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Eulogy for Syvanna Rose Doolan (Ngulgie) 12.10.50 - 28.09.13 Reading by Alanna Doolan
F
irst of all, thank you all for coming to say farewell and to celebrate the life of our beautiful talented and loving Syvanna Rose Doolan also known as SibbyDoo. Syvanna was the beloved daughter of Fredrick William Doolan and Jessie Sandy, both deceased. Proud mother of Jai Wesley and Grandmother of Sean, Wesley, Jackie and Tanesha. Loving partner of Charlie Green and a wonderful sister to Alanna, Fredrick (Billy), Ray (dec), Venieca, Kevin, Shann, Karen, Jacqueline and Roxanne, and loving aunty to a tribe of nieces and nephews. Syvanna was the second eldest of ten children. She was proud to be the only one of the ten children to be born near a little creek just outside of Woorabinda in 1950. We called her Ngulgie because she was the blackest one of us all. Her parents were both sent to Palm Island from their homelands. Her father a proud man from Wakka/Goreng/Jiman, south east Queensland (Taroom) and her mother a strong woman from Euramin/Tagalaka, north west Queensland, and Georgetown/ Croydon. Syvanna was born in Woorabinda but the family spent most of their lives in north Queensland, firstly on Palm and then after the 1957 Palm Island protest, the family had to move from Palm and live on the mainland on the outer fringes of
Townsville in places such as Mount Louise (Pie Cart House) and then to Happy Valley Camp. This is the place Syvie would call home for life. Syvanna was well known for her musical talents. Her musical journey really started at home with the family. Mum and Dad loved music especially Dad who played the guitar and piano. The whole family would all join in singing and dancing but Dad, having an eye for talent, would always get Syvanna up to sing. In 1963 she left to travel to Brisbane to study at Kelvin Grove College and in the following year she was chosen to further her studies at Tranby College, Sydney where she graduated. At 17, one of her first jobs in Sydney was a kitchen hand to the chefs at the Sydney Hospital where they cooked for the doctors. She also worked for the Aboriginal Legal Service, Sydney and a volunteer for community work for the local Koori organisations. But with her musical abilities it wasn’t long before she began to perform at clubs, concerts and theatres. In 1970 one of her first jobs as a performer was as a resident singer in a new club called Harlem
Hideaway, Coogee Beach and other clubs followed, the famous Whiskey Au Go Go, The Cheetah Room and others. Syvanna had her first child in 1971 in Sydney. She named him Wesley Sean, but is now know as Jai after the TV series Tarzan. She lived in Redfern with sister Alanna in a little flat opposite the first Aboriginal Black Theatre in Australia. She joined the theatre and toured with the newly named National Black Theatre, singing, dancing and acting. After she joined the Black Theatre many opportunities opened up for her. Her first ever music recording was with Radio Skid Row, the first Aboriginal radio station in Australia and they recorded ‘Satin Sheets’ and ‘Starlit Bushes’. In the early 70s she did many concerts with any well known artists in Sydney as well as International artists. She sang with Max Silver and Andrew Donnelly and the Black Lace and toured with Bob Maza and Gary Foley, Zac Martin and Aileen Corpus in ‘Basically Black’ the first Aboriginal comedy play, later put on film. She was offered to tour with the Easy Beats by Steven Wright. She performed with Sonny Terry and Brownie McGee, and she was invited back to Stevie Wonder’s afterparty and sang with him. She auditioned for the musical HAIR, and although unsuccessful she met a lady named Mamma Hill and they formed a gospel choir called the Mamma Hill singers.
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In 1973, Syvanna and Alanna were one of the first Aboriginal women actors to perform at the Sydney Opera House in a play called ‘The Cradle of Hercules’. this was a story about Bennelong. Doctor Bones was formed in 1978. The band was a family band with her brothers on the instruments and Syvanna as the lead singer. Their first band performance was at the Sovereign Hotel where they played for free. Doctor Bones performed around Townsville and the region at pubs, clubs, dances, concerts, festivals and special events such as NAIDOC week. The band travelled to many
country music festival throughout Queensland and always participated at the Charters Towers Country Music Festival and Townsville’s Country Music Festival at Dean Park Soundshell. She won the talent quest in 1983 and 1984. Syvanna also travelled to Adelaide to perform for the Adelaide Fringe Festival’s WOMADE concert dedicated to women performers. In 1982 she performed with many other artists at the Commonwealth Games protest held in Musgrave Park, Brisbane. This led to Syvanna being invited to perform alongside Yothu Yindi
and others at the 1988 New Zealand Protest of the Treaty of Watangi. In 1989/90 Syvanna auditioned for the first Aboriginal Musical, Bran Nue Day, written by Jimmy Chi. She had to sing a song at the audition and the song was ‘Sweet Sister’. When she sang this song, Jimmy Chi said ‘No contest, she’s in’. In 1992 Syvanna joined the fight for sovereignty at the Aboriginal Tent Embassy in Canberra and later the work Olympic Games Protest in Sydney 2000, performing her songs of freedom for her people.
Professor Smallwood bids farewell to her childhood friend Sibby-Doo
My heart’s been broken bidding farewell at a service in Garbutt (Townsville) to a long time personal friend, renowned musician and staunch Aboriginal activist, the late Syvanna Rose Doolan. We shared our lunch and home work together through school and remained close friends always. Townsville lost a great fighter of her people ... in much the same way as her father Fred fought for his people and who was kicked off Palm Island with other brave men for their part in the 1957 Palm Island protest over better living conditions. Sister Sibby could’ve gone on to greater things as a musician with her extraordinary singer voice - but she chose to be with her mob on the fringes than living it up in the high life.
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She will be remembered for her part in the Redfern Black Theatre where she acted, sang and danced with the likes of Bob Maza, Gary Foley, Zac Martin and Aileen Corpus. Sister Sibby also played her part in the big protests at the Tent Embassy in
Canberra in 1972 and the Brisbane Commonwealth Games in 1982. She lived a humble life and will be missed at Happy Valley where she’d spent the latter part of her life; on the fringe of town ... the same way she started out in life. The world is poorer
for the passing of this remarkably gifted singer and loving friend to us all here in Townsville. I’ll miss her great smile and voice, as I’m sure all her adopted brothers and sisters at Happy Valley as well as her many friends around the nation. Farewell sister Sibby.