Toolbillibam Would Be Proud

When we met with Rod Williams, he told us that his maternal aunt, Dr Margaret Weir (nee Williams) wanted to meet us but is currently housebound due to ill health and couldn't come to our morning tea at Gurehlgam. However, he gave us her contact details so that we could try and catch up with her. Today we visited her and her husband Brian for morning tea.

Dr Weir is an impressively graceful lady and while her physical health may be problematic, her mind is as sharp as ever. In 1959 she was the first person of Aboriginal descent to complete a university degree, graduating from the University of Melbourne. She went on to develop a career in education, working all around Australia and then travelling to Canada where she spent three years in the Canadian Navy. Somewhere along the way she also found time to complete a PHD. 

While she appreciates that her life is a unique one, she says that she finds it difficult to see it as unusual because it is the only life she has known and one that from an early age, she had felt destiny was guiding her to. While charming and open, Dr Weir has a commanding presence and it is clear that nothing is ever likely to have intimidated her. 

She told us the stories that have been passed down to her over the years about the Ogilvie and Tindal families. Like others, she said that she has not heard a bad word about the Tindals. In regard to Edward Ogilvie there seem to be a variety of perspectives. Squatters Castle suggests that while Theodosia was a positive influence on him, on his return from Europe and after building his mansion, he became more status conscious. As a young man he was "one of the boys" but he then became more formal, combative and generally difficult to get along with. 

However, some of the Bundjalung views are that as a young man he was a ruthless participant in suppressing the original Australians and that Theodosia was a humanising influence on his relationship with the locals. However, the stories Dr Williams heard suggest that under the influence of his second wife, his relationship with the Bundjalung went downhill significantly and that it was only the moderating calm of Toolbillibam that prevented serious retaliation against him. It is impossible to tell the exact nature of historical events but I guess it is pretty clear that Edward could generally be difficult. Supportive if he was getting his way but not someone who ever liked to be opposed. 

Two hours flew by with Dr Weir and it was wonderful to meet yet another of Toolbillibams impressive descendants. 

Robyne Bancroft welcomes guests to country at Grafton Art Gallery.

Our day was completed with another wonderful experience. Grafton Art Gallery, the source of my original contact with the Bundjalung community via their Lindt photo exhibition, hosted an exhibition opening by local artists, inspired by the Lindt photos. Both Dani and her eldest son Jirrayne had works included and we had a great evening meeting various friends and relatives of the extended Bancroft and Williams families. I have to mention too, a haunting performance by two local men, one playing didgeridoo accompanying another singing traditional songs. One of the best Aboriginal cultural performances it has ever been my privilege to witness. Listening to them I was transported back to when Europeans first arrived here and once again I wished that we could have done things differently back then.

Jirrayne & his artwork. I'm proud to be related to such talent. See below too.

Dani with her artwork. The snake skeleton references a snake bone necklace worn by one of Lindt's photo models. The hands are representative of Bundjalung tradition whereby the last joint of the little finger was removed from women on marriage. I'm guessing that girls today might say "just a nice ring will be fine".