TERRY FOGARTY was born and raised in the western suburbs of post war Sydney .After marrying Mary Murphy he moved to Newtown in the inner city. With the birth of their daughters, Terry and Mary decided to move to Chatswood on the northern shore of Sydney Harbour where Mary was teaching.
National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Author: Fogarty, Terry, author. Title: Red Lode : Celebrating personalities from across Central Australia / by Terry Fogarty. ISBN: 9780992270100 (paperback)
Subjects: Australian poetry–21st century. Persons–Australia, Central–Poetry. Anthologies. Dewey Number: A821.4 RED LODE
PREFACE By Terry Fogarty In May 2013 my wife Mary and I embarked on a 8,500 Road trip to Central Australia . From Sydney we travelled to Dubbo, Nyngan (to stay in one of our favourite camping grounds on the Bogan River)Cobar, Wilcannia and White Cliffs (which we visited on our last trip to the Centre). We then took the dirt road toMutawintji NP (a location we had been attempting to get to for many years). Then on to Broken Hill (we hadn’t been there for over 40 years when we went there on Sydney University Geography Excursions in the late 60s). We enjoyed our visit to the Rail Museum (particularly when we worked out that we must have travelled on the first air-conditioned train in NSW from Cobar to Broken Hill).
From Broken Hill we headed into South Australia and down to Port Augusta. From there it was basically north along the Stuart Highway visiting Woomera, Coober Pedy (the third of the major opal fields we have visited) then across country to Oonadatta (another location we had dreamed of visiting). We then followed the Oonadatta Track to Marla then crossed into the Northern Territory. We left the Stuart at Erlunda and took the road to Yulara, Uluru (Ayers Rock) and on to the Olgas. We then drove on the loop road by King’s Canyon and Hermannsberg (visiting Albert Namajira’s house) and then on to Alice Springs.
From Alice we continued north to Tennant Creek passing Barrow Creek (the site of the Peter Falconio murder) and past the Devils Marblesat Wauchope. Leaving Tennant Creek and travelling east we passed the Barkly Homestead, Camooweal and on to Mt Isa. From Isa we drove via Boulia (the home of the Min Min Lights) then on to Bedourie (the last main town before Birdsville). I wanted to revisit the Noccundra Waterhole (which we did).so we drove by Windorah then toward Quilpie (turning off on the road to Eromanga. After Nockatunga we went by Thargomindah, Cunnamulla and St George. As I wanted to ‘finish’ our trip at Werris Creek we headed to Goondiwindi. We crossed the border into New South Wales at Texas then on to Tenterfield. We then drove via Guyra, Armidale and Tamworth to Werris Creek (to visit the Railway Heritage Centre). Then it was south-east to Sydney and home. Dedication
To Mary, for agreeing to join me on our ‘long journeys’ and for saying that she enjoys herself. RED LODE
Heavy hills silently succumb Seeking sustenance far below Gritting, in the face of time Crusting, cracking
A silent sun pauses its ascent Watchful of the sands of lime Wandering in the face of time Slipping peacefully, fitfully
Warm hands cradle the red lode Moulding it quickly to dough Casting in the face of time Laid bare for all to see
Sydney – 2013
ELECTRICAL STOREMAN Prior to our trip I had purchased a small TV monitor. It included a DVD player. Mary had taken to watching the series Mad Men on a portable DVD player. I suggested that as my monitor was larger I take the TV. This worked out well for the DVD. We were also able to get some poor TV reception. I decided that it would make sense to purchase an aerial. On the way out of Cobar I noticed an electrical store. The store stocked everything electrical including a great powered TV antennae. For the rest of the trip we enjoyed exceptional reception.
Dark in his hidden dungeon The electrical storeman Waits impatiently For the fly to disappear
The door chimes Light slices the gloom Carving hieroglyphics On the counter’s dust
Abrupt conversation Impassive, torturous The interloper lisps The storeman pounces
Cobar – 2013 HI MATE, G’DAY We had lunch at a picnic area near the banks of the Darling River. There was a small group of local Aboriginals also having lunch on the banks of the river. Soon after we arrived they up camped and headed for a small store across the road.
Wondering in the heat Skin as black as A red heart pulses Sending sparks
Friendly, always When with the mob Hi mate, G’day Walk to the shops
Hi mate’ G’day A mantra perhaps Long from the dreamin Of land and life
Wilcannia – 2013
PETROL HEAD It seems that there are two classes of Aborigines in Central Australia. The ‘have’s ‘and the ‘have not’s. On our trip we encountered many Aboriginal people who were likely existing on welfare. In the worst cases of poverty some of these appeared to have resorted to substance abuse to give meaning to the lives. At the other end of the spectrum, were Aborigines often driving 100 Series petrol guzzling Toyota Landcruisers. Presumably, the more affluent of these had shared in Land Council windfalls from resources exploration. Oh ! But it’s great Sitting on the edge A chasm, rift by colour
No pink nor mauves No yellow now orange Just the outside of the spectrum
For one it is a nectar Sustenance for living
For the other, poison Sustenance for dying
White Cliffs – 2013 RANGING MUTAWINTJI NP Mary and I had been trying to get into the Mutawintji National Park for many years. For one reason or another (road closures or long detours) we had never made the Park. On this trip we arrived at the Park late in the afternoon after driving from Nyngan. The public part of the Park contains a quite nice camping area (water, toilet, solar powered electric lights and gas bar-b-ques). There is a small fee ($10.00) to use the facilities. Unfortunately, I only had $50 notes. However, we decided to camp anyway.The next morning a Ranger pulled up. The first thing I said was ‘do you have change of a fifty dollar note?’ He didn’t. He was in for a chat. Eventually the talk turned to access to the protected area that contains the bulk of the Aboriginal art. You can only access these areas with an approved Aboriginal tour company. The Ranger spoke quite despairingly of the operators then announced that he was also an Aboriginal. Black as an Irishman with freckles Talk as cheap as the fee Long enough to distract
Late night, late morning Chat by the tank Tanked, tinkered ?
Fingers spread Puff and feather Ochre upon the rock
MUTAWINTJI National Park – 2013 GOATS It is not uncommon to come across goats in Central Australia.
Cloven hooves portend The coming carcass From a rocky journey Soon road litter
High above he poses Clinging easily to the edge Watching vacantly
A kid bleats and bloods Dripping droplets In the new dawn
On the road to Broken Hill – 2013 LEATHERS I had recently started a book binding course. Leather is used in a number of ways in binding books. So, on the trip I was on the lookout for any leather supplier. In Broken Hill there was a shop that sold leather goods. Out the back was a leather craftsman. He gave me some off-cut leather but advised that the best place to get leather was in Botany, Sydney.
Gurgling and darting Lone soldier facing the dawn Easing daily into the saddle
Saddler, turning rags into riches Straining for perfection Tauting and grubbing
Garment leather encasing the words Make the word so expensive But not the trees Broken Hill – 2013 A MESS Woomera was established as an armed forces facility. Some things have changed over the intervening years.
What a mess Woomera is Grafted to the desert
Many messes Yellow cake; not for Christmas People messed; by rank and file
A messenger appears At midnight – the Oils
Messes cleansed by time
Woomera – 2013 OUT OF WORK (TOSH) On our trip we observed many instances where kind action was bestowed by locals on the more needy within their community. Parked next to us in the caravan park was a middle aged guy in a van. He was looking for work. The caravan park owner had some suggestions as to where he might find some work.
A starry sky, begets Thoughts, wandering aimlessly
A starry sky, rotates Thoughts, scatter profusely
A starry sky, slides Thoughts, tumble incessantly
A starry sky, shadows Thoughts, lie patiently
Coober Pedy – 2013 THE POOL When travelling in Central Australia you regularly come across traditional Australian innovation. At Coober Pedy it was in the form of a water tank. The owner of the caravan park had cut a door in the side of the tank. Obviously, the tank could not now be used to store water. Instead, the tank was placed over the top of a small swimming pool. The tank provided shade and protection from dust. (Only in Australia?)
Inside/outside in
Where else? Double skinned Glamping the water Beckoning travellers To sink into luminescence Ageing silently, thinking Turning dust to mud Where else?
Coober Pedy – 2013 AU PAIRS There is a multitude of young tourists in Australia on working holidays. Naturally, many of them head to ‘the great outdoors’during their time in Australia.
Bleached brown by the sun They wander Back and forward Morning and night Turning night into day Causing dreams to stutter In the cold heat of night
Coober Pedy – 2013 PINK The tragic death of Oodnadatta Pink Roadhouse owner Adam Plate at the Targa Adelaide Championship Rally on Friday 24 August 2012 has numbed the outback town of Coober Pedy and local pastoral districts. The many pastoral families and remote town’s folk who have known Adam since he arrived at Oodnadatta in 1974 with his then girlfriend LynnieTrevillian, are still coming to grips with the loss of their outback icon.
Adam and Lynne longed for the time To watch dust settle upon itself Rumbling silently on the camber
Thrills entice a wandering spirit Landing him upon a tree Waiting for love to alight
All that remains
Pink ladies in the dust
Oodnadatta – 2013 ABORIGINAL PEPSI MAX DRINKER The Oodnadatta(Pink) Roadhouse has a liquor licence. However, there was at least one Aborigine who was not partaking.
His eyes glaze Like topping On a doughnut
Watching and waiting Waiting and wasting Time, from his no sugar hit
People come and go Some white, some black Some brindled
His colour Matches his future
His sustenance Matches his life.
Oodnadatta – 2013 ALBERT Albert Namatjira(1902–1959), was a Western Aranda-speaking Aboriginal artist and one of Australia’s most famous artists, he was one of the pioneers ofcontemporary Indigenous Australian art. HiswatercolourAustralian outbackdesert landscapes were of theHermannsburg Schoolof Aboriginal art. With their richly detailed watercolour depictions, the predominantly western style departed from the highly symbolic style of traditional Aboriginal art whilst drawing upon personal experience. For his work, he was awarded theQueen’s Coronation Medalin 1953.
Namatjira is also symbolic of the AustralianIndigenous rights movement and the bridging of Australian cultures, being the first Northern TerritoryAboriginal person to be freed from the restrictions of legislation that made Aborigineswards of the State, becoming in 1957 the first Aboriginal person to be granted Australian citizenship[1], as such the first entitled to vote, build a house or buy alcohol. In 1956 his portrait byWilliam Dargiebecame the first of an Aboriginal person to win theArchibald prizeand in 1968 he became the first named Aboriginal person to be honoured on an Australian postage stamp.
Trees stand relatively still Stiller than birds fluttering Easier to paint
A man and his mob Tramp the land, clambering To find the tree
One looks like another Artist and tree, upright Painted both
Serene Hermannsburg – 2013 HEADLINER Barrow Creek became famous for being the closest town to the location of where Peter Falconi, a British tourist was murdered by Bradley John Murdoch and where Joanne Lees (Falconi’s girlfriend) was abducted in 2001. The actual location of the crime was 13 kilometres to the North of Barrow Creek. On our trip, Mary and I passed by the site as there was nothing in our Lonely Planet guide about the incident.
The falcon hovers X-raying the van Watching his namesake
The van lurches Splitting the rim Grinds to a halt
Time lags day Dusk lifts so suddenly As light floods
The bullet takes Its deadly toll Life un-clings
Clamouring for life The girl clings to belief Survives
Near Barrow Creek – 2001/13 NAKED MAN There is little that surprises us these days. But, coming upon a near naked man in the middle of nowhere goes close. What the! Did you see What I saw
Think logically What would a naked man Be doing Hundreds of miles in the outdoor
Looking for a naked women Searching for a roo pelt
There is tar But no feathers
What the!
Outside Mt Isa – 2013 ALL SORTS OF WATER There are two camping grounds in Bedourie. One attached to the Roadhouse. The other associated with the small (but effective) Tourist Information Centre. We opted for the Tourist Centre one after being told that we could use the town pool and thermal spa (we have a penchant for hot spas in the desert dating back to the 1970’s when many of them were just hot bores). We were also advised that we could camp on a lush portion of green grass set in this desert landscape 40Con the inside 30C in the outside What do you prefer?
No one size fits all
Brown on the outside Green on the inside What do you prefer?
No size fits any
Dry on the inside Wet on the outside What do you prefer?
A size for many
Sorry I forgot the sprinklers Did you enjoy the spa? Come again soon.
Bedourie – 2013 GOOD FRIDAY SPA GIRL As mentioned, hot spas are particularly attractive places to linger in the desert, particularly at the end of the day.
Take me to bed, or lie alone Whispers the heart of the day Upon the scorched earth
Ease the pain, with waters hot Gushing from the bowels of hell Lushing, laconic swirls
Orbs straining to bust Upon an unsuspecting visitor Stay awhile in in my lacy net
Bedourie – 2013 FUNNY BUSINESS One the most unusual camp grounds we stayed in on this trip was at Eromunga. We had not been through Eromanga on any of our previous trips. The park was quite run down with a number of unwanted ‘visitors’. Recently, the petrol company had installed 24 hour automatic bowsers. There was a lot of discussion in the park shop of how the bowsers worked. In responding to concerns of the locals, the petrol company had rostered an attendant on the bowsers during Easter (at least). The young jackeroo trying to call his mum for Easter did not have the correct change for the public phone. The tough looking shop owner allowed him to use the shop’s private phone (free of charge).
How big is a goanna That can’t hide in a cup?
How small is a scorpion That can’t ride in a truck
How much fuel can fit in a tank How much are you charged When it’s only a prank.
2m; 4cm; 60l; $2,000
What about the jackeroo Trying to ring his Mum
Easter is for family In the desert In the sun
Eromunga – Easter Sunday 2013 ANIMALS On the road into Nocundra, we were startled by the sight of a kangaroo bounding very fast at right angles to the road. A few seconds later we were again startled by the sight of a pack of dingoes in fast pursuit of the roo. A little further on, we came across a sign with two dead dingoes hanging from it. Dignit or indignit A roo chasing a dingo
Dignit or indignit A boar chasing a wheel
Dignit or indignit A sign hung off two dead dogs
Near Nocundra – 2013 MEMORY LANE My paternal grandfather, mum and dad and a nephew have all worked for the NSW Government Railways. I worked for NSW Government Transport for a while as a bus conductor and roster clerk. Werris Creek has a specific interest to the Fogarty family. When my father was a Senior Safety Training Officer he used to travel to many remote locations (such as Werris Creek or Goulbourn) to carry out Safety Training. On such instances, the week before he was scheduled into town he used to have his Safety Training Classroom carriage attached to a train and sent to his training location. At the railway heritage centre on the Werris Creek platform and surrounds that have a remembrance path. It is our intent to lay four memorial bricks for those members of our family who worked in the railways. The son of a fettler Followed his steps Up the line
Landing in the sheds And yards Not far away
Later on Done like a dog Pledged no beer
Led to life In the safe lane At the end of a train
Werris Creek – 2013 THE DEVIL STOLE MY SOUL On our travels by car across Australia we take a selection of our favourite Compact Discs. One of these is a country rock album by the Charlie Daniel’s Band.
The devil stole my soul As it hung on the lace To dry
Half-drenched in foam From a mouth agape Cold night
Listing silently forward A dream unfulfilled Rich mud
Shunned by the doggerel Left out alone Toward light
Life follows Songlines 