Remote Aboriginal Communities

Today’s speaker was our President Elect, Greg Schuetze, who works as an installer of point of sale equipment for supermarkets and other retailers. His work sometimes takes him to remote parts of the State and other parts of the nation. He addressed the club on his recent trips to Yalata and another settlement south east of Kalgoorlie on the edge of the Victoria Desert (flight to Perth then Kalgoorlie then to Tjuntjuntjara). From Greg’s observations it appears that you don’t need a lot to be happy. One bit of advice that stuck with Greg was ‘Don’t taken any notice of the axe marks in the shop door’. And why should you.

Although now living hundreds of kilometres apart this was not always the case for the people of Yalata and Tjuntjuntjara, who speak a common language, which is explained below.

There are about 160 people living at Tjuntjuntjara. They speak a southern variety of the Pitjantjatjara language. They identify as belonging to a group of people known as pilanguṟu (meaning “from the spinifex plains”). This group of people are among those that were removed from their homelands in the 1950s and 1960s due to nuclear weapons testing at Woomera Test Range. Most of the people now living at Tjuntjuntjara were previously living at Cundeelee, then a Christian mission, further to the west. Other communities of pilanguṟu people include Oak Valley and Yalata, over the border in South Australia.

Anyway, well done Greg; your address stimulated plenty of questions. Greg is seen answering questions below after his address.

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Next District Conference

Next Year’s District Conference will be held at Mildura. Now’s the time to start thinking about going.

Sunday Market

Greg reported that last Sunday’s market was a financial success due to a number of factors such as an increase in patrons, beautiful weather, healthy appetites and stall holder paying their future dues. Well done Greg and team.

President and Director Notices: Future Events

  • Wed 1 May: 65 Roses Breakfast to launch 65 Roses (cystic fibrosis) month – see flyer Considering that there is no Club meeting that week, and that Cystic Fibrosis research is to receive the proceeds of The Reel Event this year, members are strongly urged to attend this function.
  • Sun 5 May: District 9520 Assembly