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Hatton, in recording his death noted that he was ‘a man of integrity... held in enormous respect by all who came
into contact with him. He had a strong determination and interest in seeing a job well done. He did not side-step a
fight on an issue when his opinion was contradicted. However, to his merit, even his opponents would never deny
him the respect he deserved because he always endeavoured to be fair in his dealings’. Among the many other
tributes his partner, Knut Melbye commented, ‘He was a gentleman among gentlemen. Darwin is the poorer for
his passing’.
T Dahlenburg, ‘Great Gentleman of the Top End’, Sunday Territorian, 6 January 1985; Northern Territory Archives Service, NTRS 226
TS386; Northern Territory News, 30 September 1963, 2 January 1985; Northern Territory Parliamentary Record, 27 February 1985; personal
information.
HELEN J WILSON and RICHARD J WILSON, Vol 3.
MINCONA: see MINYANA, TJAKAMARA
MINJANA: see MINYANA, TJAKAMARA
MINJENA: see MINYANA, TJAKAMARA
MINYANA, TJAKAMARA also known as ‘KING’ MINYANA, and with variant phonetic spellings such as
MINYINA, MINJANA, MINJENA and MINIONA (c1882–1969), was one of the greatest leaders of the Warlpiri
‘tribe’. His parents were Yangganu Tjupurula (father) and Ginnula Napananga, and he was born at Mount Singleton,
probably in 1882, approximately 400 kilometres northwest of Alice Springs. Through his own conception site and
various rights inherited through his ancestors, he was a key man associated with Dreaming sites and travelling
routes such as the Kangaroo, Possum, sweet Acacia gum, known as Mantala, Flying Ant, Yala ‘Bush Potato’ and
Yarapiri Snake. He was one of four brothers, all of whom remain revered by their descendants; these others were
Moiu, Purjungu and Minawara.
In his youth, Minyana travelled the country of closest association with his parents—approximately 100 kilometres
radius from Mount Singleton, but on occasions twice that distance. His intelligence was recognised early in his
life by the elders of his father’s and grandfather’s generation, who eventually chose to instruct him in the role of
medicine man—although this doctor’s role was not fully developed until after his initiation to manhood and many
other adult experiences.
He became an expert hunter and craftsman of traditional tools; in particular, he became an expert in stone-knife
manufacture. As with all Aborigines he grew to adulthood with a very strong attachment to his country. The essential
productivity of the Mount Singleton area was emphasised during the great drought of the late 1890s—early 1900s
period, when not only Minyana and his relations were forced to focus more and more on their home country, but
also people from further west, including some of the Pintupi people of the Western Australian/ Northern Territory
border region. Minyana was present at Inter-Amoru Rockhole when some of these people appeared, perishing from
lack of water, he and his family gave them water, and then food, and allowed them a haven until the rains came in
the western country.
Inter-Amoru Rockhole area was also important because it was here that he courted his first wife; he was eventually
to have three wives, namely Djikji (widow of his brother Minawara), Molly (also known as ‘Queen Molly’) and
Nora—all of them being of the Napaltjarri sub-section, as was correct by law.
During his young manhood, he was one of the warriors who defended his people against attacks from marauding
Aborigines from the north, as did his father. The southern Warlpiri won convincing victories in the country well
north of Mount Singleton during this period of warfare, and Minyana became respected as a redoubtable fighter.
This, coupled with his deep interest in ritual law and his developing medicine man role, marked him as a strong
personality.
As time passed he and his wives came to have a considerable family of sons and daughters, and he was
painstaking in his instruction in bushcraft and the law. His deep attention to the detail of the Dreaming rituals,
protocol at ceremonies, and correctness in whatever he did, resulted in his emerging increasingly as a naturally
recognised leader.
In about 1925 he took his son Wolpa-tarli Tjupurula, himself destined to become a ritual leader, to a great
gift-exchange meeting at Pilini-nyanu site, a complex of hills and rock holes west of Mount Singleton. They carried
with them a variety of items for gift-exchange, including the famed stone knives of Minyana’s country. This was
an exciting happy time.
In the decade that followed, Minyana and his family continued their travels whenever possible, but again
much of the time was spent in the Mount Singleton to Treuer Range area of country. When all other waters failed,
the spring called Pikilyi in the Treuer Range still flowed and Minyana, through his Kangaroo totem affiliation,
had strong rights here.
The decade from 1925 marked the beginning of great changes. Pastoralists and miners began travelling the
Warlpiri lands, with W (Billy) Braitling inspecting the country in 1926 and taking it up as a property in 1932, and
prospectors in considerable numbers at Mount Singleton and The Granites goldfield (to the north) in the 1931–33
period. Minyana and his family were treated well by the first white people they met—prospectors, who gave them
damper, sweetened tea and meat. Although this created a good impression, they were still intruders, and as the
white people’s presence became stronger and more permanent, Minyana found himself both drawn to and repelled
by them. They had goods that appealed, but in their ignorance they cut down the tall sacred tree at Inter-Amoru