The Necessity of Reparation for Historic Injustices

Me too Guy. Enjoyed.

Further to the energy thing, my parents who I don't believe were particularly spiritual took one of several trips to Kunanurra to visit family. My late uncle who is indigenous was a grader driver, he had the keys to basically any closed off area over hundreds of square kilometres including all the pastoral leases and Aboriginal land. Apart from visiting the homestead where the Baz Luhrmann movie Australia was filmed which is/was closed to the public, which mum said was a thrill, my uncle took them way out into closed lands and showed them different rock art which he said he didn't know how old it was but definitely pre-dated modern Oz history. He didn't exactly say they couldn't take pictures but they didn't anyway out of respect.

Anyhoo, regards the energy of a place- as I said, I don't think my olds were particularly spiritual but I recall talking to them about it and they both agreed that there was something bigger there that they couldn't comprehend. Mum said it was like their bodies were tingling or maybe they were just in awe having witnessed something very few people, let alone white people have ever seen. I guess having seen something with your own eyes your mortality becomes apparent and you may realise just how insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things. I think it would have been magic to see myself.

These areas are locked up and their precise locations kept secret but Mum said to this day it was one of the highlights of their travels and a great privilege.

That and Uncle George (RIP) got dad his first Barra.

zenagain wrote:

Further to the energy thing, my parents who I don't believe were particularly spiritual took one of several trips to Kunanurra to visit family. My late uncle who is indigenous was a grader driver, he had the keys to basically any closed off area over hundreds of square kilometres including all the pastoral leases and Aboriginal land. Apart from visiting the homestead where the Baz Luhrmann movie Australia was filmed which is/was closed to the public, which mum said was a thrill, my uncle took them way out into closed lands and showed them different rock art which he said he didn't know how old it was but definitely pre-dated modern Oz history. He didn't exactly say they couldn't take pictures but they didn't anyway out of respect.

Anyhoo, regards the energy of a place- as I said, I don't think my olds were particularly spiritual but I recall talking to them about it and they both agreed that there was something bigger there that they couldn't comprehend. Mum said it was like their bodies were tingling or maybe they were just in awe having witnessed something very few people, let alone white people have ever seen. I guess having seen something with your own eyes your mortality becomes apparent and you may realise just how insignificant you are in the grand scheme of things. I think it would have been magic to see myself.

These areas are locked up and their precise locations kept secret but Mum said to this day it was one of the highlights of their travels and a great privilege.

That and Uncle George (RIP) got dad his first Barra.

Zenagain. Hi mate.

So good, thanks for sharing that experience. Sounded wonderful.

I think you’re totally correct, when we visit sites of significance and have a fair idea of its time scale of history, things foreign to most of us can get our brains in rapid fire mode. And, I can easily see and understand why your parents felt that way.
To them and rightly so, it’s way bigger than they’ve ever imagined.
To think, they are standing there before rock art, that was painted thousands of years ago and individuals also stood there in the same spot painting the art, it’s like you’re sharing the same room just at different points in time. You’d have to feel something, wouldn’t you.
The Barramundi sounds good. AW

Most definitely AW.

There's a walking track in the hills behind my house, I take my dogs there often. It's an old trade route for want of a better term where inland people would bring rice and other stuff to the coast and trade for fish. The route goes for miles but the furtherest I've walked in is about 6 hours.

Along the way there's little what I guess would have been rest areas, usually close to natural springs- and they have little stone 'cairns' (is that the right word?) with inscriptions carved into them. I think they're buddhist. These places pre-date Australian history by 1000 or so years and obviously pups when compared to our own indigenous history but it's pretty cool to sit down for a breather knowing someone sat down in the same spot 1000+ years ago.

zenagain wrote:

Most definitely AW.

There's a walking track in the hills behind my house, I take my dogs there often. It's an old trade route for want of a better term where inland people would bring rice and other stuff to the coast and trade for fish. The route goes for miles but the furtherest I've walked in is about 6 hours.

Along the way there's little what I guess would have been rest areas, usually close to natural springs- and they have little stone 'cairns' (is that the right word?) with inscriptions carved into them. I think they're buddhist. These places pre-date Australian history by 1000 or so years and obviously pups when compared to our own indigenous history but it's pretty cool to sit down for a breather knowing someone sat down in the same spot 1000+ years ago.

Zenagain. Hi again.

It’s very cool indeed to ponder those who’ve sat before you.
That track paints a great picture, your tracking it now and others did well before you.
Yep, cairn is the correct name, something inscribed on a marker or on a plate of some type.
Anything heralding and defining a moment in history.
Would you have any photos of that track ?
I’m sure many would love to see it, mostly me. Cheers. AW

Great stuff ^^ guys,

That morality thing you mention @zen would most certainly come into those occasions, to reflect on how insignificant we are when faced with overwhelming evidence of something much greater, was it Steve Pezman that talks of our insignificance in terms of a blink of an eye or even a drain of sand?

Hi AW, just quickly as I don't want to stray too far from the original subject which has been fascinating reading btw, but I only have a couple of pics. I can't say for certain but these have been here since around the 8th century so about 1300 years or so so I've been lead to believe.

Lots of stuff in the area- I live in Jonan which literally means south of the castle and the remnants of that old castle (very little remains) is in a little park just before I get to the trailhead to start my hike.

Ps- that's my old boy, sadly passed away a few years ago.

Totally Guy.

As we rocket towards the future it becomes more and more apparent how insignificant we are. Soon all of us will be a distant memory and not long after that any trace of our existence will be lost forever.

I guess if we're to 'live on' we can only do so in the genes of our children but because I sadly have no kids of my own, it stops with me.

I recommend planting a tree if you want to leave a legacy.

zenagain wrote:

Totally Guy.

As we rocket towards the future it becomes more and more apparent how insignificant we are. Soon all of us will be a distant memory and not long after that any trace of our existence will be lost forever.

I guess if we're to 'live on' we can only do so in the genes of our children but because I sadly have no kids of my own, it stops with me.

I recommend planting a tree if you want to leave a legacy.

Zenagain. Hope you’re well.

Nice photos, love ya old boy, bet he loved that track.

The stone cairns, the partial seclusion and sheltering of the track, access to water, I bet your mind has travelled way back in time on more than one occasion and postulated about what went on.

How could it not with that degree of attached history.

Nice to see it’s all intact, no vandalism, from what I hear Japanese people are very honest, respectful of others and their belongings.
My son once left his phone and wallet in a Tokyo sushi train cafe, returned 6 hours later to see both items in the exact place he left them. He was blown away.

No matter what type, history defines us as a nation , without it we stand for nothing.

I recommend planting a tree on top of my earthen grave, thus continuing a line of biological energy acquired over my lifetime and using microbes as vectors to the next generation of energy users. Good one. AW

AlfredWallace wrote:

VelocityJohnno. Hi pal. Hope your whole clan is well.

Agree totally, teach it all, after all it is ‘our’ history both the original and current occupants.
Not forgetting the history of other international explorers to come here, early French and Dutch mariners, Houtman , the Batavia boat and massacre, Baudin,
I’m very much an ‘I am, You Are, We Are Australian’ kind of guy, alas my heart still lies with aboriginal history, mostly because of their link to the land and all biota, but that’s just my view.
I would have loved to have seen the Australian natural landscape prior to European settlement.
Alas, I can also gain similar satisfaction about hearing of the deeds of Gregory, Burke & Wills and so on.

Xavier Herbert wrote in my opinion very accurate accounts of early Australian History. Some would agree, others may not. AW

Hi AW, agree, Poor Fellow My Country opens up with a way it all could have been different...

And what SR mentioned above about the energy of Bells/Jarosite through Addis is so true, we can feel it, it draws my son and I to go there. Nothing like surfing a 20s period forerunner swell there, I've wondered about the energy and what it does to us (not just the steep walk back up!). Rock monoliths?

I'd like to add dig up early encounters of d'Entrecasteaux and the Aboriginal families down near Cockle Creek, the accounts of these make for a great read.

Edit NW coast of Tasmania, Tarkine coast, THAT place has a feel to it! Otherworldly.

Fantastic reading @AW, @Guy, @Zen.
Nothing to add but just appreciate reading these tales that span time and country.
And yep, the land definitely speaks. Songlines for sure.
Cheers.

velocityjohnno wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

VelocityJohnno. Hi pal. Hope your whole clan is well.

Agree totally, teach it all, after all it is ‘our’ history both the original and current occupants.
Not forgetting the history of other international explorers to come here, early French and Dutch mariners, Houtman , the Batavia boat and massacre, Baudin,
I’m very much an ‘I am, You Are, We Are Australian’ kind of guy, alas my heart still lies with aboriginal history, mostly because of their link to the land and all biota, but that’s just my view.
I would have loved to have seen the Australian natural landscape prior to European settlement.
Alas, I can also gain similar satisfaction about hearing of the deeds of Gregory, Burke & Wills and so on.

Xavier Herbert wrote in my opinion very accurate accounts of early Australian History. Some would agree, others may not. AW

Hi AW, agree, Poor Fellow My Country opens up with a way it all could have been different...

And what SR mentioned above about the energy of Bells/Jarosite through Addis is so true, we can feel it, it draws my son and I to go there. Nothing like surfing a 20s period forerunner swell there, I've wondered about the energy and what it does to us (not just the steep walk back up!). Rock monoliths?

I'd like to add dig up early encounters of d'Entrecasteaux and the Aboriginal families down near Cockle Creek, the accounts of these make for a great read.

Edit NW coast of Tasmania, Tarkine coast, THAT place has a feel to it! Otherworldly.

VelocityJohnno.

Hi VJ, hope you’re well.
Wholeheartedly agree with your comments. There’s definitely energy around Bells, Winkipop, Jarosite.
As you know, it’s rarely flat and as you say, if have a 20s period swell that ends at those cliffs and reefs well it’s gotta get dissipated somewhere.
That region magnetises us to play in that playground.

Under water turbulence on big days at Bells is comparable to underwater at Lances Right, Icelands and Rifles in Indo.
I’ve been stripped of my boardies at those Indo locales.

On big days at Bells, legrope around the neck stuff when I was around 18 years old whilst on ‘rinse cycle’, it definitely packs a punch.

I’ll check out your recommendations for the aforementioned channel and its aboriginal occupation.

The NW area, Tarkine on the West coast of Tassie definitely has energy, I’ve seen 20ft waves roll into areas around Trial Harbour .
That wilderness area situated on the Western Tiers sits on PreCambrian geology, approximately 3 billion years old.

‘People of Australia, We live in a very, very old place,
The aboriginal people have lived here for 40,000, 50,000, 60,000 years, They didn’t sell it to anybody, They didn’t give it away for toys, They didn’t trade it in for houses up the coast, They had it stolen off them, they had it nicked off them,
People of Australia, Our continent is immense, it’s unique in the world, but it needs our wise management.’ (Midnight Oil). . AW

@GuySmiley,
reading your posts above about Impossos, I think I know you to say g'day. I think we might have chatted a few times.
Do you ride Outer Island boards?
If not,tell me what you would be riding out there at that beautiful reef they disparagingly call "cowards corner" at the reefs further south, and I will come up and say g'day if I see you , and we can team up in the line up and block some of those greedy fuckers.

Just on building coastal steps/trails,....i did a year of doing the coastal trails for National Parks in the Deep Creek Conservation Park in SA. Was the BEST job. Often my coworker and i would down a few mushies, or light up a joint and then slowly plod away, gathering boulders from the hillside to arrange as steps, stopping for a snooze when exhausted, with the Southern Ocean sprawled out beneath you, Kangaroo Island in the distance. Incredible coast, with a mysterious isolated energy. Nobody will remember me working there because the chances of crossing paths with other humans was almost none. Lived in an old farm dairy out there overlooking a valley/ocean vista. Magic stuff.
And back to Bells. and what @vj said...which i loved....I honestly couldn't put into words what it is i love so much about that place. It's the energy. It does seem to vibrate at a higher frequency or something. Even the colour of the bloody cliff is radiating!
Still rate the Pt Campbell coast as my fave. The energy there is second to none in my opinion.

AlfredWallace wrote:

soggydog wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

southernraw wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

seeds wrote:

I’m the same vintage.
Crickets about blackfellas history.
I was in Darwin high schools.
Bloody good footy players to play alongside. Many still barefoot back then. Talented!

Seeds. Hi mate. Hope you going great guns. Apologies, haven’t spoken for.
awhile.
I must say, your ‘night moves’ have been cracking me up, you’ve obviously been on night shift. Some great evening and wee hours dribble,

I , (10 of us actually, all from Geelong and Surf Coast) played football in 1984 in Albany for Railways Football Club. We had two houses, five guys in each, we were always the talk of the town.
Played against Denmark twice a year, nearly all Aboriginal players, They were talented and quick, one game there were 8 players all with the surname Long.
So from the boundary you’d hear their supporters yelling out ‘Go Longy, Go Longy, go, go Longy, go Longy, get it Longy, such fun, very fair players, we always shook hands at the end.
I played half back flank, one game against Mt. Barker, one of the Krakouer boys ( who went onto to play AFL) was on me, forget which one, they and him were so quick.
On one occasion I’m looking around for him and the next thing he’s standing on my shoulders taking a speccy. My mates ribbed me all night back on the beers at the clubrooms. AW

The Rails eh!! haha classic stuff AW.
It's the one and only time you'll see me say up the Maggies!!
haha.
Very enjoyable reading above from all.

Southernraw. Right around your corner. Hi mate.

Rails, yeah, we definitely went off the rails, cops hated us.
Might have been a few nasal rails ingested also.
We one the flag in 1984, I played seconds, me other mates , big guys played firsts.

We had two houses of ill repute and all the towns young crew loved us, especially the ‘lady’ types. Unbridled youth, may it never fade into oblivion. AW

Hey AW. Was Alan Wattling the coach back then?

Soggydog. Morning mate.

Yes he was indeed. Good guy and somewhat of a decent coach.
He loved us guys. He thought we were on it all the time (beers) but we weren’t it was choof.
Most of us were on The Bob Hawke Surf Team, a few worked and sometimes we all worked under false names, for fuck sake we were 19,20 and 21 year olds, having the time of our lives. Wasn’t much work around in Albany in 1984.
A very picturesque place with wonderful plant and animal life. Not so good on the surf front, had to travel for decent waves. Good stuff. AW

Ha ha classic, I went to school with Alan’s oldest son. We moved down here in ‘85. Old man was the local detective. So you may or may not have met him too.

Surf hasn’t changed, still gotta put in the k’s to get a wave.

Unemployment capital of WA when I finished school in the early 90’s.

All the best.

soggydog wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

soggydog wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

southernraw wrote:

AlfredWallace wrote:

seeds wrote:

I’m the same vintage.
Crickets about blackfellas history.
I was in Darwin high schools.
Bloody good footy players to play alongside. Many still barefoot back then. Talented!

Seeds. Hi mate. Hope you going great guns. Apologies, haven’t spoken for.
awhile.
I must say, your ‘night moves’ have been cracking me up, you’ve obviously been on night shift. Some great evening and wee hours dribble,

I , (10 of us actually, all from Geelong and Surf Coast) played football in 1984 in Albany for Railways Football Club. We had two houses, five guys in each, we were always the talk of the town.
Played against Denmark twice a year, nearly all Aboriginal players, They were talented and quick, one game there were 8 players all with the surname Long.
So from the boundary you’d hear their supporters yelling out ‘Go Longy, Go Longy, go, go Longy, go Longy, get it Longy, such fun, very fair players, we always shook hands at the end.
I played half back flank, one game against Mt. Barker, one of the Krakouer boys ( who went onto to play AFL) was on me, forget which one, they and him were so quick.
On one occasion I’m looking around for him and the next thing he’s standing on my shoulders taking a speccy. My mates ribbed me all night back on the beers at the clubrooms. AW

The Rails eh!! haha classic stuff AW.
It's the one and only time you'll see me say up the Maggies!!
haha.
Very enjoyable reading above from all.

Southernraw. Right around your corner. Hi mate.

Rails, yeah, we definitely went off the rails, cops hated us.
Might have been a few nasal rails ingested also.
We one the flag in 1984, I played seconds, me other mates , big guys played firsts.

We had two houses of ill repute and all the towns young crew loved us, especially the ‘lady’ types. Unbridled youth, may it never fade into oblivion. AW

Hey AW. Was Alan Wattling the coach back then?

Soggydog. Morning mate.

Yes he was indeed. Good guy and somewhat of a decent coach.
He loved us guys. He thought we were on it all the time (beers) but we weren’t it was choof.
Most of us were on The Bob Hawke Surf Team, a few worked and sometimes we all worked under false names, for fuck sake we were 19,20 and 21 year olds, having the time of our lives. Wasn’t much work around in Albany in 1984.
A very picturesque place with wonderful plant and animal life. Not so good on the surf front, had to travel for decent waves. Good stuff. AW

Ha ha classic, I went to school with Alan’s oldest son. We moved down here in ‘85. Old man was the local detective. So you may or may not have met him too.

Surf hasn’t changed, still gotta put in the k’s to get a wave.

Unemployment capital of WA when I finished school in the early 90’s.

All the best.

Soggydog. Hi fella.

Great you’ve got a story. Are you still in Albany ?

I know it’s been talked about for decades, but Middleton (Dribbleton) Beach mostly a straight hander close out is about to get its artificial reef. I do hope it works.

We use to clock up miles, Gull Rock, Muttonbird, Nanarup, Sandpatch, Cheynes Beach, Denmark, Ocean Beach, Parry’s, Salmon Holes, Blowholes, we went everywhere. A fair few shark encounters at those crystal clearwater locales, Muttonbird and Gull Rock.
Great times around that neck of the woods.
A few of us are heading over to Albany on Anzac Day weekend , Railways are having a reunion and the grand opening of their new clubrooms.Good stuff AW

Great stuff AW. I reckon you have to break the South Coast up into legs if you're looking for surf and commit to just that one leg that day. A whole section of coast can take up at least half a day of walking/driving/walking/driving and then to even get out to the surf often requires a long cliff descent, half a k of soft sand beach and alot of long paddles if it's over a certain size. Good surf here requires being at peace with meeting your toothy maker because if it's a good size you're always a long way out in the ocean here. Not to mention the hellcrew right out in the deep black water surfing the slabs. They're another breed entirely! Hopefully some waves over Anzac weekend that I might be able to bump into you at mate. The swell is a guarantee as you know ;-)

southernraw wrote:

Just on building coastal steps/trails,....i did a year of doing the coastal trails for National Parks in the Deep Creek Conservation Park in SA. Was the BEST job. Often my coworker and i would down a few mushies, or light up a joint and then slowly plod away, gathering boulders from the hillside to arrange as steps, stopping for a snooze when exhausted, with the Southern Ocean sprawled out beneath you, Kangaroo Island in the distance. Incredible coast, with a mysterious isolated energy. Nobody will remember me working there because the chances of crossing paths with other humans was almost none. Lived in an old farm dairy out there overlooking a valley/ocean vista. Magic stuff.
And back to Bells. and what @vj said...which i loved....I honestly couldn't put into words what it is i love so much about that place. It's the energy. It does seem to vibrate at a higher frequency or something. Even the colour of the bloody cliff is radiating!
Still rate the Pt Campbell coast as my fave. The energy there is second to none in my opinion.

Southernraw. Hi pal.

You and your workmate are very naughty boys.
There’s not a chance in hell I could work on mushies, maybe a small joint but fuck. Was your finished product up to speed ?
I bet you had a great time, getting paid also.

Port Campbell area, Gibson Steps, Two Mile, Elevators, Easter Reef, whatever you want to call it, now that’s an entirely different kind of very serious energy.
You’ve gotta pay to play down there.
Water fitness well before surf fitness, you need to be able to survive serious hold downs in mostly cold conditions. You can have that.

Kangaroo Island, again, the west end gets a lot of energy, interesting geological features also, many areas with half a billion year old strata. We’ve got it all in Oz, spoilt. AW

The Rifle Range works well for me @AW. And agree 100%!!
btw the finished product was sublime, especially through the forest sections!! haha

southernraw wrote:

The Rifle Range works well for me @AW. And agree 100%!!

Nice mate. You sound very comfortable in the big stuff.
All valid points about chasing surf around the SW of WA, you can often chase ya tail all day to no avail. Did venture east of Bremer Bay a few times, surfing around the Hopetoun, Ravensthorpe area, beautiful country, oh, the Flora, outstanding.. AW

haha far from it @AW. A work in constant progress, as i'm sure you'd understand.
Yeah the flora and fauna of this region is outstanding. Generally the talk amongst friends here is the surf, and the nature. Some pretty wild tangents we go off on. Inspired by the forces at play in this area. Pibbulmun country, Noongar nation, some amazing energy here. I guess that's what drew me to it.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36792433

southernraw wrote:

haha far from it @AW. A work in constant progress, as i'm sure you'd understand.
Yeah the flora and fauna of this region is outstanding. Generally the talk amongst friends here is the surf, and the nature. Some pretty wild tangents we go off on. Inspired by the forces at play in this area. Pibbulmun country, Noongar nation, some amazing energy here. I guess that's what drew me to it.
https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/36792433

Mate I’ve always believed that the environment around you defines you.
By that I mean, if you live in an area of such natural biological beauty, there’s a greater chance you’ll champion what you have and inadvertently have a caring nature/nurture relationship with it.
Just my view.
It’s any wonder we love surfing, it’s not purely the waves, for me it’s definitely being closer or more connected to the world around us, as in closer to marine life be it mammalian, plant life and invertebrates or other.
After all, life on earth evolved in the sea, plant life and animal life eventually made it to terrestrial grounds, evolved, many animals went back into the water whilst us primates evolved on land.
As surfers I feel more connected to the ocean than land. AW

Loving this discussion guys ^^

I feel like we could all be at some downlow dimly lit club with Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention softly playing in the background; deep armchairs; smoking jackets, a joint in one hand and the finest red in the other; each with sun and salt worn faces quietly listening to tales of whatever the fuck life is all about …. what about it guys? Surely such a club exists in basement down some lane in Melbourne’s CBD!

G’day @adam12, I rode Michael Anthony’s boards when he shaped for Ripcurl before moving on to Brownie’s at Gash.

Hear hear @AW. Hear hear.
Cheers.
And well put @guysmiley. Raconteuring and listening and learning is the age old remedy to misery and suffering, plus a pathway to our human evolution.

Same scenario Guy, campfire, waves cracking in the distance with the promise of morning.

I'm in for both.

I'd like to apologise to Southern if he would accept- I said some rough things and they weren't entirely true. They were designed to sting and I overstepped the mark.

Please don't take me too seriously SR as i try not to take myself. Believe it or not our views are closely aligned for the most part. Sometimes I type before I think and I don't always get it right but I always try and do it in a good natured way. I'm a lover not a fighter man.

Once again, I'm sorry.

Peace.

Hey Zen! What a lovely message. Thanks so much and huge props and respect.
Shit man, i'm just as bad and i know it! haha. Worse probably....but always learning.
Fuck mate we grew up without internet and could just scorch each other face to face if the situation called for it. All of a sudden we're grappling with this technology interfering with our primal interactions. We're all getting there and i'm aware i can be alot better in that respect. I apologise wholeheartedly for my own flare ups. Trump getting in triggered alot for me, and felt like i needed to fight a whole heap of wars for a whole heap of voices....but as a good friend of mine said....you can't help everyone. Probably need to appreciate the good qualities of those right in front of me. Like you said, the joy of life. ;-), Cheers Zen.

I'm glad you acknowledged me this arvo.

Thanks man.

Cheers Zen. I worked out a long time ago you were a good egg.
Just got reactive.
Probably should extend an apology to many since i'm at it.
I definitely was in the vortex for a little period there. It happens though. I'm not too bummed, just annoyed i said some dumb things targeted at people i consider really good folk on here. Hopefully one day there'll be a SN round table black tie dinner cos i'd love to put faces to names one day. A real good bunch!
Anyway sorry to hijack my own thread! hehe. And just quietly, if they ever ask me when i'm on my deathbed, what's one of the things you're most proud of in your life,....i'll be quick to say it's starting this thread/conversation. Thanks so much to all that have added so much to it. It's a voice!!! Not the voice...but a voice. A conversation. What was needed to get the ball rolling! :-)

'Surfers are the throwaheads' or some shit!

southernraw wrote:

'Surfers are the throwaheads' or some shit!

Love that 1/2 quote of Leary’s via Pezman via Kidman