|
Past:
"We worked hard but we got nothing. We've been pushed off our country. We've got to go back there. My poor people they've forgotten their ways today. They've gone mad and lazy. We've got to go back to our country. We've got to make the deaf listen, we've got to teach our people".
Tired of waiting, this man and his family set up camp at Undoolya Bore and began squatting on a stock reserve with nothing more than a few tents. Unfortunately this old man died before he saw any land provided for his family. (February 1984)
Present: Mt Undoolya is homeland of the Hayes family: Patrick Hayes, Eva Hayes, Felicity Hayes and Edward Neale. It is located approximately 30km from Alice Springs just off the Ross River Highway. The Hayes family have been living on their country for the past 6 years.
Patrick Hayes and Edward Neale talked with Adrian Shaw about being back on Mt Undoolya station.
Listen to the interview (123k.wma audio file)
click here for windows media download
 
(left) Edward Neale at Mt Undoolya (right) Adrian Shaw talks with Patrick Hayes about living at Mt Undoolya.
The outstation has 1 house and a few tin sheds, a supply of bore water and power from diesel generator. The community does experience shortages of water and power when there diesel is not available.
The outstation runs a Youth Camp where students from Sydney visit the homeland to learn about culture and country. The Youth Camp is equipped with toilet facilities, bough shelter, outdoor cooking facilities and tin shed. Patrick Hayes says “There was a big mob of students from Sydney and they came up here. We gave them a talk about bush food, dreaming stories and showed them round our country. It was really good for them to experience life in the bush.”
 
(left) Camp kitchen at the Youth Camp (right) Bough shelter at Youth Camp.
The residents of Mt Undoolya have the gift for telling stories and over the past few years, many family members have been involved in directing and producing short films with the Irrkerlantye Learning Centre, including 8 mile road. To get a copy of these films, contact Irrekerlantye.
 
(left) Mt Undoolya Outsation (right) One of the first tin sheds that provided housing for Patrick and Eva Hayes when they moved back to Mt Unoolya.
There are a number of artists within the family, including Rosemary, Julia and Marina. Their art is sold through Irrkerlantye Arts, http://www.irrkerlantyearts.com/
 
(left) Communal Area at Mt Unoolya (right) Housing at Mt Undoolya
Future: The residents have many ideas for the future. They would like to build on the assets they already have at the outstation.
Power: They would like to have a more reliable power supply in future, such as solar power. The diesel runs out and the residents often go without power until someone can get into town to purchase more fuel.
Garden: The family would like to live at Mt Undoolya on a more sustainable basis. To do thi, they would like to grow their own fruit, vegetables and bush tucker. This would mean they would not have to rely on coming in town as often.
School: There is currently a un-occupied shed on the outstation. There are plans to turn this into a school that the children can be schooled on the homeland.
|
