History Life & Times of Robert Anderson

292 Pages·2011·9.62 MB·English

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HISTORY LIFE AND TIMES of Robert Anderson, Gheebelum, GU A
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Ngugi, Mulgumpin, is a community and personal history of an Aboriginal I, MD
elder of the Quandamooka area. The life experiences of Aboriginal and UL T
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UM
Torres Strait Islander elders are varied and are many and access to their M
PE
knowledge is essential to the process of continuing our traditions. INS
HISTORY LIFE AND TIMES
OF ROBERT ANDERSON
GHEEBELUM, NGUGI, MULGUMPIN
Community and personal history of a Ngugi Elder of Mulgumpin
in Quandamooka, South East Queensland, Australia.
Nations and people are largely the stories they feed
themselves. If they tell themselves stories that are lies,
they will suffer the future consequences of those lies.
If they tell themselves stories that face their own
truths, they will free their histories for future
flowerings. Ben Okri, Birds of Heaven
History Life and Times of
Robert Anderson,
Gheebelum, Ngugi, Mulgumpin
First published in September, 2001 by Uniikup Productions Ltd.
PO Box 3230, South Brisbane, Queensland 4101 Australia
Design by Inkahoots, www.inkahoots.com.au
Distributed by Uniikup Productions Ltd.
© Robert V. Anderson 2001

This book is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research,
criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part may be reproduced by any
process without written permission. Enquiries should be made to the publisher.
This project has been assisted by:
Community and Personal Histories
Department of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Policy,
Queensland Government
REF: 11507.3 23/6/97
Cataloguing-in-Publication Data:
National Library of Australia
Peacock, Eve Christine, 1951-.
History, Life and Times of Robert Anderson, Gheebelum, Ngugi, Mulgumpin.
1. Anderson, Robert, 1929- . 2. Aborigines, Australian - Politics and Government. 3. Aborigines,
Australian - History. 4. Aborigines, Australian - Genealogy. 5. Aborigines, Australian - Queensland -
Social Conditions. I. Anderson, Robert, 1929- . II. Title.
994.0049915
ISBN: 0-9579026-0-3
This edition has been reformatted by Inkahoots in co-operation with Robert Anderson and editing
by Cathy Boyle. It includes updates of recent developments and photographs. This project has
been funded by Redlands City Council RADF grant with the assistance of Elisabeth Gondwe from
North Stradbroke Island Heritage Museum.
Collecting the wild flowers on Mulgumpin and Minjerribah is a symbol of the
continuum of family life and appreciation of the beauty of the land and flora.
CONTENTS
PREFACE
6 DEDICATION
13 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
16 CHAPTER 1 HISTORY
Introduction
20 PART I "ALWAYS WAS ALWAYS WILL BE ..."
1 B.C. - Before Cook (a thumbnail sketch)
25 PART II BRITISH IMPERIALISM
1 Occupational Strategies
30 2 Summary - Unrelinquished Sovereignty
38 PART III OCCUPATION
1 Free Settlement
44 2 Transitions
46 3 Institutionalisation
HISTORY
• Quarantine Station
• Benevolent Institution
• Myora Mission on Moongalba
• The Long Shadow of the Act
58 4 Regeneration
59 5 Cultural Heritage
66 CHAPTER 2 LIFE
L I F E
67 PART I NGUGI, MULGUMPIN
1 A Family Diary

85 PART II REMINISCING
1 Tom Anderson, Ngugi, Mulgumpin
98 2 Penny Tripcony, Ngugi, Mulgumpin
115 3 Robert Anderson, Gheebelum,
Ngugi, Mulgumpin
138 CHAPTER 3 TIMES
PART I INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND
AUSTRALIAN SOCIETY
1 A Personal and Collective Identity
147 2 Political Activity
155 PART II INDIGENOUS SOCIETY AND
TIMES
THE AUSTRALIAN NATION
1 The Question of Economic Development and
Self-Determination
166 2 Treaty and the Reconciliation Movement
172 PART III COMPARABLE SOCIAL JUSTICE MOVEMENTS
1 A Union Movement Perspective
191 2 Movements Toward Social Justice
221 3 Awards
245 PART IV GOORI CHRONOLOGY
2 68 SOURCES AND EXTRACTS
2 32 PHOTOGRAPHS
2 83 WRITER/RECORDIST
DEDICATION
Robert Anderson, Gheebelum, Ngugi, Mulgumpin
Women have played a major part in my life. My Mother, Lydia Myee
Tripcony, all my Aunties and my Grandmother, Mary Rose Tripcony,
have been significant.
I often reflect on the days of my boyhood, eating at the common
table at the One Mile on Minjerribah when I lived with my
Grandmother, where meals were served with the Grannies present,
smoking their pipes and speaking softly in language. Those images
constantly revisit me and are the source of my strength.
During the full impact of what was happening, beginning with the
colonial era - warfare, massacres, confiscation of the land, dispersal
of families - somehow throughout all this they retained their
capacity to endure, their elegance, serenity and dignity. In the midst
of this overwhelming hardship this was remarkable and astounding.
Winyeeaba Murriaba Kingal
(right) with other
Minjerribah Grannies.
6 | PREFACE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Robert Anderson, Gheebelum, Ngugi, Mulgumpin
Ngugi, Mulgumpin
The vision of my country, the way I view or see my country, the
way I talk or sing up my country, the way I talk of the stories of my
country and talk about my Elders and Ancestors, this is my cultural
heritage. The way I call their names as I walk the sacred places of
my country and the way I remember their brave deeds on my land
is my cultural heritage. My spiritual connection with the land is my
cultural heritage. All these things are a part of my cultural heritage.
To walk my country, to gather the shell fish from the ocean beaches
and the bay side beaches, is part of my cultural heritage. To see
the changing nature of the flora with the seasons, to gather the
wild flowers and to eat the berries and fruits of my country, reminds
me of my mother and her connection to this my cultural heritage.
To observe the birds, their migratory flight patterns, and nesting
habitats, to understand how their presence fertilises, pollinates
and regenerates the plant growth; how they herald the arrival of the
deep-sea mullet, the whales and other sea inhabitants, for seasonal
sustenance. This is the cultural heritage of my country.
To be with my family and community people walking the country
together, making that strong spiritual connection with the land
is my cultural heritage. To continue to walk the bora ground
and practice my cultural rights and responsibilities, as well as
acknowledge the importance of this continuation on my country,
is my cultural heritage.
If we do not have access to our land, we are denied the right to
maintain our practices that protect, preserve and nurture our land
and our cultural heritage.
PREFACE | 7
Above: “Lightning’s Playground” Mulgumpin
(Aerial photographs reproduced with the permission of Deptartment of Natural Resources and Mines Qld.)
8 | PREFACE
In my country, like all of you, there is a story of Creation of Life.
Mine is as important to me as yours is to you. So let me tell you
my story as handed down to me from my Uncle Paul Tripcony.
Australian Aboriginal Legend of the Lightning’s Playground,
Creation Story
Situated on Mulgumpin1, Moreton Island, are two Sandhills. The Big
Sandhill was known to the Aboriginal tribe who called themselves
Ngugi2 as Gheebelum3 and the Little Sandhill was named
Coonungai4. When both Sandhills were mentioned together the two
names signified the Legend known as “The Lightning’s Playground.”
The origin of this Legend was the profound veneration accorded
to their Ancestral Land and the gift of Poetic Fancy that inspired
the Aboriginal race in appreciation of the Beauty of their
Dreamtime legends.
Australia has experienced during the course of her history many
bitter drought seasons which are associated with dry electric storms
and devastating heat waves. During this period, heavy banks of
cloud are formed, reverberating peals of thunder are heard as though
to rend the firmament asunder. Nature is mobilising her resources
in accordance with Her Laws so that she may bestow her Bounties
and impose her Disciplines and from the powerful vortex of this
elemental force of nature are discharged and hurled the destructive
and shattering detonation of the concentrated fury, a combination
of creative and destroying faculties of Life, Death and Regeneration.
In Preparation for the transformation about to be disclosed and
presented to our experience Sea laden breezes, wafted from the
1 Also known as Moolgumpin or Moorgumpin
2 Also Nooghies
3 Also Gheebellum or Jebellum
4 Also Coonoongai
PREFACE | 9