They now plunder houses in populous places

One observed

No longer confine their depredations to remote stock huts or isolated dwellings

Go away you white buggers, what business have you here

Emboldened

Ridiculed the idea of white men following them in the woods

Language – ‘parrawa’, ‘parrawa’ (go away)

Oyster Bay – Big River warriors

No longer confine their depredations to remote stock huts or isolated dwellings

Go away you white buggers, what business have you here

Emboldened

They have ceased to fear

Entertain but a mean opinion of the white people’s knowledge

Ridiculed the idea of white men following them in the woods

.

Transformed sky

Over him

Night

Grows to day

Each

Remembers

Lost time

Onwards

Night

Grows to day

Each

Transformed sky

Each

Remembers

.

Twins – I and you. Born of an

Origin unmistakeable.  

Nothingness. Horizon unfulfilled.

Gargantuan – our differences.

East to west. Black to white.

Revelation or reflection.

Lacework – bobbins interweaving.

Obituary – “his prowess, his sagacious proceedings and his fidelity, his humanity and manly bearing,

No length of days will ever efface them from my mind.”

Gargantuan – our differences.

East to west. Black to white. And yet –

Twins. One land, our heritage.

Ear and eye. Left and right.

Revelation and reflection.

.

Thousand kilometres

Over the course of a year

‘Natural’

Growth fire sculptured

Earth a mosaic

Region centred

Lithe flames

Ochre collected

Natural world alive with spirits

Guides addressed a bird with hoots, the bird responded, ‘on hearing which they shouted with the most extravagant demonstration of joy’

Elements feared – in particular thunder and lightening

The constellations – ‘they spoke of stars’

Extinguished – ‘the poignancy of sorrow expressed cannot be surpassed’

Relics – ‘the ashes of the dead were collected in a piece of Kangaroo-skin, and every morning before sunrise a portion of them was smeared over the faces of the survivors.’

.

Tender eyes of women swimming with tears.

Oyster Bay – three hundred generations

Nations since the flood – an ancient way.

Grandeur – a landmark in our history.

Empire’s native people – usurped their land

Recalled Buxton – kidnapped, enslaved and murdered.

Land – an incontrovertible right.

Oysters, opossums, kangaroos – subsistence

Noted by a clergyman – no settled

Gathering grounds – a smattering of our language.

Elizabeth Street – expectant crowd –

‘Three spears in his left hand and one in his right’ advancing.

Empire’s native people – usurped their land

Recalled Buxton – kidnapped, enslaved and murdered.

.

Thomas Buxton – a key figure in the powerful humanitarian lobby, British parliament.

Two hundred squared – forty thousand years

Our history, the root and seed. Like dew a

National life appears, it vanishes –

Glory unsustained. The sky is blue –

Eternity – for this is what our forebears

Recognised – days cloudless. Questionable, a

Love unlinked – a castle in the air.

Obtainable, what is – a water table.

National life appears, it vanishes –

Glory unsustained. The sky is blue –

Eternity – for this is what your forebears’

Thought – a blowing wind – unlinked, but true.

Evening – the stars appear – transcendent.

Root and seed. A nation squared. Resplendent.

.

Tongerlongeter unmistakable

Onlookers saw his imposing stature missing arm wearing

New cloak

Graves littered the country

Economy free to grow

River people asked who would care for the

Land

On their way to the Straits they suffered much from seasickness

Nausea great wailing

Graves littered the country

Evening they sit around the fire and talk, or one sings,

The rest listen with deep interest and attention, frequently applauding by a general shout

Evil spirit

River people asked who would care for the Land

.

(see Reynolds & Clements, Tongerlongeter)

Risdon

.

The Coal Valley a short distance east of Risdon

Open country ideal place for hunting

Nights of dancing

Grassland for driving animals down to the Derwent

Endless discussions

Running women and children retreated under fire

Large numbers of fighting men present

Old men at the foot of the hill near the Valley employed in making spears

Numbers favoured the original inhabitants

Guns insufficient

‘Ensuing thirty years provides the strongest affirmation of this interpretation of the events of this fateful day at Risdon’

The members of the besieging party were warriors

Europeans shot a cannon, saving the camp

Recalled, John Henry Fawker, ‘it was war between the races and no quarter’.

.

Thousands of Australians go

On pilgrimage to Gallipoli

No tree has been planted in his honour

Great and brave patriots

Every injury they can inflict upon White Men as an Act of Duty

Rightful possessions which have been torn from them by force

Look upon us as enemies

On pilgrimage to Gallipoli

No tree has been planted in his honour

Great and brave patriots

Every injury they can inflict upon White Men as an Act of Duty

Tasmanian landscape has no memorials

Embarrassed eyes averted from brutal bush fighting

Regaled in a cloak sad eyes unwavering

.

The females of the island make smoke signals in answer to the men

On the hills the men sing

No children  

Gilbert Robertson census of Aborigines ‘at large’ in

Eastern Tasmania

River, recuperated

Life conceived

On the hills the men sing

No children

Gilbert Robertson census of Aborigines ‘at large’

Embers

The soldiers on duty heard a rustle as though a mob of wild cattle were passing

Escaped

River Ouse gave birth (Parperermanener)

.