On the Block

Doreen's first husband put her on the block out in the West and auctioned her for the night. She divorced him but married a quite intelligent drunk - a former head master. One day when she was driving them back from Townsville, he was drunk and harassing her, she pulled over, told him she thought they had a flat tyre. She hit him over the head with a tin of peas and drove off. She divorced him too.

A Man dies in the Courthouse Hotel

In about 1976 the publican of the hotel shot an aboriginal man dead. He said he was a trouble maker and would shoot him if he entered the hotel again. The next day the publican's daughter who was a friend came to tell me what her father had done. She also told me that other friends said that he should get rid of a few more and be given a medal. The publican was given 7 years for taking a man's life and I think he got out earlier on good behaviour.

Chook killing Dog

Before Tom forced Auntie to marry him, she would get rid of him occasionally. On this occasion she bought a chook farm for him. He got up one morning and all of his chooks were dead so he went back home. Pity.

Mr Leadbetter is Lost

My Uncle Bob's father, Mr Leadbetter worked in the bush. One day he got lost with his horse. The horse found its way home after a few days. The owner of the property hadn't sent out a tracker because Mr Lead was such a good bushman. They found Mr Lead hanging from a tree a couple of weeks later. Some people said that he got lost on purpose because Mrs Leadbetter was such an old bat.

Pearl and Dudley get Married

Pearl was a beautiful girl from Burketown. She was from a family of ten. Her mother was Chinese and her father an Aboriginal man. They owned a property in the Gulf. Dudley was one of the last drovers in the North. He was about 30 years older than Pearl and hardly ever said a word.

Ducksie is Sad

Ducksie lived a couple of blocks from where I grew up. She was old when I was young. I don't know Ducksie's real name and never did. The man she was to marry was run over and killed on the way to their wedding. Ducksie never recovered. She spent the rest of her life looking for the man in the car who killed the man she loved.

The Lovers in Listner Park

During the War, a woman's body was found in the park. People said that an American soldier stationed there was to blame and it was covered up because no one wanted to upset the Yanks. After all they were our saviours.

Looking up the Bride's dress

This painting started out as an homage to my Mother. However it changed and a man and some birds appeared. I feel it is still some way connected to my Mother and I have tried to find some profound symbolism to explain this work. However nothing has appeared to me yet.

Ada leaves Sam story

Ada and Sam Saturday worked for my family for many years. They were always great workers and very well respected. Neither drank alcohol as Ada was a strict tea-tot tler. However, Sam eventually took over as 'head of the tribe' as it was referred to at that time. He started drinking and you would see him driving around town in a big old ford with a car load of people. Ada left him just about straight away. She continued to work for our family and looked after my Uncle Dick. We don't know what we would have done without her. Sam worked for the council on and off and even in his most drunken state was always a wonderful gentleman. Sam died in his sixties and Ada is still alive and still beautiful.

Mrs Chapman and her dogs story

Mrs Chapman lived by herself on a property about half an hour out of town. She was an old lady when I was a young girl. She had been a widow for a long time. We had to get permission from Mrs Chapman to go to a wonderful swimming hole called 'The Rocks' on her property. Her house was on stilts and very old and rickety. Mrs Chapman loved her dogs and she cared for and treated them like her family. She was very rich but lived as though she was very poor. However the dogs were fed on roast beef and vegetables. People said that she lived on tinned beef. Mrs Chapman would often have a lie down and the dogs would lie with her and guard her.