent in Chris Forbes who
teamed with Calesso, Wentzel and Recklies to be among the Devils' best.
For Warriors it was a day better forgotten especially as their engine
room specialist Jono Swalger had to leave the paddock, injured in the
last half.
Otherwise the honours with the Warriors probably went the way of Lance
Day.In the Cubs' encounter against the Eagles full credit must go the
way of the Eagles as they clawed their way to a 12 all draw despite
running on with 14 men.At half time the game was even at five all, and
then Cubs pinched a seven point lead before the Eagles responded and
tied the game up at the final whistle.
The most impressive aspect of the Eagles' game was the use of young
players.
Shane Kennedy and Don Mallard impressed on the wings. Shane Kerr did
well at full back, and David Kerin served as a double flanker to cover
the short fall of troops.Eagles were further heartened when past player
Sam Moldrich turned up, and with Mark and Mike Hauser in form the stage
is now set for an Eagles return to competitive status, after a start to
the season that was a real battle.
RACING: SCOTRO SCORCHES. Report by PAUL FITZSIMONS.
Yet another champion of racing in the Centre defied a big weight and
collected the money.
Scotro, who revels in the 1000 metre sprint, was set a task by the
Handicapper on Saturday at Pioneer Park when sent out with 63.5 kg on
his back. In traditional form he took all before him to score in the
Dymocks Alice Springs Handicap by three and three quarter lengths.
Despite his weight Scotro jumped to the lead from the gates and within
20 metres had establish command of proceedings. He extended his lead to
some four lengths over Crazy Cotton and had enough in the tank to not
be challenged in the run home.
The best run from the rest of the field came from Queen's Image who
finished off well to be within striking distance at the post had the
race been scheduled for an extra 100 metres. The vintage campaigner Le
Saint filled the placings, a further three quarters of a length behind
Queen's Image.
The day started well for punters when favourite Lion Pride went to the
barrier at even money in the Kenny's Best Pal Class Five Handicap over
1400 metres, and returned a result for the true believers. Lion Pride
won a race on Darwin Cup Day and despite the big weight prevailed again
on Saturday.
Strategic Feeling who ran second, led early in proceedings, with Lion
Pride parked neatly at his girth. They enjoyed the run together well in
advance of the rest of the field and it was Lion Pride's strength in
the straight that made the difference. He scored by a short neck with
La Mexa finishing off in third place but one and three quarter lengths
off the action.
The Lacryma Cristi Class Two over 1000 metres proved to be a memorable
day for rookie hoop Masayuki Abe who calmly nursed Corruptible to the
line. The young recruit didn't resort to physical strategies on
Corruptible in the run home, preferring a hands and heels style and
gentle use of the persuader.
Liase led early in the running but weakened at the 400 metre mark,
allowing Corruptible to gain the upper hand. Everytime was the improver
in the run, coming from the rear of the field and climbing into second
place, albeit a good length and a quarter in arrears of the winner.
The tired Liase did enough to pick up the cheque for third. The
disappointment of the race was the heavily backed Tonnes of Style who
held fourth spot in the running but faded badly in the run home.
There were 15 nominations for the 1200 metre Al Hareb Handicap and so
officials wisely split the field into two, making for five events of
the day.In the first it was Monkey Boy and Criterium who set the pace.
Monkey Boy led with Criterium on the outside. In the straight Criterium
seemed to command control, but as has happened in the past, the
immediate opponent was able to fight back and take the day.
Credit should go to Daniel Stanley who, through vigourous riding, was
able to bring the best out of his charge and win by a long neck. The
rest of the field were distant, with Lady Archer claiming third place
but four and a half lengths in arrears.
In the last the favourite Big Bad Jum didn't let his supporters down
with a solid two length win over the 1200 metres. With Tim Norton on
board Big Bad Jum proved too strong over the final few hundred metres.
The second placed Belle Rokalya who hasn't been trackside for some 18
months did well to recover after missing the start, lead the field,
only to be outclassed by lack of fitness. Belle Rokalya will come back
all the better for the run and should pick up the money in weeks to
come.
Centre Music filled the placings but was never in contention, being
over nine lengths in arrears.
PALESTINE'S ECHO IN OUR WORLD. Review by KIERAN FINNANE.
Pip McManus' ceramic work unpromised land, showing at Watch This Space
after exhibition in Tasmania and before going to Darwin, evokes the
foundering of hope in the search for promised lands/ lands of promise
on opposite sides of the globe.
A commissioned work, unpromised land responds in part to the endeavours
of an historical figure, Critchley Parker Jnr, the son of a mining
magnate, who in the 1940s imagined carving out a prosperous Jewish
settlement from the Tasmanian wilderness. Parker refused to consider
the advice of locals, let alone common sense, and died a solitary death
in storm-lashed Port Davey, holding onto his delusional vision to the
end.
Though Parker never got to turning the first sod, McManus links his
story to the Jewish settlement of Palestine.
The work is an installation of three ceramic tablets. The first shows
the wilderness of the Sinai, mountains in the distance intersected by
an old map of the area. In the foreground are flourishing olive
branches, symbols of life, hope and peace, yet in the middle ground,
rising like a formidable escarpment over the ancient Temple of the Rock
are the high-rise apartment buildings of Jewish settlers that surround
present-day Palestinian lands like fortresses.
The link with Parker's folly is the colonist's assumption that land is
there for the taking, irrespective of its existing conditions:
Palestinian habitation on the one hand, magnificent but inhospitable
wilderness on the other.
Jewish settlement is a narrative thread that assists this reflection.
The second tablet (pictured above) shows the flourishing vegetation of
Tasmania's south-west in the foreground, with fragments of Parker's
last letters and a map of the Port Davey area in the background.
The third tablet returns to Jerusalem, a map of the various ethnic
group quarters reflecting the former richly multi-cultural life of this
city. In the foreground, olive branches are dry, brown, losing their
foliage Ð the foundering of hope as the vicious present-day
conflict continues. The vials of water, oil and earth/ash beneath each
tablet have a similar symbolic reading.
McManus craft and aesthetic is superb, making the installation
captivating in its beauty and ambience, but the complex ideas and
histories she is working with are not fully realised in the
installation itself, which seems a problem.
In this sense her assembled porcelain hands, imprinted with a rich
array of imagery and text from the Christian, Islamic and Jewish
traditions that have lived cheek by jowl for so long in Jerusalem and
the Middle East, are more successful.
It's not necessary to know the source of all the imagery on the hands
Ð even though it is interesting to find out Ð to grasp the
work's proposition and to feel its weight in the contemporary
international context.
McManus will give a slide talk tonight at 8pm, on why she is working
with the images and ideas reflected in this show and in other recent
work. The gallery in George Cres is open Thurs & Fri 10-5, Sat 11-2
till Nov 29.
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