Chapter 2

The proposal was approved. Professor Adam was quite happy with it. It involved spending August and January in Queensland. I'd devote summer 1995 to something and then autumn back in Sydney. I invested several hundred dollars in getting the 4x4 a complete overhaul and new tyres. The first week in July I drove to Mitchell via a circuitous inland route. Sydney to Dubbo to Bourke to Charleville to home. I stayed two nights in Dubbo, spending a cool, damp day at the Taronga Western Plains Zoo. In Bourke I bought a Lawson postal card and sent it to Winnie. I left Bourke early and spent the next night at the Corones in Charleville. After a good breakfast, I was "home" in Mitchell before noon.

I had a warm welcome from my parents and devoted an hour or two to telling about Sydney. Of course, Mum had questions about Winnie, whom they'd never met, but I told her much the same as what I'd told Winnie's dad. My brother, David, was about to get married. He'd been "promoted" at the vineyard and would have a cottage there. He'd been "seeing" Sandra, his fiancee, for years, she'd been just ahead of me in school. I'd never liked her, but I wasn't marrying her.

I asked about the band and was informed that they had been to a corroboree, but w ere now camped by the stream at the eastern boundary of our station. I said that I wanted to go and say hello. And see whether Jacky was there. Dad said he hadn't seen him, but that Meena, his mother, was there.

A corroboree is a ceremonial meeting. The word was coined by the European settlers of in imitation of the Aboriginal word caribberie. At a corroboree Aborigines interact with the Dreamtime through dance, music and costume. Many of the ceremonies are sacred and people from outside a community are not permitted to participate or watch.

In mid-afternoon we drove over to the camp. I said 'hello' to several people. I looked around and asked where Henry was.

"Ol' Henry crook," I was told. "Got spots."

"When did it start?"

"Not long. One week, two week."

"Do his eyes hurt?"

"Yeah."

"Can I see him?"

"Sure ting."

I looked into the humpy. "It's Gordy, Henry. You crook?"

"Yep. Got bit on walkabout. Be okay bimeby."

"I hope so. You take care."

"Okay."

I looked at Dad. "Tick bite. He's got spotted fever. He's passed the high fever stage, so he should be fine." I looked around. "Where Meena?"

"Here, Gordy."

"Okay. Make sure Henry drinks enough. Water or tea." I paused. "Jacky around?"

"He went Brisbane, hunt for work."

Rickettsia australis involves a group of mite-borne spotted fevers. Rickettsia is a bacterium causing a spotted fever that elicits the production of an antibody that is different from the one that reacts with other rickettsial species.

"Chief here?"

"Over there," she waved a ham-sized hand. Meena seemed larger every time I saw her. Her predilection for bright, flowery dresses made her notable in a crowd.

I walked over. "I see you, Gordy."

"And I see you. I went to see Henry."

"Bit by chigger."

"He'll get better soon. Do you know a band up near Winton?"

"Group live in park."

"Good. I'll be going there soon. Stay for a month. You think you can let them know that I'm a goodfella?"

"Sure. Your Dad gibbit us tucker. You play with kids. I use mulga wire."

"Fine. You need anything?" I looked toward my Dad who was talking to two men.

"Mebbe sheep next week."

"We can do that."

"Good. We got lawyer."

"Filing for title?"

"Yep. He say take ten years."

"I'll stand for you." He nodded.

We shook hands and I went over to Dad. "Ready to go?" he asked.

"Yes. How about a sheep next week?"

"Sure." I nodded. We waved, got into the ute and drove home.

The Mandanadanji People's Native Title Application was registered on 30th March 2009. The claim area is described as the Roma and St George region of South West Queensland.

David and Sandra were over for Sunday dinner. She looked pretty and gotten quite pious. She was towing David to church every week, apparently. They'd been to a service in St. George before driving north.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

"Visiting for a week or two before going further north."

"What for?"

"Research for my doctorate. I'm spending a month or six weeks south of Winton."

"Sounds awful! Dirt and bugs, I suppose."

"Yes, Sandra. The same things you hated a decade ago."

"But why would you waste your time on that? You're smart. You could be a banker or a businessman!"

"Let me try again. Dad raises cattle, right?" She nodded. "He needs to know about ticks. David's at a vineyard. They need to know about locusts and phylloxera. Queensland and New South Wales depend on agriculture. And agriculture depends on entomology. This is a big country. Europeans have been here only a tad more than 200 years. There's a lot to find out. And we need to find out."