Arnhem's Kaleidoscope Children

Dr Graham Wilson (University of Portsmouth UK)

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Paperback

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English

Beyondbeyond Books
01 May 2018

Biography; Biography: historical, political & military; Anthologies (non-poetry); Family & relationships; Biography - Australian

It was hot with stillness in the late afternoon air. The billabong surface shone with unnatural stillness, Fresh tracks at water's edge told of pigs just gone. Two bubbles popped to the surface of the pool; 'just decaying vegetation ssid my mind. I should have smelt crocodile.

What is it about the Northern Territory that fascinates? Why, for 180 years, has it drawn people to come, stay far longer than intended and, often, never leave.

Arnhem's Kaleidoscope Children is a remembered story of a family's life in a distant world. The place, Oenpelli, in Australia's Northern Territory, is like remote Canada or Alaska, where few others go. It is the landscape of Crocodile Dundee, myriad hues of billabongs, open grass plains, sunlit hills and purple storms, peopled by its many coloured children.

It is a story of a changing world; how a missionary family and aboriginal community became part of modern Australia over 50 years. The role of my father in opening road transport and crossing of the East Alligator River, developing aboriginal outstations, learning to fly on missionary wages and establishing an aviation service along with assisting the aboriginal peoples of this land to gain royalties from mining is a story that deserves to be told.

It also tells of my own experience of surviving attack by a large crocodile in a remote swamp. This book and story provides a foundation for my novels in the Crocodile Spirit Dreaming Series. The places in these books are the places in which I lived and worked and many of the stories came little changed from people I knew. In particular my experience in surviving a crocodile attack of a large saltwater crocodile, which mauled my leg as told in this book forms part of the central role of the crocodile as a predator in this novel series.

By: Dr Graham Wilson (University of Portsmouth UK)
Imprint: Beyondbeyond Books
Edition: 3rd Print ed.
Dimensions: Height: 229mm, Width: 152mm, Spine: 17mm
Weight: 440g
ISBN: 9780648311201
ISBN 10: 0648311201
Pages: 300
Publication Date: 01 May 2018
Audience: General/trade , ELT Advanced
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Reviews for Arnhem's Kaleidoscope Children

Five Stars - This delightful book gives a wonderful insight into life on an aboriginal mission in the 1950s, 60s and 70s with its incredible hardships compensated by an amazing lifestyle and enduring friendships. Graham's descriptions of his childhood and the Arnhemland landscape bring it all vividly to life. It is also an insight into aboriginal society before and after it was demonised by alcohol with all its inherent problems. For those interested in our early explorers Graham also follows Ludwig Leichhardt's journey via his journal through this part of Arnhemland and is able to identify most of the places that Leichhardt visited and to give them their modern names so that his journey can be easily followed on a map. I thoroughly recommend this book to a wide variety of readers from those of us who have visited Arnhemland to those who perhaps dream of doing so. Jennie P