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2011 - Theses - Flinders University

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Rebecca sits back on the heels of her shoes. ‘That’s where I used to live. She’s marryingthe Prince, the Duke of York. That’s Bertie, the young King and Queen’s second son …’The Royal family genealogy tumbles out of her, and her growing audience watches,fascinated.‘They give us them blankets, every Empire Day,’ a cousin-sister volunteers. To Rebecca’sblank face she adds, ‘Those blankets on your widlya, they’re from the King.’They trade stories after that: women, and men too, bring her letters, or more newsprint,and ask her to read it to them. In return they tell her their stories.‘See them ranges? Urdlu and Mandya did that. It was all flat once. You know the big redkangaroo? Well he and that little Mandya, euro fella—’‘What’s that?’ she asks, trying to follow.‘Man-dya, he’s the little dark kangaroo likes to be up in the hills. You’ll see him in there,’and the woman points with her chin to the dense hills behind them. ‘Urdlu and Mandya werefriends, but Urdlu didn’t share the good mai—tucker—he found …’ 14The woman goes on telling the story. Rebecca searches for something resembling a kangarooshape, but the rugged hills refuse to resolve themselves into any pattern at all. From adistance, the hills had appeared comforting, conjuring images of lush vegetation and runningstreams. Up close, they reared with raw strength and were ancient and eerie as old bones.‘How, how do you get over those hills?’ Rebecca asks.‘You can’t get over, Mrs Forbes. You got to go in ‘em. Follow the creeks, unless they’reflooding, but there’s always tracks. Why’d you want to go over them for? You come on theother side and it’s just like this, you know. Flat all the way to Mundy, the other salt lake. No,in the hills, that’s best. That’s why we’re Adnya Mathanha—Hill People—inni? Short andsquat like Mundya. Some of us anyway!’ and she laughs at herself, only a little taller thanRebecca, but generously wide as well.9

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