Chapter 18

“I’m just going to write for several days,” Rachel announced at breakfast. “I want to bang out a draft of what I hope to turn in next month. Do you think Dr. G. will be in the week after Easter?”

“No idea. What does the UNSW calendar say?” Rachel typed it in.

“No luck. Recess 14 to 23 April. I’m not sure I can get it done by the eleventh.”

“Do as much as you can by the tenth and email it to him. Ask for an appointment on the second or the ninth of May.”

“OK. I should get a respectable amount done in three weeks.”

“I’m going off to the Law Library. As an alumnus I get access from ten to five. If I can’t find what I need, I’ll apply to use the Law Courts’ Library, but that’s expensive.”

“What are you looking for?”

“The actual court rulings referred to on that NNTT map.”

“Why bother?”

“What?”

“Why are you doing research?”

“I need to follow-up on the Darling group.”

“You’re not thinking. Why? What’s your agreement with the Ministry?”

“I think it says ‘execute such activities as requested’.”

“And... ?”

“I see, you think I did the trip, wrote a report, went to the meeting, but I’ve not been asked to do any more.”

“Precisely. So you’re off their hook. If anything, you should be working on the pamphlet.”

“You’re right. I’ve no need to keep up with whatever Canberra does with the NNTT. And if Miller wants me to do something, she can call or have Jason call.”

“Yes. And I think that this is what you were warned about. Beware the temptations of Jason and the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies.”

“Thank you.”

“It’s my job as a dutiful wife ... keeping you away from the tar baby.”

“Which is... ?”

“The mess called politics. Gordy’s right. Stay away from professional politicians. If they need a job done, do it. But don’t get involved.”

“That’s going to be tough.”

“No, it won’t be. You do the chores, like in the Sturt, up near Milbrodale, and out west. But you stop. You don’t follow the breadcrumbs or the white bird to the witch’s gingerbread cottage.”

“You’ve got the tale mixed up, but you’ve made your point.”

“OK. We’ll I’m going to start writing; you go marketing: several days of lunch and dinner tonight. Don’t overdo it!”

“Yes, dear.”

My phone rang, but a glance told me it was my father.

“Hello.”

“Hey! First of all, thanks for the dinner.”

“Our pleasure.”

“Second, I had a call earlier from Joshua.”

“Joshua?”

“Elder of the band I visited with at the Nockatunga Waterhole.”

“Right.”

“They want the Waterhole. They heard from the group in Sturt and they’re Kullila, like Jimmy and Jacky.”

“That’s Queensland.”

“Yes.”

“I can’t help. I can’t practice outside of NSW.”

“Isn’t there a proviso?”

“I don’t know. It may be that I’d have to affiliate in some way with a Queensland solicitor. I’ll phone the Law Society of NSW and see what I can find out. I’ll call you as soon as possible.”

“OK. I’m in the office all day.”

He went out to think and market. By the time Patrick got back, he’d decided to see whether Google could help. After stowing the groceries, he looked up ‘practising interstate,’ and found that “Under the National Practising Certificate scheme, legal practitioners with a current practising certificate in NSW may also practise in other Australian States and Territories.” However, the Queensland Law Society didn’t make it look easy:

You apply to the Registrar of the Supreme Court at Brisbane. There are six steps involved in applying:

1. Prepare an application for registration on the Queensland roll. Your application should generally follow the form on the back of this fact sheet (see s .19 of the Mutual Recognition (Queensland) Act 1992 and s .18 of the Trans- Tasman Mutual Recognition (Queensland) Act 2003).)...

6. Finally lodge your application, statutory declaration, certificate, a copy of the Legal Practitioners Admissions Board receipt and a copy of each of these documents, together with the filing fee to the Registrar of the Supreme Court, PO Box 15167, City East Qld 4002.

You can do this personally, by post or by agent. Lodgment by fax is not acceptable. Ensure that you include your postal address.

Rachel was still working, so Patrick called Gordy.

“It looks feasible,” he reported, “But NSW makes it easier for lawyers from other states than Queensland does.”