brownbabieswereeasilyremovedfromtheirmothers,
shewalkedhomeemptyhandedfromhospitalinthe
samenightieshegavebirthin.Thestoriesofprevious
generationsbeingbornontheriverbankssurrounded
bytheAuntieswerelonggone.Mymother’sgreatest
actofcouragewasnotwalkinghomethatday,though.
Whenshefellpregnantwithmetwoyearslater,she
hidoutinthehillsoftheNorthernRivers,determined
atjust 16 yearsofagetokeepherbaby.Hercourage
wasinlovingherchildren,despiteallofherpain.Therearecountlessactsofmatriarchalresistancethat
havegoneuntoldinthiscountry.Nonemorepertinent
thanthestoryofBoonwurrungwomanLouisaBriggs,
who,somewherebetweentheageoffourandeight
yearsold,waskidnappedbysealersandwhalersat
PointNepean,sometimeinthelate1800s.Louisa
wastakentoTasmaniawhereshelatermarriedan
AboriginalmanJohnBriggsandsomehow,againstall
odds,madeit backtoVictoriaandinstigateda rebellion
offtheCorranderkmission,fightingfortherightsofher
peopletostaytogetheronthemissionthathadnow
becomehome.AnentireclansurvivedbecauseLouisa
did,andherdescendantshavecarriedonherlegacy.N’ArweetCarolynBriggsandherdaughterCaroline
Martinworktirelesslytoprotectandconserve
Boonwurrungsovereigntyandculture,anincredible
featinAustralia’ssecondbiggestcity,withover
fivemillionuninvitedguests(myselfincluded)now
livingontheuncededlandsoftheKulinNations.
Aformidablemother-daughterduo,theirshared
accomplishmentsareimmense,thelegacyofwhich
willbefeltforgenerationsofFirstPeoples.N’ArweetCarolynBriggs’resplendentpresenceandmannerisms
commanda respectevenwithoutanawarenessof
herlegacy;theestablishmentofthefirstAboriginal
childcareandthenlater,theBoonwurrungFoundation
whereshesharesherexpertisearoundlanguage
andlinguistics,thegenealogiesofherpeopleand
connectsAboriginalyouthtotheirheritage.N’Arweet
CarolynandCarolineworktirelesslytoexposethe
hiddenstoriesofblackwomenasmobilisersand
thetrueagentsofchange,andwomen’sstoriesof
theirconnectiontoplace,politicsandpower.Similarly,UncleLarryWalsh,a TaunwurrungElder,
isthewalking,talkingurbanwarriorwhopromotes
peaceamongstchaos.Aprominentfigureacross
contemporarycultureandpoliticsinMelbourne,Uncle
Larryisa masterofculturaldiplomacy.Hewastaken
fromhisfamilyatthreeyearsoldandmadea wardof
thestate.Hewasfirsthomedina baby’sorphanage
andthenmovedintothenotoriousBoxHillBoys’
Homeatfiveyearsold.UncleLarrydescribeshisearly
years,graciously,as“troubled.”Inhislaterchildhood,
hewouldgoontobefosteredbya familythathad
particularviewsofAboriginalpeople,andyearsofdaily
violenceanddrinkingmarkedUncle’sfoster-family
experience.UncleLarrytalksopenlyabouta pivotal
momentinhisearlyteenswhenthelocalpolicepulled
himup.“Theyaskedmeif I hada record,”hesays.
“Itoldthemno,I’dneverbeenintroublewiththelaw
before.”UnbeknownsttoUncleLarryatthetime,the
officerscouldseethatactuallyhedidhavea criminal
recordandwhilstthedetailsofthepreviouscrimes
wereomitted,it wasenoughforthemtobrandhim
asa thuganda troublemaker.Fromthat moment on,Jack Patten leads the
Day of Mourning protest,
stressing the need for
Aboriginal people to
have full citizenship
rights and be consulted
in policy decisions and
implementation.
William Cooper leads one
of the first Indigenous
political organisations,
the Australian Aborigines
League, and organises
Australia’s first anti-
Nazi demonstration.The Federal Council for
Aboriginal Advancement
is formed. It is the first
united national body for
Aboriginal activists.Charlie Perkins leads a
group of fellow Sydney
University student
activists in the NSW
Freedom Rides, exposing
racial discrimination
and mistreatment of
Indigenous Australians.1938 1938 1958 1964
16 DUMBO FEATHER