Ochre and Rust: Artefacts and Encounters on Australian FrontiersIn the Flinders Ranges, a Kuyanic man presents a cake of ochre to a European doctor, in earnest proof that the threatened ochre mine is 'as important as the Bible is to Christians'. As netted bags are exchanged for cloth south of Port Darwin, a surveyor's linguistic hobby draws him close to Djerimanga people, near enough to become the unwitting victim of a blood debt. 'Oche and Rust' takes Aboriginal artifacts from their museum shelves, and traces their biographies, revealing charged and nuanced moments of encounter in Australia's frontier history. The book received the inaugural, 2008 Prime Minister's Literary Award for Non-fiction, and was joint Winner of the FAW Melbourne University Publishing Award 2008. |
Contents
CHAPTER TWO Broken shields | 51 |
CHAPTER THREE Turning to metal | 91 |
CHAPTER FOUR Spearing Bennett | 131 |
Copyright | |
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Aboriginal accompanied Adelaide appeared Arrernte arrived artefacts associated Australian Museum Archives axes Bates became Bennett Blackburn brought camp carried Central century ceremonial collection considered contains Cubadgee culture David death described Detail direction early encounters entry ethnographic European example exchange expedition exploration Finniss frontier George Goyder groups head Hermannsburg Hoare interest Jones journal Lake language late later Letter Library Lindsay March material metal mission Namatjira natives northern noted objects observed obtained ochre original painting particular party passed perhaps photograph plain Point Port present probably Pullami Ranges recorded reference region remained Reuther River role sacred seems shield showing society South Australian Museum spears station stone suggests Supply taken Taplin term toas took traditional tribe Woolna wrote young