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Published On: Apr 07, 2008 02:16 PM
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Thu - November 29, 2007
Collet Barker
The Mount Barker township, region and mountain,
on the south eastern outskirts of the Mount Lofty ranges, was named by Captain
Charles Sturt, after Captain Collet Barker, of the 39th Regiment (Barker's
compatriot and friend Captain Charles Sturt was a fellow officer). Barker was
speared to death by three Ngarrindjerri men near the mouth of the Murray River
on 30th April, 1831.
Posted at 02:34 PM Read More
Wed - November 7, 2007
Ode to John Howard
One ought to be at least a little conciliatory of
John Howard's years in power, but I'll let someone else do that. The kindest
thing that I can say about the man, is that he stayed in power long enough for
us to throw him out, including it seems, out of his own seat. This hope of mine
was expressed in a previous blog, 'The
Rat to go down with his ship' . In this alone, Howard lived up to,
and fulfilled my expectations.
Posted at 01:41 AM Read More
Tue - October 23, 2007
The Rat To Go Down With His Ship
Nothing, apart from the Howard Government winning
this years election, (which is not going to happen), would disappoint me more
than if John Howard had chosen not to contest it as his party's leader. For a
while it seemed, he was contemplating retirement; passing the baton to his
economic partner throughout his eleven year reign, treasurer Peter Costello.
Fortunately Howard's hubris, along with his life-long dedication to
conservatism, and his love of power, has seen him remain to fight his last
fight. I didn't want him to retire, because I want to see him
defeated.
Posted at 12:59 PM Read More
Mon - September 24, 2007
Election Looms - Howard's Doom?
After what seems to have been a year of a phony
election campaign, the incumbent John Howard, Australia's Prime Minister, will
soon have to call an election. He is in no hurry to do so, as his so-called
'Liberal' party trails the opposition Labor Party by more than ten points, and
the Labor leader Kevin Rudd is being perceived as a fresh face. Howard is
increasingly being seen as a man who has run out of ideas, but also as a man who
has brazenly danced around the truth far too often.
Posted at 11:37 PM Read More
Thu - August 2, 2007
Mohamed Haneef; The Politics of Hate.
Of one thing we can be sure. Australian Federal
Police Commissioner Mick Keelty, Immigration Minister Kevin Andrews, and Prime
Minister John Howard will pursue Mohamed Haneef with every ounce of their being.
Far more important for them now, is not Dr Haneef's guilt or innocence - details
like that are not important for this Government - it is the political mileage to
be gained from denigrating him, and the loss of face to be suffered if he proves
to be innocent. One has only to observe the on-going slaughter in Iraq,
(justified now as a huge loss of face if the invasion fails) with the carnage of
Iraqis not even worthy of comment by the war mongers Howard and Downer, to see
how individuals of other than white Caucasian bent stand in the grand order of
things.
Posted at 12:42 PM Read More
Sun - July 1, 2007
Darwin Again
Saturday morning I flew out of Croker, via
Goulburn Island again, and back to Darwin. Another week in the sun, then back to
the 'now when it's freezing, here in these cold, cold, hills.' The trip has
been successful and enjoyable, perhaps falling a little short of my goals in
some respects, but exceeding expectations in others. The booklet which doubled
as a field guide to Fort Wellington, and showing the locations of of the remains
of the fort proved invaluable. Last night, Tuesday 3rd July, Brother Max, Sharon
and myself had a great meal (Indian) at the Nirvana restaurant, and night spot,
after which I did a few songs at the 'jam' session, which I had participated in
on other occasions. The Adelaide Hills winter will be difficult.
Posted at 11:22 PM Read More
Thu - June 28, 2007
The View From Croker Island
It has now been ten days since I arrived on
Croker Island. During that time, John Howard has demonstrated his new found
concern for Aboriginal welfare. I have long held a cynical view of anything
Howard does, and nothing has disturbed me more than his ill disguised contempt
for the Aboriginal people of Australia over the past eleven years. His dismissal
of ill treatment, dispossession, and murder of the past as a "black arm band
view of history," his refusal to acknowledge or to express genuine regret for
the stolen generation, the disbandment of ATSIC leaving Aboriginal people with
no substantial representative body to speak for their rights, are just a few of
the glaring demonstrations of his indifference, if not malice. He has also, of
course, undermined what progress has been gained in cases like Wik, by passing
legislation to undermine those gains. What is the view, in light of Howard's
sudden 'concern' for Aboriginal welfare, from Croker Island?
Posted at 12:48 PM Read More
Tue - June 26, 2007
Fort Wellington, Raffles Bay
At last, two months into my visit north, today I
made it to the Raffles bay settlement, begun in 1827, and abandoned in 1829.
Here Collet Barker oversaw roughly eighty people, made up of convicts and
soldiers in almost equal numbers, and grew gardens, ran stock, erected buildings
and befriended Aboriginals. My story of his life will be greatly enriched having
tread this sacred ground.
Posted at 11:49 PM Read More
Mon - June 25, 2007
On Croker Island
I had a bit of a whinge on this entry a few days
ago. Have now edited that out. Tomorrow comes the boat trip to Raffles Bay. Here
are some pics of a beach walk on Mission Bay.
Posted at 11:28 AM Read More
Sat
- June 23, 2007
Progress, Sort Of
Nancy, who I met at the airport, before flying
out to Croker, has become my most useful contact so far, and today we spent time
together having a good look at the photographs taken by
Paul Foelsche , the first police inspector at Darwin (then known as
Palmerston) which I had copied into my lap-top from the 'net. I have about fifty
odd pics of Iwaidja people taken in the late 1870's and early 1880's by
Foelsche, whose important collection also documented many of the early buildings
of Palmerston. They will prove to be a great ice-breaker with the Iwaidja people
of Croker Island during my stay, I am sure.
Posted at 01:12 AM Read More
Wed - June 20, 2007
Island in the Shade
The rain has stopped, though an extensive cloud
cover blocked the sun all day. The radio reported Darwinites shivering in
minimums as low as eighteen degrees, and the maximum as a paltry twenty six. I
managed for the first time in days to get online in the community office, and to
launch my recent blog. I was told that a couple of burly major crime
investigators would be bedding down alongside me in my one room premises, but
fortunately they finished their investigations and flew off.
Posted at 09:15 PM Read More
Croker Island Blues
On the 18th June, after a totally sleepless
night, when I gave up, read a book, and rose to prepare my final packing, I
found myself winging it to Croker Island, via Goulburn Island. For much of the
flight I dozed, but from my seat just behind the pilot of the twin engined
Cessna Titan 404, my blurry gaze focussed on the vast northern wetlands of
Kakadu and Arnhemland, the isolated northern coast, and a smattering of islands
below. The plane seemed to fly itself, with the pilot flicking an occasional
switch, and making entries in his log book. Three Aboriginal women, one an elder
with a pierced nasal septum, a middle aged woman, and a mother with two small
boys, and a public servant with a lap-top on his way to Goulburn shared the
flight. I gave the Croker ladies a brief explanation of my purpose in visiting
their island, and they were very interested and
encouraging.
Posted at 01:32 AM Read More
Sun - June 17, 2007
Darwin Dawdle
It is six days short of two months since I lobbed
in Darwin, but finally, tomorrow, the eighteenth of June, I shall be flying to
Croker Island. Here I will meet the residents, learn what I can of their
culture, and share what I can of their history which my research has revealed,
hopefully a productive and mutually satisfying experience all
around.
Posted at 08:55 PM Read More
Wed - May 23, 2007
The Waiting
Three weeks into my top end odyssey, and things
are going slowly. I have done some useful research, but am itching to do my
field trip to Croker Island, and from there, a boat trip to Fort Wellington,
Raffles Bay. I can't do that until I get a permit, which is in train, but
meanwhile, I have come across an extremely important booklet, which will be
invaluable for my quest.
Posted at 12:24 AM Read More
Fri - May 4, 2007
The Darwin Connection
Early days in Darwin, and my research about
Collet Barker and the remote early settlement at Raffles Bay has not really
begun yet, apart from a brief chat with some librarians and some notes, and some
explorations into how to get to Croker Island, putting me in the proximity to
Raffles Bay. One possibility? Barges, which leave from Darwin to deliver goods
to these remote islands. Brother Max and Sharyn leave for South Africa on
Monday, and that's when my job really begins. Here's what I have been up to so
far.
Posted at 11:14 AM Read More
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