The Barrumbi Kid by Leonie Norrington

Rose is at it again! Below is a review of The Barrumbi Kid by Leonie Norrington. A woman of diverse talents, you may recognise Leonie from Gardening Australia.

It’s a rare find to read Non Aboriginal writer that manages to describe Aboriginal life with respect and honesty. It is so refreshing not to find the typical stereotyped characters. Leonie Norrington isn’t an Aboriginal writer but she has grown up with Aboriginal people in the top end of the Northern Territory. In “The Burrumbi kids” she shows much understanding and empathy with the youth of Burrumbi an isolated community in the tropics.

Adolescents Dale and Tomias struggle with the daily grind of school midst the call of the bush with all its adventure and mystery. Through wagging, hunting and learning cultural stories the boys live a rich life. Norrington describes the boys deep friendship, their families and other characters with affection and a keen eye. Life on communities is starkly divided between the haves and the have nots. Non Aboriginal residents who don’t fit in can view their time as a jail sentence. Mrs Armstrong, Gordon the class brains Mum is petrified of geckos, frogs and of course snakes! This leads to much discussion in the community and eventually her downfall is orchestrated through a youthful prank.
The carrying of yarns, the teasing and the laughter ring very true to me.

Throughout the story the build up to the wet and the changes in the environment deeply affect the people. The description of the humid conditions may have you looking for a cool breeze too! Norringtons love of plants shines through.

This book is for upper primary readers but adults will also enjoy the rich descriptions of the bush and examples of top end culture. It is a warm, funny energetic tale and a worthwhile read during NAIDOC week and beyond. Did I mention it was selected as a Children’s Book Council of Australia Honour Book?

Big Sky Book Review by Rose (Heritage Services)

Anita Heiss is a NSW Koori writer of Wiradjuri and Swiss descent. She is a well established writer in both fiction and non fiction. The book “ Who am I? - the diary of Mary Talence` is a fictional tale based on the well documented experiences of Stolen Generations children in NSW. Even though this is set in NSW , there are many parellel examples experienced in Western Australia.

The reader gets to know Mary Talence through her diary she receives for her tenth birthday from a supervisor at the Bomaderry Childrens Home. Mary has no idea why she was removed from her parents. It is 1937 and by this time Mary had lived at the home for 5 years and recounts the removal of her siblings and herself from her Mother. She describes helping with the babies and the relationships between children and staff.

Her memories of her early family life are strong and one day she hopes to be reunited. She gets to stay at the home longer than other children as Matron Rose is fond of her. Sadly she watches as other children depart for other institutions or adoptive families. She notices that the fairer children are more likely to go to families.

One day a couple come along and take her into their family.This is a huge shock to her as she was sure Matron Rose would keep her at the Home. The family make great efforts to assimilate her into the new life. They don’t want her mixing with Koori people and are disturbed when she meets Dot a housegirl from a similar background who works locally. The two girls are determined to keep meeting and in this way Dot educates Mary about the history of Koori people and Government policy.

Mary feels reconnected with her family and people through these stories. She learns that Koori people are demonstrating and making petitions to the government for citizens rights. The story ends there but the reder is left with a feeling of hope for Mary and a social justice movement that is gathering momentum. The Diary of Mary Talence is aimed at adolescent readers, it deals sensitively with difficult issues. Through this engaging little book of fiction, readers will get a big dose of Australia’s factual history.