Banjo Morton | Chapter 7

Ampilatwatja, pronounced um-bludder-watch, lies in the heart of Alyawarra country on the Sandover Highway.

Ampilatwatja has grown around the area known as Honeymoon Bore. There are currently between 300–500 people living there.
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The community is served by the Aherrenge store, the Ampilatwatja Health Centre, and has access to the Barkly Regional Council service centre. There is a day/night airstrip which caters mainly for the Mail plane and Royal Flying Doctor Service, but it closes during heavy rain.

Political legacy

Banjo Morton’s 1949 strike at Lake Nash was not an isolated incident.

Aboriginal pastoral workers also went on strike in 1946 in the Pilbara region of WA. Eight hundred workers walked off 27 sheep stations on the same day.
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One of the principal organisers was Nyangumarta man, Dooley Bin Bin who converted labels from jam tins into homemade calendars and distributed them to the mostly illiterate workers on all stations so they could mark off each passing day and know when to start the strike.
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The strike lasted for three years and some workers found economic independence through their own work and never returned to the stations. Others were jailed, or chained up.

A photo of an article from 1946 titled "Striking Natives Form Cooperative Camps"

A political protest poster published in Sydney by A. J. Kelly. Source: National Library of Australia

A now-famous event occurred at Kalkarindji, a property owned by Vesteys, in 1966.

The ‘Wave Hill Walk Off’ was led by Gurindji spokesperson, Vincent Lingiari. He led a walk off by 200 Aboriginal stockmen, house servants, and their families from Wave Hill Station as a protest against the work and pay conditions.
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This strike formed the basis of the Aboriginal Land Rights Act of 1976.

A black and white photo of Prime minister Gough Whitlam pours soil into the hand of Gurindji Traditional Land Owner Vincent Lingiari at Wattie Creek, Northern Territory, 16 August 1975. Source: National Library of Australia

In 1977, Alyawarra people walked off Kurundi Station because of poor pay and access to health.

They went to Ngurrantiji, 60km north of the station and initiated a claim for the land there. They vowed to not return to Kurundi, establishing their own priorities and a homeland camp. They were granted Native Title over the Station in 2011.

A yellow map of Australia with pins showing location of Lake Nash, Kurindi, Kalkarindji and Pilabra

Treaty

Alyawarra people have been advocating for a Treaty.

The Treaty concept provides for a greater say in all matters regarding politics, economy and society for the Alyawarra people.

What is a Treaty?

Listen in Alyawarra about how the word Treaty describes a range of agreements between states, nations, governments or people.

We, Alyawarr people, are asserting our right to self-determination and calling upon the Commonwealth and Northern Territory Governments to negotiate a treaty with us.
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We are distinct Indigenous people, living on our traditional lands. We have our own distinct culture, our own laws, our own society, our own history, our own traditions, our own language, our own livelihoods and our own visions for the future.
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Through a Treaty, we seek to participate in Australian society within a cooperative Federal system.

alyawarr.info

Alyawarr Ingkerr-wenh

Alyawarra angka means 'Alyawarra talking together'. It refers to the means by which decisions are made at a regional level, particularly those with a strong cultural element.

Customary law is still practiced by Alyawarra people who are maintaining their culture despite the encroachment and challenges that have been created by having to live under Australian law. Their push for a Treaty signifies their belief that customary law should be recognised.

People at Ampilatwatja were very happy before the government intervention started in 2007. When the intervention began the elders weren't very happy because it took away control over their lives. People at Ampilatwatja said it was racist.
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All the people in that community started talking about stopping the intervention. I saw the elders walk out of their houses and move to the bush.
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At the time I was just a little kid but now I know what happened and I feel angry. I feel proud for those old people who stood up with their strength and spoke up to stop the intervention…
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When I leave school I'm going to work at the station as a stockman like my grandfather Banjo Morton. I want to keep learning about my culture and law so that I can understand both sides – Aboriginal way and white people way – so I can be a strong man who can stand up and fight for my country like the elders.

Ezekiel Morton, ABC Heywire, Dec 2014

Ezekiel Morton (grandson of Banjo)

Community Shop

Anthropologist Richard Moyle who worked out in Ampilatwatja during the 1970s and 80s along with his wife Linden encouraged the community to create a co-op store.

Everyone understood the principles and the method and there was wide agreement to proceed.
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Rod Horner, then Community Adviser, managed to find funds to buy a large flatbed truck, but nobody in the camp had a heavy license. So Richard Moyle went to Alice Springs, collected the truck en route to the testing place, sat the tests, and the community had a truck.
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In Alice Springs, Richard purchased several hundred dollars of food, using the community money (all noted in a book by Eileen Bonney), and drove back. Banjo was elected official driver, even though he had only a car license.

Eileen Bonney (seated) and Richard Moyle (right) with Richard Downs and Eilieen’s daughter

Using scrap timber, a 'shed' was erected inside the camp and a padlock fitted to the door. At set times, Eileen opened it up and everyone who had contributed initially got cheap access to the goods that had been ordered earlier.
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This is now the community-owned store that provides all food and supplies for the people of Ampilatwatja and surrounds.