Table Of ContentOne Bright Spot
Victoria K. Haskins
One Bright Spot
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One Bright Spot
Victoria K. Haskins
© Victoria K.Haskins 2005
All rights reserved.No reproduction,copy or transmission of this
publication may be made without written permission.
No paragraph of this publication may be reproduced,copied or transmitted
save with written permission or in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright,Designs and Patents Act 1988,or under the terms of any licence
permitting limited copying issued by the Copyright Licensing Agency, 90
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Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication
may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.
The author has asserted her right to be identified as the author of this
work in accordance with the Copyright,Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
First published 2005 by
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN
Houndmills,Basingstoke,Hampshire RG21 6XS and
175 Fifth Avenue,New York,N.Y.10010
Companies and representatives throughout the world
PALGRAVE MACMILLAN is the global academic imprint of the Palgrave
Macmillan division of St.Martin’s Press,LLC and of Palgrave Macmillan Ltd.
Macmillan® is a registered trademark in the United States,United Kingdom
and other countries.Palgrave is a registered trademark in the European
Union and other countries.
ISBN 978-1-4039-4744-4 ISBN 978-0-230-51059-3 (eBook)
DOI 10.1057/9780230510593
This book is printed on paper suitable for recycling and made from fully
managed and sustained forest sources.
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Haskins,Victoria K.(Victoria Katharine),1967–
One bright spot / Victoria K.Haskins.
p.cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1.Women,Yuin–Australia–Wallaga Lake Region (N.S.W.)–Social conditions.
2.Women,Yuin–Relocation–Australia–Wallaga Lake Region (N.S.W.) 3.Women,
Yuin–Pulic welfare–Australia–Wallaga Lake Region (N.S.W.) 4.Yuin (Australian
people)–Australia–Wallaga Lake Region (N.S.W.)–Social conditions.5.Wallaga
Lake (N.S.W.)–Race relations.6.Wallaga Lake (N.S.W.)–Politics and government.
7.Strack,Joan Kingsley.I.Title.
DU125.Y85H37 2005
305.48′899150944–dc22 2005047297
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
14 13 12 11 10 09 08 07 06 05
Dedicated to
Victor John Townsend
(1943–2004)
who saw the importance of this story
For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to
himself …
Romans, 14:7
v
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Contents
Acknowledgements ix
List of Figures xi
1. Introduction: More than my own mother to me 1
Part I Mary 13
2. My one bright spot 15
3. All girls shall leave the reserves 25
4. If I am coming back to you all again 41
Part II Alma 53
5. So desperately hard to understand 55
6. A better chance 64
Part III Del 79
7. Was fearfully shocked this afternoon 81
8. A perfect farce 93
9. She loves pretty things and knows how to wear them 105
10. You must not go against these people 116
11. There is a lot of dark girls that went through it 128
12. & so we are ‘slave-owners’ 136
13. It makes me rage 144
14. A devotion I hope I may fully repay 153
Part IV Pearl Gibbs 165
15. Just ordinary justice 167
16. The stone of anthropology 179
17. Miss Pink wants my help 194
Part V Jane 203
18. A free Australian citizen 205
19. The bitter disappointment of trying to help 217
20. Then we must all be insane 228
Epilogue 241
21. She learnt her lessons well 243
vii
viii One Bright Spot
A Note on Sources 247
Notes 249
Bibliography 267
Index 273
Acknowledgements
I am indebted to many people for their practical assistance, time and
moral support in the process of researching and writing this book. To
Jan Kociumbas, who supervised my research in its first incarnation, as
a history thesis. To Craig Cormick, an inspirational writer of unwritten
histories, for his excellent guidance on how to turn it into a book. To
Briar Towers, Jill Lake, Ruth Willats and the staff at Palgrave Macmillan;
and to Flinders University’s research support committee, for making it
a reality.
I am also grateful to Millie Ingram for her wholehearted support and
help negotiating the archives of the Protection Board. Thanks also to
Melissa Jackson at Mitchell Library and John Sharman of the depart-
ment of Family and Community Services.
Many other people have been very helpful to me in providing me
with access to obscure or private historical records, especially Tess de
Araugo, Richard and Lesley Bate, Sean Burke, Beverley and Don Elphick,
Merri Gill, Jack Horner, Norm Hoyer, Lorraine Kelly and Eric Naylor,
Rona Mackay, Madeline McGrady, Laurelle Pacey and Inara Walden. A
special thanks to Lorraine and Eric of the Umbarra Cultural Centre for
their generous hospitality at Wallaga Lake, and for giving me an insight
into the spirituality of their people and place.
For valuable advice and encouragement at crucial moments I thank
Anna Cole,Angela Woolacott, Simone Penketheman, Tina Baum, Djon
Mundine, Jackie Huggins, Sylvia Scott, Alison Holland, Tikka Wilson,
Yuin Kelly, Gordon Briscoe, Heather Goodall,Wendy Brady, the staff at
Link-Up NSW, Peter Read, Fiona Paisley, Julia Smith, Anna Haebich and
the late Herb Simms. The community of scholars I’ve met in South
Australia, especially Karen Vered, Sue Sheridan and Sharyn Roach-
Anleu, have offered a supportive friendly environment to work in. The
many kind and helpful individuals who helped me to locate the descen-
dants of the people I was writing about are too numerous to mention,
but I would like to thank Gloria Ardler, Agnes Coe, B. J. Cruse and
Emily Walker especially for their personal introductions.
Thank you to the families of the Aboriginal women, and especially to
John, Kevin, Herb, Alice, Irvine, Donna, Bev, Val and May, whose inter-
est, encouragement and involvement were crucial to my work. I am
ix
