Harts Range

History

Growing up in the Harts Range area 1950s onwards

Story told by Irene Rieff 1

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Yeah. Julianne Rieff angkeme nhenhe, story ilemele; Anwerne arle anetyarte , ilekakweye, Mt Riddock’le anwerne arle

anetyarte. Hard workin woman akngerrirretyarte anwerne and mother atyinhe. Mantere alewerle wayepelekenhe. Washing

machine’le arrernerle one day, alewerle old Lena'le atherre, manterre wayepelakenhe. Hardwork work irremele kitchen,

anwerne anetyarte, merne akwekeke; tea, sugar akweke bag a-suge akweke half-one, bag a kweke altogether and merne flour

akweke. Tea and sugar and kere salt-meat ane warrkirrerretyarte yanhe, pmere Mt Riddock'le. Ampe awenke arle ayenge

merneke warrkirretyarte, wayepelarenye anemele. Station girl ayenge aneke yanhele, stationarenye.

Mt. Riddock Stationarenye. Merneke ayenge self warrkirretyarte and mother atyinhe merneke selfeke warrkirretyarte,

nannygoat milk thelemele, wayepelekenhe, milkemilemele. Hard-work arle aneke, merneke. Hard-work altogethe

warrkirremele. Kere saltmeat, jam, flour,tea and sugar, akweke ware. Mane anetyange arrangkwe. Mane akweke anetyakenhe.

Hard-work arle warrkirretyarte yanhele. Ol Lena, ol Lena Bloomfield warrkirretyarte alakenhe akine. Hard-workin woman

akine,mother atyinhe uthene, anwerne warrkirretyarte. Ayenge stationarenye arle aneke. Station'le, wayepele mapengarlenge

intentyakngerre, warrkirrentyakngerre,anetyarte

We were all living on Mt Riddock (Station). We were all hard working women, including my mother. She and old Lena

Bloomfield would wash the whiteman’s clothes.

We would also do the hard work around the kitchen just for a small amount of food; tea and a little bag of sugar and flour

and some salt-meat.

When I was a young teenage girl I became a ‘station girl’ at Mt Riddock i.e. I stayed at the homestead so I could work for my

own keep just like my mother. I’d milk the nanny goats for the whiteman. It was all very hard work just for a small amount of

food and no money at all.

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Early days anwerne aneke ampe akelye urrke, wale anwernenhe school-ke akwernetyarte wayepelele, wayepele

cheeky-one'le, anwernenhe akwernetyarte wale anwerne arle learnirrtyange aneke arle. Wayepele

aywepeke,alpetyeke school teacher renhe. Anwerne learnirretyakenhe kwete nwerne aneme school'ke irrpemele,

arrangkwe akwete arle.

Kele ikwerengetyle anwerne aneke yanhele, Mt Riddock'le. Kele anwerne shiftirreke Huckitta station'werne aneme,

Mameye atyinhe arle , tateye uthene arle. Tateye atyinhe work'ke alpeke,Huckitta Station'werne, anwerneke merneke

warrkirretyarte. Merne akweke re warrkirretyarte, hard work.

Tateye atyinhe windmill arlke, tank arlke yanhele arrerneke, mpwaremele, wayepele Frank Masagenge warrkirremele,

Huckitta Station'le aneme ol' Quinton Webb itwele, anwerne arle anetyarte. Anwerne yanhe ikwerele aneke,yanhe kine

angkepe apetyalpeke re, warrke arle irreke yanhe ikwerele. Ampe wenke akngerretye ayenge yanhe ikwerele aneke,

wenke akngerretye kele angkepe kine Mt Riddock’werle apetyalpemele. Anwerne aneke, tateye atyinhe'ke thakemene

aneke, anwerneke merneke warrkirremele, ol' Quinton Webb'nge, aneke yanhe ikwerele.

In earlier days when we were still little children there was an attempt to send us to school but the teacher was too

nasty and we couldn’t learn from him. He was sent back and we didn’t learn anything much from our time in school.

That was at Mt Riddock. After that we shifted to Huckitta Station. Dad went there to work so we could have food. He

was putting up the windmills and tanks there with a whiteman, Frank Massage.

Old Quenton Webb was at Huckitta then and we lived near him. We stayed there for a good while and then when I got

older that was when I went back to Mt Riddock to work.

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Anwerne yanhe ikwerele aneke. Tateye atyinhe warrkirreke.

Tateye atyinhe apmere nhakwele warrkirreke, Huckitta angkweye arle urrke station urreke. Station angkweye'le urrke

Tateye atyinh'le Bill Madrill'nge, wayepele, anwerne akweke anemeke. Yanhe re warrkirreke, anwerne ampe mape

kelye anerleke.

Mame warrkirrreke, soap yanhe ulkere arrwerkerlenye mpwarentye, powder soap yanhe ulkere mpwarentye unkenhe

bar-a-soap, mamange, early days mpwarentye unkenhe. Mamele bar-a-soap mpwaretyarte , hard-work drum'ke

boilemilerlanemele, soap arle mpwareyenge unkenhe, Bill Madrill'kenhe, ol'Katy Williams, wife ikwerenhe.

Tateye mape warrkirreke thakemane, everybody akngerre, warrkirrerleke.

Yanhe ikwerengentyele, Huckitta Station yanhenge finishirremele anwerne apetyalpeke ingkarle.

Ingkarle anwerne apetyalpeke Huckitta Staionenge,Bill Madrill alpekengarlenge.Shiftirrentyalpeke.Anwerne

apetyalpeke Marshall Bore'werne. Tinka mineke warrirreke

Dad had been a stockman on Huckitta at the old homestead as well, when we were little. He worked for Bill Madrill.

There was a lot of men working there as stockmen with Bill Madrill. Bill’s wife was old Katy Williams.

Mum was there too doing the hard work of making soap in the old fashion way. She’d have to boil it up in a drum.

When the work finished and Bill Madrill left we all shifted from Huckitta to Marshall Bore to work the Tinka mine. We

walked there carrying our swags.

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Tateye anwernekenhe.Anwerne ingke apetyalpeke swag akngerre akerte. Tinka Mine warkirreke wayepele ampwe

Johnny Mueller, Peppi Guanni, irrkwetethe atherre aneke. Yanhe arle atherrele merne nthetyarte anwernenhe.

Yanhe ikwerele warrkirreke, mica minele, Huckitta Stationengentyele apetyalpeliweke, Atnwarlenge, Marshall

Bore yanhe pmere akngerre irrelaneme.Yanhele akngerrirreke Tinka mine’le, tinkemele akngerrirreke Marshall

Borenge shiftirrerreke, Yam Creek arle akenhe akngerrirrerleme, pmere Yam Creek'le arlke, country

anwernekenheke arlke, utnherrirretyarte, workarle finishirreke mica utnherrirrerlaneke irrkwetethe

mapeke.Tinkem yanhe ikwere kine aleme mape arle, mica mape antherrerlaneke irrkwetethe mape merneke.

Wayepele ampwe atherre apele aneke Johnny Mueller uthene Peppi Guanni, irrkwetethe atherre aneke. Anwerne

yanhe aneke,ikwerengentyele shiftirremele. Mameye anwerne shiftirrentyalpemenge, akngerre, everybody re.

Brother atyinhe, Ronnie Webb yanhe, Marshall Bore yanhe ikwerele tinkemerleke utnherrerleke ,bornirreke yanhe

ikwere. Anwerne shiftirrentyalpeke ikwere akelye akerte. Pmere ileke akweye irrerlaneme, Whistle Duck Mine-

awerne shiftirrenty alperliwenhe. Wayepelele ileke akweye, ayenge warrkirretyeke, Marg Mitchell. Marg Mitchell

ayenge warrkirreke yanhe ikwere, Huckitta Stationenge irntwarre ampinye, pmere ileke akweye yanhe,

warrkirrerretyarte. Irrkwetethe’ke milk mpwaremele nthetyarte anwernenhe antywetyeke ampe mape inkeye

ntherlenge angayekwe, merne akweke itnenhe ntherleke. Just for one week apeke merne akweke ware. No kere

nothing, kangaroo arlke alakenhe arlkwetyange arrangkwe altekethe, starvin arle aneke arrwekerle, prape starvin

arratye re, wearin rubbish clothes, amperrelentye manterre akerte alherliwerlerlaneme. Atnwarlenge (Marshall

Bore) became a big camp then when we all shifted back there to work the mica mine. There were two old Italians

there, Johnny Mueller and Peppi Giuanni*who would give us food for working the mines.

Yam Creek (our country) was another place that became a major camp as people worked for the Italian miners.

It was when we were at Marshall bore that my brother Ronnie Webb was born. When he was still little we moved

on to Whistle Duck Mine, the other side of Huckitta Station. I worked there for Marg Mitchell.

We’d do the milking for the Italians and they let us give some to the children to drink when they’d come hungry

and they’d give a little bit of food. They might give us food enough to last a week but no meat.

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Early days anekenge alakenhe, anwerne akely areye, mine warrkirreke yanhe ikwere. Two or three mine rarle

aneke yanhe ikwere, Huckitta Station'nge irntwarre yanhe, kele warrkirreke irntwarre yanhe, mine’le warrkirritneke.

Arelhe warrkirreke mine'ke, mica'ke and arelhe warrkirreke for nanny goat, shepherdemilemele merneke. Nanny

Goat milk theleme wayepele mapeke.Early days aneke prape arratye starvin aneke rarle.

No kere, no kere atwenhatwenhe yanhe ulkere prape arrangkwe ultekethe, only arengkelante arle kangaroo

catchemileme kere and Tateye atyinhele kangaroo, emu irrtyartele atanthenhe, arratye arle aneke. And kangaroo

champion Tateye atyinhe aneke, champion for kangaroo spearemiletyeke arratye ultekethe.

Alakenhe ante ware anwernenhe feedemileyeke. No anything apeke, makite apeke, arrangkwe, arengkelante

uthene irrtyartele uthene ante anwernenhe feedemileyeke alakenhe. Wayepele merneke ingkeye

arlkwerlaperliwepiwerlenge, alakenhe arle aneke.

Arengke kangaroo akerle, kangaroo dog mape arle anekenge, early days, anwerne arle akelye. Merne utnerrknge

arlkwerle, kere nannygoat sometime. Nannygoat live irreke arratye arle aneke nannygoat live, kere salt meat

akweke, kere bush arenye mape.

Well that’s how it was in the early days when we were young working at the mines the other side of Huckitta

Station. There would be women shepherding the goats and doing the milking for the whiteman.

It was truly starving days. It was even hard to get meat. Nobody had rifles. We only had dogs to catch kangaroos.

My father was a champion at spearing kangaroos or emus.

That was the only way Dad could feed us, with his dogs and spears and the little bit we could beg off the

whiteman; a bit of flour gruel or sometimes goatmeat, or a little saltmeat and whatever bush game Dad could get.

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Merne yalke arlke, merne alatyeye arlke arlkwerrirretyarte mape utnherrirremele alangkwe, alakenhe inerrirrirrenhe

mape, alangkwe, atwakeye, arrutnenge, arrwengulkere. Kele imernte, yanhe ikwerengentyele pmere arrpenhe mpepe

yanhele anwerne anemele, ileke akweye yanhele, Maa Soak yanhewerne, angathe sidele , anwerne anetyalpeke,

shiftarleirreke. Tateye arle somewhere kine irreke stockman alherliweke stockman everybody uncle areye uthene,

alherliweke. Uncle alherliweke, tateye, stockman mape warrkirretyarte ol Quinton Webb'nge aneme.Old Quinton

Webb'nge itnareye warrkirreke kenhe mameye akenhe arle warrkirrintyalpeke yanhe ikwere ngentyele shiftirreke,

mine'nge shiftirreke ol Jack Hughes'nge aneme, pmere iwenhakweyenge, Artnyeme, sheep camp arle aneke yanhe.

Sheep akngerre kerte wayepele,ol Jack Hughes. Yanhe ikwerele anwerne anetyarte. Yanhe ikwerenge kine anwerne

shiftirrintyalpeke. Mt Riddock'werne shiftirrentyalpeke, merne arlke kere arlke akelye inerrirrerlanerle, starvin mane

arlke anetyange arrangkwe. Mane alakenhe anetyange, prape arrangkwe ultekethe, prape nothing. Mane arle

anetyakenhe aneke. Anwerne akngerretye irretyenge mane arraterliwerreke, two pound yanhe ulkere mape. Warrkenhe

arle itne earnemiletyarte Two pound arle inerrirretyarte big mob of ration, early days, merne prape full-up ultekethe.

We’d always be looking for bush foods like wild onions, ‘bananas’, ‘oranges’, ‘passionfruit’ and honey.

After that, when Dad and all the other men went to do stock work for old Quenton Webb we shifted back with Mum to

Artnyeme to old Jack Hughes sheep camp. There was never enough food so we shifted back to Mt Riddock for the

little bit we could get from there. There was no money in those days. It was only when we were quite grown that

money appeared on the scene. Then people might earn two pound and that would buy a lot of rations, more than we

had ever seen. 13

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Dingo scalp; Tateye tyinhe alhetyarte dingo scalp'ke. Dingo scalp arle anwernehe feedemileke Tateye anwernekenhe

arle.

Mica minenge startirremele, dingo scalpwerne turnirremele nanthe areyenge alhetyarte, Tateye anwernekenhe

alherliwetyarte anwernarle akarelhemele anerleke. Apmere Mt Mary yalengekenhe anwerne anerleke,early days. Mt

Mary'le anwerne aneke, tateye anwernekenhe dingo scalp, mane akngerre rarle aneke, re sellemiletyarte Chalmers

mapeke.Old Don Chalmers’ke sellemiletyarte. Merne prape akngerre ultekethe re inetyarte. Two pound ingkerrenyeke,

one each arengke dingo scalp areyawe, merne inetyeke.

Kele merne inerlalperle yanhe ikwere, anwerne Mt Mary'le anerleke re awethe kine dingo'ke alhetyarte re, dingo

map'ke re. Akngerre re alherliwetyarte, everybody, dingo scalp'ke. Dingo scalp yalengante merne feedemileke

anwerne,everybody, arengke yenpe yanhelaye. Rareye alhetye unkenhe, atningke alhetyunkenhe dingo scalp'ke

nanthenge rareye alhetyarte, ikwerengentyele imernte Claravillwerne alhemele sellemiletyeke

Alakenhe anteye,dingo mape, scalp areye. Merne arlke kere arlke akerte kine apetyalpemele yanhentyele, dingo apeke

atwintyalpemele anerle. Dingo ilwekarle apeke akaperte apeke inerlalpepalperliwemele arrernemele bag'ke

akwernemele. Dingo kaperte interlanerleke bag'ke akwernemele intirte intepintemele ntyenge interlanerleke. Tail ante

apeke interlanerlenge dingo, kele merneke ante ware inenherlenge bag'ke akwernemele.

Alakenhe aneke, arrwekerle aneke,early days aneke, anwerne arle akelye.

That’s when my father began going for dingo scalps to feed us. The dingo scalpers would go on horseback while we

waited at home. We were living at Mt Mary then. Dad would sell the scalps to old Don Chalmers. He’d get a lot of

money, two pounds for the lot and be able to buy a lot of food with that.

He’d bring the food back to us at Mt Mary then he’d go again for the dingo. Everybody was doing it. Dingo skins was

the only way they could feed their families. They’d go out on horse back and take the scalps to Claraville to sell then

come back with food.

As they were going about on their horses they might find a dead dingo. It could be smelling to high heaven but

they’d still pick up the head or tail and put it in a bag just to sell to buy food. 15

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Prape starving arle aneke ane raggetty,manterre anetyange,prape kenge ultekethe. Merne arlke anetyakenhe. Ngkwarle

arrwengwelke renhe, kere akngerre renhe atwemele, kere ulkerte arlke renhe atwemele. Thwepe arlke anetyakenhe

prape dirty bugg' mape ampe re nerleke, akunye mape, ampe kely mape anetyarte dirty bugg'. Kenhe dingo scalp

awethe kine anwerneke artweye alherliwerlanerlenge, everybody re akngerre alherliwetyarte. Yanhe ikwerengentyele,

anwerne anemele. Nthenhame anteme anwerne alheke. Ayenge ampe wenke yanhe arlke anemele itneke areye,nhenhe

areye arlke anemele, kele awenke yanh ikwerele kenhe dingo kine awethe irrerleme ankngerre, akngerrirretyarte Mt

Mary'le. Mt Mary yanhe apmere re aneke, big camp,everybody'kenhe. Nannygoat arlke aneke,arelhe ampwe Mabel

mape. Ampe marle arey anwerne anetyarte tankeyeke arlke antyemele anwerne anetyarte, nantheke arlke antyemele

anwerne alhetyarte. Merneke inkeyeke apetyarte nhenhewerne,soakage pmere arrengweke yanhe, pmere

anwernekenhe new-one arle aneme yanhewerle,pmere arrengweke yanhe soakagewerle, merneke inkeye somebody

arle water-draw inemele akenhe apetyernele inkeye somebody nthetyeke, merne atnurrknge apeke nthetyeke. Arratye

anthemele anwerne alperleke arratye.Ampe marle mape nanthenenge antyemele alperliweme,nanthenge

apetyalpemele ingkeye inerlaperlenge, apwerte atwatye yanhe alperliwemenge,apmere angkweye angkwerre yanhe,

ironide mine angkweye yanhe, alpeme arle. Inkeye arle merneke untheyarlirretyarte,arratye re. No kere nothing,

kangaroo arrangkwe. Arengke arlante catchemilenheilenhe, no makite arrangkweye only irrtyartele nhenheke

atyemeye mapele atanthenhe only irrtyarte ipenhe anwernele arlkwerle . That’s how it was in the early days when we

were young; we were starving and raggedity. There was no soap so all the little ones were always dirty, poor things.

There was hardly any food other than bush foods like honey or might kill a lizard to eat. So that’s why people got into

dog scalping. Mt Mary was another major camp. I was a big girl when we were living there. Old Mabel was there too

and the nanny goats. Us girls would ride around on the donkeys and horses. We’d ride up this way to the soakage on

the other side of where our new place is.. We’d come to see if anybody had come to draw water and if they had any

food they could give us. They might be able to give us a little gruel made from flour. If we were lucky enough to get

some then we’d ride back through the gap in the hillside where the old camp was near the old ironide mine. Honestly,

the only food we had was from begging and the only meat was from what could be caught by a dog or speared by our

grandfathers. There were no rifles. 17

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Yanhenge awethe kine. nthenhewerle anwerne shiftirreke. Yanhengentyele mameye arle ampe akngerre akerte arle.

Pmere .arltere.mine akweke workirretyarte? mica minele ,cousin atyinhe arlke warrkirrentyarte pmerelante mine

nhenhele. Yanhele anwerne anetyalpeme nannygoat areye akerte,pmere mine nhenhe. Alakalhentye alherliweke,

nhakwewerle alpetyenhengeye?Mt Riddockwerle alpeyameyenge. Yanhewerle urrke Mt Riddock werne alpeyengeme

urreke.. Mt Marywerle anerlalpeke. Kele ikwerengentyele imernte Mt Marywerle anerlalpeke Mt Riddockwerle kine

awetheme akine. Yanhe ikwerele anwerne anetyarte. Kele mane akweke arle areke ulkere re aneme. Mane arle areke

yanhe ulkere, mane akweke, you know, two bob angkweye yanhe ulkere ampekenhe inerrirretyarte. Yanhele

anetyarte, iwenhakweye, Policeman Len Cousin yanhe government imerneke everybody mpwareke. Policeman

yanhele akenhe merne anwernenhe nthetyarte, mane ampekenhe areye endowment inerrirretyarte itne,arelhe ampwe

yanhe,ol Lenale atherre mameye yanhele uthene, akngerreleye. Mt Riddock'le startirremele policeman mane arlke

nthetyarte,mane ampekenhe an merne. Merne akenhe mekarlaretyakenhe yanhe aneke, yanhe ikwerenge startirreke.

Merne early days full-up atyetye arle aneke government'le ntherrirretyarte. Policeman yanhe old police station

nhenhele anetyarte, Len Cousins, merne akerte aneke. Cartons an cartons of tin-o-meat re nthetyarte re. Cheese,

everything tyampite arle,salt,cornbeef ,tyampite prape alpwantye akngerre. Policeman'le akngetyarte government'le

ntheke re aneme, akngetyarte. Nthetyarte; soap, prape alpwantye akngerre mape, alakenhe arle aneke. Kenhe

mwarre anteme aneke merne arlkwemele akngerrirrerlaneme nhenhe,yanhe arle iweke angayekwarle aneke.,

cartons,everything, merne bag, everthing rarle nthetyarte anwernenhe police station angkweye arle anemenge. Old

police station'le aneme Len Cousins arle yanhe re. Police arrpenhe was there too. Len Cousins'le nthetyarte.

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Well, from Mt Mary we shifted again to work at the mica mines. Mum had a lot of kids then. My cousin was

working there too. We brought the goats with us. We shifted a few more times between these places before

going back to Mt Riddock. That was when we first saw money, you know, the old ‘two bob’ and the beginning of

Child endowment. The policeman Len Cousins handled the endowment money and the food. That was the first

time we didn’t have to be worrying constantly for food. At the beginning the government gave out plenty of food

at the old police station. There were cartons and cartons of tins of meat, the long ones. There was cheese and

every sort of food in tins. There was even soap that came in long bars. That is when we first left our hunger

behind us. From there on we had enough to eat. 21

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Kenhe ampe arle needle anteme inerrirretyarte nhenhe anwerne ingkerreke, ampe akelye mape arle. Needleke line-up i

station angkweye yanhele

Mt Riddockengentyele akngetyeke mape line-up irremele needle'le akenhe atantheme arrangkarrangkerlaneme arrangk

unterlunterliwetyeke, myall mape arle atantheme wayepelele arrangkarrangkilemele kenhe prape double-bank ulteketh

arntirrkwerliwerrelenge ampe mape,everybody. Prape myall apele aneke , old police station angkweye nhenhele atanth

police station,yanhele aneke.

Kele mwarre merne arlkwemele aneme aye. Police tracker an all akngerrirretyarte akngerre yanhe, uncle anwernekenh

Akngerrirretyarte merne nhenhe arlkwemele merne aneme ,kele merne aneme arlkwerrerlaneme. Merne yanhe arlkwem

imernte anwerne, mame anwerne alpemele nhakwerle aneme, shiftirreke aneme, apmwerrke ulkere aneye. Jervoiswerl

alhaye,Jervois,copper minewerle aneme, ampe atyinhe atherrarrpe urrke aneme anamirreke,shiftirreke,Danny uthene R

uthene akerte shiftirreke yanhewerne, ampe atherre akertante ayenge.

It was also the time when immunisations began. All the kids were brought in from Mt Riddock to line up at the old pol

for their needles. Soon as they got their needle they’d run off crying. It would take a couple of white fellows to restrain

them. They’d be crying and carrying on, they were so fearful.

Well we were alright then with plenty to eat. The old police station became a popular place and people like my uncle b

work there as police trackers. After we had been there a while and having enough to eat we shifted again to the coppe

Jervois. I only had two children then, Danny and Robert.

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Lucy Creek'ke merne payemilemele arlkwerrerlaneke. Copper Mine'le aneme warrkirretyarte. Arelhe mape

coppermine warrkirretyarte prape hard ultekethe. Hard-workin woman warrkirretyarte coppermine'le anwerne

ingkerrenyeke. Arelhe mapele heap'ke arrerneme kenhe drum'ke akwernetyarte all the copper. Copper drum'ke

akwernetyarte. Yanheke anwernele mane areke, Lindsay Johannsen an Kurt Johannsen Mrs Johannsen arle awenke

an ampe ikwerenhe areye aneme. renhenhe. Yanhele anwernele warrkirreke coppermine'le, Jervois Mine'le. Kenhe

mane akngerre akenhe aneme. Truck'le akngetyarte Mt Isa, akngetyarte truck'le loademup irrerleke copperarenye, Mt

Isawerle kngetyarte Lindsay Johannsen, truck green-one anteke nhenhenge

Yanhele warrkirretyarte. Lucy Creek'le shopping mpwarerrerlaneme, kenhe Mrs Johannsen,Lindsay

Johannsenkenhe wife akwenhe,Joan, akngerre everybody rarle minele warrkirreke. Yanhe ikwerele warrkirreke

anwerne, yanhe ikwerele aneke kele yanhenge shiftirremele Bonyale pmere mpwaretyalpeke anwerne shiftirremele.

Bonya anwerne cleanem irretyalpeke pmere awethe yanhele,Bonya renhenhe cleanemirretyalpeke anwerne.

Anwerne urrpetyarrpe yanhe. Lucy Creek'le anteye akngerrirrerlaneke, arelhe ampwe Minnie mape,

akngerrirrerlaneke. Nhakwele untheyirrerlaneke . Anwerne urrke cleanemileke pmere yanhe, pmere mpwareyeleke

pmere aneme,big community aneme yanheye. Yanhe ikwere mpwareliwerreke, then we bin start shelite akenhe,

shelite mine aneme, anwerne startirreye. Shelite mine anwerne startirreke. Ampe threepele akerte ayenge startirreke

yanhe, Irene mape kerte aneme, an akelye.Shelite mine startirrerleyeke. Drum'ke shelite mape machine

warkarlintyentye. Akenhe areliwerrerlerlanerle night shift arelhe areye warrkirrerretyarte, Molly' Hill. Used to work

Molly Hill’le shelitenge. Just like a man we bin workin apwerteke. Mane highemileme ampe akerte, arelhe areye

anwerne aneke. Ikwerengentyele, from there anwerne apetyalpeke, yanhe shelite mine Mollyhillengentyele

apetyalpeke pmere nhenhwerle aneme, pmere police station nhenhewerle aneme. Ampe akngerre akerte ayenge

apetyalpeke. Ampe threepele akerte ayenge nhenhele aneke.. Constable Roy Miller'nge aneke ayenge. Constable

Roy Miller anwerne aneke nhenhele. Constable John Aimes nhewerle aneke.

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26

All us women worked hard at the copper mine. We’d put the copper into heaps and load it into drums.

We were paid for our work. Lindsay and Kurt Johannsen and Lindsay’s young wife, Joan, and their children were all working there.

Lindsay’s big green truck would be loaded up and the copper taken to Mt Isa. We would do our shopping at Lucy Creek.

After working there for a while we shifted to Bonya. There was just a few of us and we cleared the area for living. Most of the others

including old Minnie, were living at Lucy Creek. We cleared a living area at Bonya and now it’s a big community. Anyway we began

work at the shelite mine. I had three children, Irene the youngest when we started working there. The women would work on the

night shift feeding the shelite into the machine. This was at Molly Hill. Us women would work handling the rocks just like a man just

so we could make more money for our kids.

When my three children were older we left Molly Hill and came back here to the Police station. We stayed there with constable Roy

Miller and constable John Aimes was also there.

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28

Arlenge arle aneme wayepelele mape mica aketyarte knifele; knife prape sharp-one arle aketyarte. Re pele,

alakenhe, irlpararrerneke,chest'ke, inwengeke, mica chest'ke arrernemele re imernte knifele akemele square-one

mpwaremele. Square-one mpwareme akemele, clear-one mape arrernitne anemele, spotted mica box arrpenheke

arrernitnarlanemele, clear mica one side ikwerele arritnerlanemele cutemilemele. Alakenhe aneke irrkwetethe

mape, everybody arle cutemiletyarte, urrperle mape too. Anwernarle aneke alakenhe, mica cutemilentyakngerre.

Box cutemileke, already cutemupileke square-one'ileme nthemele wayepele, one-side arrernemele, clear mica

arrernemele one-side,clean-one mape boxful'ilemele. Spotted-one mape, spotted mica arrerneme self-again.

Alakenhe arle aneke early days, akerrirretyarte knife prape sharp-one akemele mica. Knife-stone arrirlpelhileme

arrirlpehilemele, sharpenemilemele, cut-a mica startirrerlaneme kenhe iron shed akweke anemele akerlaneme, full-

up ilemele, awethe anetyeke alhemele, inerlapemele, look around awethe kine mica findemilemele bag'le

akngetyalpeme, workirreme cutemilemele anetyarte. Tateye anwernekenhe mica cutemirrerle, mame, arelhe ampwe

yanhe ol' Lily, cutemirrerle, anwerne anetyarte. Mica'ke ultheye anetyarte anwerne work all day, never anerle not

like today, Lyete arteke akwenye. Prape hard work. Can't sit down arrangkwe. Ultheye alyakalherleke. Pick and

shovel apele akerte alherle. Crowbar iltyele alherlanemele ulthaye look-around mica findemiletyeke. Arratye

findemilemele inemele tnyemele. Kwatye akerte alherle, billycan-water, merne dinner akweke apeke. Crowbar, pick

n shovel alherliwerle, carryemilemele, alakenhe re. Ingkerrenyeke alakenhe arle aneke akngerre warrkirremele.

Alakenhenge merne arlkweke, warrkirremele, early days, ampe mape feedemileke, everybody renhe. Not only one,

everybody'le. Mica mine warkirremele re, ration everyweek, fortnight inerle alakenhe re. Well alakenhe aneke. 29

30

When the white fellows, the Italians and the black fellows too, were cutting up the mica they’d use a really

sharp knife. They’d brace the block of mica on their chests and cut into a square*. The clear mica they would

put to one side and the spotted mica they’d put in a separate box.

We used to cut the mica too. The mica that had already been cut we would square up to give to the whiteman.

That’s how it was in the early days; we’d go out , look around for mica, put it in a bag and bring it back to the

little tin shed where we’d begin cutting it up and sorting it into ‘clear’ and ‘spotted’. The knife had to be really

sharp so it was being constantly sharpened on the stone.

Mum and Dad both cut mica and so did old Lily.

Mica mining was very hard work. We’d work all day long and no chance to rest. Not like these days.

We’d go out carrying pick, shovel, crowbar, a billy can of water and little bit of food.. We’d look around all day

and dig up whatever mica we could find and carry it back to the shed for cutting and sorting.

Everybody was doing it Working like that was the only way people could earn a little food to feed their

children. At the mica mines rations were handed out every week or fortnight.

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32

It was only after this period at the mica mines that the government made money available to us through the police

station. So then we shifted from Mt Riddock to the new police station. Three of my children were born there; Danny

and Robert Rieff and Michael. Michael was born right in the police station The other three were born in the hospital.

So we worked around the police station then. We turned to gem stones then; crystal hilite, hepatite and rocks like

this to sell to make money for food. We were with Frank Wolf at Paddle Bore with the kids, when they were little. We

always seemed to have plenty to eat in those days. It was hard work looking around for gem stones. When we found

gems we’d bring them back to the police station. Pat Caven had put up a shop over near that bean tree and that’s

were we would all eat.

Pat Caven had been married to Frank Wolf when they put up the shop but they divorced and Pat married John Caven.

But still Pat worked at the shop.

Camels, dokeys or wheel barrows were used to cart the loads but we’d have to walk very long distances.

It was really hard work looking around for gemstones. Not matter how hot it was we’d still go just to make enough

money for tucker or clothes.

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34

Kele ikwerengentyele anwerne turnirreke from mica mine. Ikwerentyele turnirreke mwerrewerle aneme mane

inerrirrerlanemewerle aneme. Kele government'le nthetyarte anwerne, policeman'le kele anwerne police station new-

onewerle shiftirreke. From Mt Riddock ayenge shiftirreke. Anwerne arle anetyarte, ampe mape akerte anwerne

anetyarte. Ampe tyinhe arlke bornirreke, police station'le ampe atyinhe bornirreke, Micheal bornirreke right in the

police station, Micheal renhe and Danny bornirreke and Robert bornirreke, Robert Rieff and Danny Rieff police

station'le, police station new-one'le. Threepele arrpenhe hospital'le. Anwerne arle aneye police station'le.

Warrkirretyarte policeman itwele, police station'le warrkirretyarte kenhe gem stone'ke aneme startirreke. Pat Caven

merne startemileke ,I ilekakweye Frank Wolf. We been startem with gem stone, crystal hilite hepatite, pwerte mape

renhenhe for merne. That's mane arle aretyenhe that one. That's when we seen money from apwerte, gem stone.

Frank Wolf'nge anwerne anetyarte Paddle Bore ampe akweke mape akerte. Merne akngerre arle arlkwetyarte, big-mob

merne arlkwerrirretyarte. It was merne big-mob those days'ke. Apwerte gem stone yanhengentyele crystal

inerrirretyarte; crystal. Lot of hard work look around for pwerte, findem, gem treewerle akngetyalpemele... take em

back kenhe back again police stationwerle. Pat Caven been makem shopakenhe see that bean tree yanhe,

alertakwehe. Shop mpwareke Pat Wolf uthene Frank Wolf uthenele. We been eatem merne there yanhe ikwerele

anerrirrerlanemele, apurte arle anerrirrerlaneme, everybody. Yanhe ikwerele police station arle aneke.Mwetekaye

ingkweye anenherlaneme, wheelchair camel. Camele apele alherle Camel donkey load carryemilemele prape long way

to walk, arlenge atyetye. Shop mpwareke Pat Caven'le, Frank Wolf uthene arle aneke. Pat Caven'nge married irreke

Pat Wolf. yanhe ikwere. She was Pat Wolf before. She was married with Frank Wolf before and they divorced. She

married John Caven.

Shop arle alertakwenhe arle aneke, merne feedemilerleke.

Pwerte; pwerteke alhetyarte gem stones. Hilite arlke inerrirretyarte, crystal, pwerte arrpanenhe nhenhe ikwerele. Hot

day thananetyakenhe aneke, hard work. Anwerne arle aneke prape hard work lyelkngerle apwerteke alhetyarte.

Arratye re ampe feedemiletyeke, that's true. Work merne, money, tucker,for clothes. Alakenhe arle aneke. 35

36

I was still here. Nhenhe ikwerele akwete anetyarte ayenge. Everybody arle alpekenge ayenge akwete aneke ampe

mape akerte. Anetyarte me an ol Lizabet. Ilanthe arle anetyarte nhenhe ikwerele, pmere alheye, police station'le.

Big camp there pmere police station'le before this community. Anwerne anetyarte. Then artwe ampwe nhe arle

apetyeke aye? And then this old man been come then Alice Springs and me and him was livin together there

police station itwenge, this old man here, when he was young. We was livin there police station'le. From there we

went back to Amoonguneye aye artwe yeah Amoonguna me an you been shift back, from there police station'le.

From there we been come back Panel Well. We lived there, Panel Well'le anwerne aneke. From there anwerne

apetyalpeke again right back here, pmere nhewerle aneme. Pmere nhenhele aneme aye new bore arle

mpwaretyeke aye Community nhenhe arle aneme new-one , tin shed. Only tin shed was here. Some of them

humpy arle anerleke, ilthele. Nhenhele aneme. Anepaneme. Keleye Artwe unte aneme angkeme. That's all. That's

all I can tell.

When everybody moved on from here myself and the children and old Lizabet stayed on.

This police station area was a big camp before it became the community it is today.

Then this old man here came when he was young and we were living together near the police station.

After that we shifted to Alice Springs and were living at Amoonguna. Then we came back this way and lived at

Panel Well. From there we shifted back here and made a new bore. This became the new community but there

was only a tin shed and people lived in humpies and the traditional brush shelters.

Well we’re still here today. That's all. That's all I can tell. 37

Illustrators from Harts Range School Junior Rankine Shaunie Bloomfield Clifford Pope Beryl Davis Caitlin Webb Bernadette Palmer Baxter Russell Farren Schaber Nathan Johnny Shikhera Dempsey Edward Davis Kylie Petrick Darren Petrick

The Northern Territory Department of Education and Training (DET) produced this resource to support Harts Range teac of learning experiences for their students. DET recognizes moral rights of Irene Rieff as the owner of her oral story. Apart from any use permitted by the Copyright Act 1968, the Department of Education and Training grants a licence to d otherwise reproduce this material for educational (within the meaning of the Act) and non-commercial purposes only. © Northern Territory Government of Australia 2010 Thanks to Daniel Slade and Susan Moore for compiling this book (NT DET)

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