2011 - Theses - Flinders University

White Lives in a Black Community: The lives of Jim Page and Rebecca Forbes in the Adnyamathanha communityTracy SpencerVolume Three Appendices: Creative Life WritingSection C: Contact Zone‘This tree here is where my brother Harold was born,’ she told me.I looked at it more closely, and noticed the tiny pink flowers of an emu bush festooning thescanty feathery foliage.Rosie at Harold’s tree. Photograph courtesy of Tracy Spencer‘Harold, he got (sickness),’ she continued, ‘ and they say we got to pray for him, but hesaid, ‘God is with me. God will keep me strong’, and he was alright. I got a brother and sisterburied at that cemetery.’ Rosie turned her head as if to look back towards the Children’sGraves at the foot of the range, but instead buried her chin into her shoulder, and looked atthe ground. I was reminded of the large square area back there, marked out with stones on theground and a netting fence, protecting the place where babies and children are buried,Mathari and Arruru together. Rosie lifted her head, and took in the sweep of the countryabout her, a small figure in red, her tiny dark bright eyes seeing and not seeing the place. ‘Weonly little babies here,’ she said, ‘but Gertie took us here and told us about it, that’s how weknow. Gertie’s the oldest living.’ I took a photograph of Rosie in front of her brother’s tree,34