Reflecting on the Myall Creek Massacre
'The land seemed to respond to every question I had whilst at the memorial,' said one student.
By Holly Griggs, Year 10 student
On Sunday, 10 June, 12 Year 10 students and three teachers walked and stood alongside 1,000 other Australians to commemorate the 180th anniversary of the Myall Creek Massacre.
The day marked a significant event in our country's history, when 28 Aboriginal women, men – many elderly – and children were slaughtered by 12 white stockmen. Eventually, and for the first time in our history, seven of those men were brought to trial and executed. The day can be seen as one of mourning, but is also ultimately a celebration of Indigenous culture, change and growth since this day.
After two days of travelling over a thousand kilometres north and performing in the Bingara ‘Sounds of Country’ concert on the Saturday, we arrived early to the commemoration and were warmly greeted by locals and the kids of Tingha Public School, who we had met the night before when Welcomed to Country in Tingha.
These 24 children were to perform in the ceremony and were just beaming with excitement about it. The kids themselves were a highlight for us all – the connections we formed with them in such a small amount of time were incredible, and they brought happiness to a lot of people on what is really quite a solemn day.
We then got to meet Aunty Sue Blacklock, who is the Elder (Leader) of the Aboriginal people in that area, and also a direct descendant of the survivors of the massacre. She is a woman with such pride in and hope for her people and culture that you cannot help but hold great respect for her. You can see the love she holds for our school and especially for Mr Huitker, largely because we return and continue to build bridges. Her gratitude to each of us for travelling there made so many of the hours in the buses worth it.
After the greetings, the first of many speeches began, prior to the walk to the memorial site. There, hundreds of people gathered around the beginning of the path to listen to music, view dancing from different tribes from surrounding areas, and be officially Welcomed to Country. It was amazing to watch people of all ages gather together and celebrate their culture in a way so special to them and so visually spectacular. Along a red path shaped like a rainbow serpent, seven plaques are placed, telling the story of the massacre, before you reach the monument at the end of the walk. Radford students, along with representatives from the other schools present, were situated at each plaque to read a section of the Myall story to the crowds that passed. We read our parts many times and every time we did, the gratitude we received from people who had travelled even further than us was truly remarkable. This welcoming feeling and gratitude was what I took away the most from the trip.
The walk concluded at the memorial site’s monument, which overlooks the Myall Creek plains where the event itself took place. This spot instantly asks you to reflect, not just on the event but perhaps life in general, especially after hearing speeches from Aunty Sue and even a descendant of one of the white stockman. We then returned to Myall Creek Station, where we learnt that our Radford Year 1 artists and Maxine Kerruish (Year 10) respectively won and were highly commended in the annual ‘Hopes and Dreams’ competition based on the theme ‘180 Years on and what have we learnt?’
As we snuck away in the later afternoon many thoughts and feelings started to settle among the Radford students. These sparked the question of what would be different if the shoe was on the other foot. The gratitude felt by the Indigenous community for coming and slowly but surely helping our country become a better place was inspiring, and it showed us how easy it is to challenge and change our own behaviours and assumptions about things … and just talk. We learnt that talking solves so many issues and when done openly, so much can be changed and fixed. But we also learnt the equal importance of silence, of how it can also hold so much, and that we don’t need to fill every moment with conversation – when you decide to shut up and listen to what other people have to say, you can learn a great deal.
For me, this trip has changed a lot inside myself: how I now choose to view life and how we progress from here. I was not expecting to form a connection and feeling with the land at the memorial site like I did, and was not expecting to have as much desire to go back as I do right now. Amazing things can happen when you open up, and in the wise words of Mr Huitker: don’t let the sadness of this story and our past drag you down; choose to accept it and to grow. So many amazing thoughts and reflections came from this trip and it is hard for me to summarise everyone's highlights, so below are some brief extracts from some of my peers’ reflections.
I would also like to take this opportunity on behalf of the whole Myall 3 Group to thank Mr Huitker, Mr Mordike and Mrs Markovic, for it would have been impossible to attend this service without them. The amount of hours spent driving while the students got to kick back and sleep is greatly appreciated. They were all great fun and we thank them again for making the experience have such impact on us. Also, another thank you to all the people who hosted us at Green Valley Farm and at the Warrumbungles Mountain Hotel, and to Somerset College students and staff for accompanying us this year.
Meeting Aunty Sue was like meeting a living saint. The way the children looked up to her and the upmost respect that was held for her made me feel just lucky to be in her presence. I got to converse with her and the way she instantly accepted me made it seem like I was a part of the tribe.
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During the service I was forced to ponder the possibilities of fate: if the shoe was on the other foot and the settlers were the ones killed and treated like animals. Would I have been as loving, compassionate and forgiving as the Aboriginals?
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In the past I have read about Myall Creek. But I wasn’t prepared for how much I would be affected by the stories that I could hear in the emptiness and silence at the rock by the creek. The land seemed to respond to every question I had whilst at the memorial …
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I fell in love with every part of the people who lived there. Their culture, people and the land on which they live. The hard part about leaving, as Mr H says, is what will we be returning home to compared to the kids I played chase with? That is the heartbreaking reality I reflect on now: that I am given so much opportunity and until now haven’t acted on any of it. Dr Geoff Langford told me not to dwell on the privileges I have and just use them and help others. This is advice I must follow after this journey, so that one day the Tingha children’s children will have the same chance as what my children will be offered.
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I felt mixed emotions during the ceremony. I felt sad for all the people who died in the massacre and angry about the ignorance of the white population. However, ultimately I felt happy looking at the crowds of people from all over the nation and from all walks of life reconciling an event that happened 180 years ago.
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The faces of the young kids that danced at the memorial service have stuck with me … I had an overwhelming sense to just help them. I’m not sure how to help but from my understanding my time is the most valuable thing I can give up, and that is what I intend to do in the future.
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Aunty Sue’s love and forgiveness is so humbling. I look up to her and struggle to find words that adequately describe my admiration for her. ‘Listen to the birds …’