A HALLMARK PRODUCT
www.namasteynt.com.au Issue 02 | December 2014
T: (08) 89819111 Ext: 111 • 3/60 Mcminn St. Darwin 0800 PO Box 3924 Darwin NT 0801 www.facebook.com/namasteynt
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Issue 02 | December 2014 PAGE
Features 6
SPECIAL STORY
As the Prime Minister of the largest Democracy, India, Mr. Modi visited the “Land Down Under”
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MAIN FEATURE
An unforgettable Christmas eve in 1974a candid account how a young migrant family survived Cyclone Tracy in 1974
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REMEMBERING Amazing resilience of Darwin people and commendable generosity from rest of Australia!
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DARWINIAN An inspiring story of a personal journey that only a few may take.
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YOUTH STORY What does it feels like growing with multiple cultural identities in Australia?
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HEALTH Hepatitis C- Causes, symptoms and available treatments
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Our Mnemonic
Publisher: Hallmark Computer Pty Ltd. Editor: Neethi Ashok Creative Head: Boben Mammen Graphic Design: Hallmark Designs ©2014 Namastey NT magazine is published monthly for Hallmark. All rights reserved. Points of view expressed do not necessarily represent those of Namastey NT. The publisher reserves the right to accept or reject all advertising matter. The publisher assumes no liability for return or safety of unsolicited art, photographs or manuscripts. Mandate and Mission of Namastey NT Namastey NT, published for members Indian Sub continent and South East Asians living in Northern Territory and the larger community as a continuing education service to keep them informed of trends and issues all across Northern Territory and beyond. The magazine is a forum for discussion, a place for news, and a source of ideas for the development and improvement of the community in the region. Specifically, Namastey NT publishes articles on topics relevant to the South east Asian Community. The magazine also publishes a wide range of columns and features with information and commentary of interest across a broad range of divisions and readers. All materials submitted for inclusion in Namastey NT are subject to editing for consistency, length, and style. In the event that significant changes result from editing decisions, the submitting author(s) will be contacted for review and approval.
How to Submit Your Article or Idea Namastey NT welcomes submissions and queries of articles to be included in the magazine. If you’ve already written the article, please feel free to submit it at any time. We are also happy to hear from you if you’re about to start your article, or you have an idea for one and are wondering whether Namastey NT might be interested. Send all articles and ideas to the Editor of Namastey NT: Neethi Ashok Email: neethi@hallmark.com.au Naamastey NT features short articles (~400 to 750 words) written in a conversational tone (i.e. accessible to a broad audience). If you have an article or an idea that is substantially longer or shorter than this — shorter than 400 words or as long as 1,500 words — please contact the editors before submitting it. Photographs, illustrations, or other graphics are encouraged where they augment the article. Submit your finished article in electronic format (preferably Word or RTF) as a simple attachment to email. It should be in Times New Roman, 12-point, single-spaced throughout, and with no fancy formatting. Photographs and illustrations should be sent as separate files/documents and not imbedded in the text document. Please also provide a brief bio, including at least your current job title and institutional affiliation (or other preferred identifying information) as well as complete contact information at the end of your article.
Copyright, Permissions, Deposit, and Republication Namastey NT is an open access publication. Unless otherwise specified, all articles comply with the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International license. For photos that contain a recognized individual, or a recognizable portion of an individual, authors should secure the individual’s permission in writing for use of the photo in Namastey NT. Photos taken at public events or news events, or crowd shots taken in a public place, do not require permission from the subjects. Please ensure that any photographs or illustrative material are compliant with the Creative Commons license. If you wish your submission (text, photograph, illustrative material) to be covered under a different license, please contact the Editor-in-Chief. Open Shelf generally does not publish articles that have been published elsewhere, except under unusual circumstances. Photographs and Illustrations Please supply photographs and illustrations as attachments to email. Photos must be saved as a TIFF, JPEG, or EPS, and in colour with a good tonal range. Please identify the subject, activity, place, and other relevant details shown in the photo, and provide a brief text for a caption. The same applies to other illustrative material such as drawings, prints, graphs, charts, etc. All submitted material is subject to editing.
Publication Schedule Namastey NT publishes on a continuous schedule with new material being published every month. Submissions are accepted any time throughout the year.
Contributors Ritika Singhal is a typical modern-day girl who likes to maintain a perfect balance between her personal and professional life. After successfully completing her Double Masters degree from USA, she moved to Australia in 2011 and worked with Bupa Australia and Charles Darwin University. She now owns Jim’s Bookkeeping Arafura along with her husband Himanshu Bhatia.
Padmaja is a Dental surgeon from India and holds a Masters in Sustainable development and advanced diploma in Dental Hygiene. She was a globe trotter from childhood - lived and worked in many countries before moving to Australia in 2009. She enjoys multi-linguistic movies, music and gardening. Currently she is practicing as dental hygienist and is passionate about dental health.
Kirralee Pavy is a 19 year old born and raised in Darwin. Currently she is studying Law in CDU and working in a company in Darwin.
Rita Sharan has been living in Darwin since 1973. She worked with N.T. Government and retired in 1999. After retirement she did a few health related courses and became a health educator for people from the Indian-subcontinet in Darwin. Presently she is volunteering with the Red Cross and is teaching Hindi at the Essington School.
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5 A Message from Delia Lawrie
From the Editor Dear Readers, November was a busy month with many multicultural events and functions in the Territory. We also got to hear all the news and updates from G20 summit in Brisbane where many world leaders came to Australia for the first time after a long gap. A lot of important issues such as growth & development, climate change and corruption were discussed. The land mark free trade agreement, which was also completed between Australia and China is one of the most significant achievements for Australia. Once December starts we begin counting down the days to Christmas. Another important event this December is the City of Darwin’s commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy. It means so many different things to the community, hence there are multiple events planned for this. That cyclone was such a catastrophic event that it virtually destroyed everything in Darwin. Having moved to Darwin relatively recently, I had no idea of the great mark it had left in people’s minds. I was wondering why it was so important to remember a tragedy. So I asked the City of Darwin’s office and different community members - some of them were here at that time and had the first hand experience of the destructive storm on Christmas Eve 1974. From what I understand, Cyclone Tracy was a tragic and defining event in our city’s history and many people lost friends and family, and most residents lost their homes. The 40th anniversary of Cyclone Tracy will be an important opportunity to reflect on a community that has rebuilt itself and our resilience as a city. On this occasion, the Lord Mayor Katrina Fong Lim shared a message to the community - ‘We live in a place where cyclones are a constant threat. They are part of what it means to live in the Territory. Preparedness is the absolute key. We are laid back and sometimes complacent, so it’s important to be prepared for the next time a big cyclone hits.’ I completely agree with the Lord Mayor’s view regarding being prepared and always wish that a similar Cyclone will never ever come back to destroy this wonderful City that we all call home now.
Congratulations to editor Neethi Ashok and all those involved in the publication of NamasteyNT- a new Territory business and multicultural magazine. People from around the world call the Northern Territory home. This broad diversity of cultural backgrounds makes the Territory a great place to live. Unity in Diversity is one of our great strengths as a Territory community. Our lives have been enriched by successive generations of Australians who have their origins in other countries. It takes courage and character to travel from your homeland to build a future for your family in a new country. Many Territorians are the children and grandchildren of migrants who accepted this challenge. Many from our multicultural communities shaped the Territory we see today across a broad range of businesses and industries. I am always inspired to hear the many stories of success and achievement of families who have made their home in the Northern Territory. Our vibrant culture is strongly influenced by music, dance, cooking, costumes and festivals whose origins come from overseas. NamasteyNT provides an opportunity for people to share stories and promote their vision to the wider community. This will strengthen unity in diversity, tolerance and harmony in our Territory community.
We got to hear the stories from a few of our community members about their traumatic experiences. It was unbelievable that even after 40 years; the images they have are still so vivid. We believe it will give readers a snapshot of how a category 5 Cyclone can affect people’s lives in coastal areas and urge everyone to be prepared in this wet season.
I look forward to reading about many more migrant success stories and news from out multicultural communities.
As we get older, the years seem to be ending too soon. I think 2014 was quite memorable and now only weeks left to welcome the new year. All of you must be preparing for the festive season. On behalf of everyone involved with NamasteyNT, I wish you all a wonderful Christmas and Happy New year in advance. Until next time, Namastey!
I extend my best wishes to our multicultural families and communities for a happy and peaceful festive season.
Neethi Ashok
Labor has an abiding commitment to harmony, tolerance and diversity in our community and I wish NamasteyNT every success.
DELIA LAWRIE Leader of the Opposition
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6 Special Story PAGE
By: Ritika Singhal
Namaste Australia ‘UNITED IN DIVERSITY’: this phrase has been successfully proven by Mr. Narendra Damodardas Modi, the 15th Prime Minister of India when he paid a visit to Australia and attended the annual summit of the Group of 20 of the world’s developed and emerging economies held in Brisbane, November 2014. Mr. Modi also visited Sydney, Canberra and Melbourne during the course of his bilateral visit. He was the first Indian Prime Minister who visited Australia after Mr. Rajiv Gandhi in 1986 and this was PM Modi’s second well-spent meeting with the Australian Prime Minister Mr. Tony Abbott since his swearingin ceremony in May 2014. The 2014 G-20 Australia summit that was held at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre at South Brisbane focused on all major economic issues and concerns such as financial rebalancing, anticorruption reforms, employment, infrastructure and investment. PM Modi’s main agenda was business, economic co-operation and black money. “A key issue for me would be to highlight the importance of international co-operation against black money,” PM Modi said in a statement before his departure from India. PM Modi also emphasized on imperative issues like digital
infrastructure and easy access to affordable energy. PM Modi’s impassioned vision was highly regarded by other world famous personalities such as French President Francois Hollande, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, European Union President Herman Van Rompuy and British Prime Minister David Cameron and the likewise. PM Modi was also a guest of honor at the Queensland University of Brisbane, where he met a number of excited and enthusiastic students of both Australian and Indian origins. PM Modi wrote a motivational message in Hindi for all the members of the University, the translation of the entire message is as follows: “Research is key to development. There is ongoing relationship between development journey of humankind and research. Increasing dominance of science and technology in the field of agriculture will surely prove to be beneficial to farmers and to the field of agriculture as a whole. It is an important endeavour for the welfare of mankind. Best wishes for your effort.” A food court in Brisbane has also been named as “Namo’s Indian Food Court” to acknowledge the efforts of PM Modi. “Queensland is considered a significant partner
to India in the fields of education, food, agriculture and natural resources,” PM Modi said. After addressing hundreds of thousands of admiring people all over the world, the Modi mania continued when a grand reception was hosted at Sydney’s Olympic Park. This event was attended by more than 20,000 people and was considered as a proud moment for all the expatriate Indians living in Australia. Australian artists also performed a distinguished traditional aboriginal dance in order to welcome PM Modi and gifted him a boomerang. Both Australia and India came closer as strategic business partners when PM Modi visited the Australian War Memorial and also addressed the Australian Parliament in Canberra. The two countries are looking forward to work hand in hand to counteract terrorism and crime. It was also a prodigious moment for Ms Natasha Griggs, Federal Member for Solomon, Ms Jaya Srinivas, Mr. Bharat Desai, Mrs Asha Mclaren and Ms Neethi Ashok, members of Indian community in Darwin who met PM Modi in person.
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Issue 02 | December 2014
NamasteyNT Launch at the Parliament House The NamasteyNT team with the Hon. Peter Styles, Minister for Multicultural Affairs, at the Parliament House.
A traditonal dance performance by the Sri Lankan youth, during Diwali celebrations, at the Parliament Hosue.
The President of the Hindu Society, Mr Sabaratnam Prathapan, handing over a copy of NamasteyNT Magazine to the Hon. Minister Peter Styles.
The large turnout for the Diwali function.
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8 At the Media Launch PAGE
Ashok Alexander addressing the audience
Friends and well-wishers
Neethi Ashok presenting the story of NamsteyNT
Community leaders and supporters
With MLA Nicole Mannison and MLA Lauren Moss
A laugh is shared with friends
Jaya Srinivas, Assistant Principal Essington School giving a toast to the members of the audience
Gokula Chandran and Ramakrisna Chondur at media launch.
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Main Feature
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By Rita Sharan
40 years since Cyclone Aerial view of a cyclone
Darwin is remembering 40 years since Cyclone Tracy which hit on Christmas day 1974. During Cyclone Tracy, going through the misery of a natural calamity, I prayed “God, please save my children”, but in the end, god saved His children. I would like to share my firsthand experience of what is called “the power of nature” which flattened Darwin in 4 hours and made around 45,000 people homeless. I have been living in Darwin since January 1973. I arrived here with my husband Anand and my six month old daughter Meeta in
the wet season and experienced amazing thunder and lightning shows. It would rain continuously for 3-5 days. Sometimes the rain clouds were so dense and low that daylight would completely disappear. After my son was born in 1973, I went to India with my family in mid-October 1974, my first trip home, and came back in midDecember. When we came back to Darwin it was raining but that was nothing unusual, after all December is the wet season. But this time the days were getting darker along with the rain which was becoming heavier and heavier, and the wind
speed was increasing but there was no lightning, no thunder... this was something unusual. About a week before the cyclone hit, warnings started to be broadcast on the television. The warning started with the music (which is still used today) and then followed by the message “Cyclone warning” (that was it) appearing on the screen. But no one knew what a cyclone was. On 24th of December, the cyclone warnings became more frequent. Anand (my husband) was at work. I was home alone with my two little children aged 3 and 1. It felt like
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Coming of the storm
the rain and wind was intensifying every minute. I was waiting anxiously for Anand to come home. But he had decided to buy me a sewing machine as a “Christmas gift“. He came home, gave me the receipt, and said that the shop keeper would deliver the sewing machine later in the evening. The shopkeeper came at about 9pm. He placed the box in the lounge room. When he was leaving, we wished him merry Christmas but strangely he replied “provided we are alive tomorrow”. I asked Anand what he meant. Anand said he must have had a few. We hadn’t had the faintest idea what we were going to witness or how to prepare for the calamity that was coming our way. The power went off at 10pm and the rain and wind was picking up. Luckily we had a big torch and a double sized tarpaulin which we used to spread outside for children to play. All four of us were in the master bedroom, Meetu (my three year old), on our bed sleeping and Sanjiv (1 year old) in his baby cot fast
asleep. Both of us were sitting on the bed and the sound of the rain and wind was very frightening. I told Anand I was getting scared of leaving my baby in the cot. I went to bring him on to our bed. As soon as I picked him up the louvres collapsed and glass shattered all over the cot. I just screamed crying and saying, “Thank you god! Thank you for saving my baby!” This happened about half an hour after the power went off. We took both the children in our arms and ran from the master bedroom to the lounge room. By the time we reached the end of the corridor, the lounge room windows exploded. We then went in the children’s bedroom but within 5 minutes the ceiling cracked and water started pouring in. As a last resort we rushed to the second child’s room which was in the middle. Our bedroom on one side and the other child’s room on the other. Being in the middle, it was protected from both sides and luckily had a double bed in it. We put both the children on the bed, put pillows all around them and covered them with the tarp. In this room the windows stayed intact
but the ceiling lost its seal from all sides with the wind and started to move up and down. When it went up, water came rushing in, when it banged down I thought it would cave in anytime now. Both children stayed nice and dry and were on the bed sleeping comfortably. But both of us were standing on either side of the bed protecting them from the wind and rain. We felt the water creeping up in the room. It was almost touching our knees. All this time we felt completely helpless and all we could do was to pray. The storm lasted for 4 hours but that was the longest four hours of our life we had ever experienced. In the morning our neighbors came knocking on our broken window and wished us merry Christmas and asked if we were alright. It was clear blue sky, sun was shining. We both came out and could not believe our eyes seeing the devastation. Debris was everywhere. There was not even a place to sit. We were both looking at each other. Neither of us knew what to do or where to go. We saw our car which looked intact. But on
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11 closer inspection there was no glass left on the window or windscreen and the inside was full of shattered glass. By 9am police started announcing on the loudspeaker, asking all the residents to go to the nearest school. We went to Casuarina High school (Now Casuarina senior college). Casuarina High was full of crying children and pretty much mayhem everywhere, so we decided to go to out friend’s house in the City. When we arrived, we were relieved to see their flat was not so badly damaged. I was dressed in a sari and Anand was in his shorts and singlet, but we had no shoes or spare clothes. That was all we had. Then we moved into the Smith Street flat with our friends. One more family joined us. Their house was destroyed too. Now three families, each with two little ones lived under the one roof. Most
of us lost almost everything we had. Coles supermarket then opened its doors for people to take things as needed free of cost. Darwin hospital kitchen was supplying hot foods. All fire hydrants were opened so people could access clean water. The telephone exchange made overseas calls free. A couple of days after the cyclone, Mr Whitlam, the prime minister visited Darwin. In his speech he said his government will provide as much help as they could. And they did. On 31st December we were evacuated to Adelaide as refugees on a defence force plane. Almost all of the Darwin population was evacuated. Only the emergency workers were left in Darwin. They were working towards rebuilding the city.
Darwin looked like a busy city. Restoration work was going on full swing. The sound of drilling machine jack hammers moving trucks, forklifts became quite familiar. New suburbs like Anula, Wulagi, Malak, Karama and Tiwi were established. Many trees and plants were planted. Now, 40 years later I am still living in Darwin and have gone through many wet seasons, but the memory of that fateful night of Cyclone Tracy will stay with me forever. PS I still don’t know what happened to my sewing machine. Rita Sharan
Many people lost their homes
Image courtesy: NT Library Archives
We were given commonwealth accommodation in Adelaide. Eight months later we received a letter that our house was repaired and ready to be occupied. So, a few weeks later we came back to Darwin.
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By Kirralee Pavy
Recollections of another family that survived Cyclone Tracy Cyclone Tracy was perhaps the worst tragedy that ever hit Darwin City. We have had the opportunity to catch up with Eleanor and Jaqueline Whitehead, mother and daughter survivors of the Cyclone which devastated Darwin on Christmas Eve in 1974.
Selma was a bit of a fizzer but I do recall we had a very big earth tremor about the same time as Selma hit.
What was the lead-up to Christmas like?
We prepared as normal making sure we had plenty of water, candles, tin food, radios etc. Yes there were warnings but again we didn’t realise just how big Tracy was going to be. Tell me about your experiences while the cyclone hit.
It was just normal. Nothing unusual at all! I (Eleanor) went to work on Christmas Eve at Nightcliff. The weather was very calm and nothing unusual, it wasn’t even raining. The kids were excited about Christmas and Santa coming the next day. I have 4 children and at the time they were aged 7, 6, 4 and 3. Was everyone worried about the cyclone, were there warnings issued? What had you/your family done to prepare? I don’t recall being worried or anyone being that concerned. We did know a cyclone was coming and had prepared as usual but of course in hindsight we did not realise how big it was going to be. A cyclone had hit Darwin just 2 weeks before Christmas and I think it was called Selma.
At the time I was working over in Nightcliff in a small supermarket/ corner store. That night I had gone to work and during the evening the weather got quite bad. I decided to take an early mark to get home before the weather got really bad. I gave one of my colleagues a lift home to Rapid Creek on the way. She had rode her motor bike to work and it by the time we wanted to go home it was too bad for her to take her bike. Driving home I could tell it was getting a bit wild however I felt quite safe! Although the trees were starting to come down. When I got home my husband Peter, was sitting at the kitchen table watching the storm and waiting for me. My children were all fast asleep. We sat there for a little while and then realised it
was getting very rough and wild very quickly. I ended up getting up and started to mop up the rain that was coming through the kitchen windows. It is hard to explain now but the windows were actually bending with the wind. As I was mopping up, Jackie my daughter came out of the bedroom and at the same time heard a tremendous noise, crash bang and I just froze. I knew then that we had just lost our roof and we needed to get out of the house and into the shed underneath the house. The wind very quickly became very violent and I remembered we were told by the authorities to get under the beds. Peter and I decided we would do this and we got the children out of their beds and put them under the beds in the first bedroom. At one point I looked up through the man hole in the ceiling and realised I could see the lightning and sky and that’s when Peter and I agreed it was definitely time to go downstairs. My daughter Jackie heard us say this and before I could stop her she had taken off for the front door and had opened it. I had to chase her and stop her. We all
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made our way out the front door holding hands and staying very close to each other and we made our way down the stairs. I recall the ferocity of the winds and that things were flying around our heads. We finally got into the shed underneath the house and just as we got settled Peter realised he had left his packet of smokes upstairs. He had to get them – he said “I’ll be back in a minute”. He did come back and the six of us sat huddled in the shed. I said to the children “repeat after me” and we said the Lord’s Prayer a couple of times. Strangely, the children eventually fell asleep and Peter and I sat together listening to the howling winds and the debris hitting the house, we didn’t really speak but sat wondering if we were going to survive the night. We went in to the shed at about midnight. The eye of the cyclone came over a couple of hours later and Peter and I went outside to look around - it was a horrendous scene and we couldn’t believe what was happening. When the eye of the cyclone passed and the winds began again, the second half was worse than the first. It finally stopped at about 6am.
We couldn’t get out of the shed because furniture and debris was blocking the door. Eventually our neighbours came yelling “are you Whiteheads in there?” When we came out of the shed the scene that greeted us was unbelievable - like a bomb had hit and destroyed the whole area. We were in a bit of a daze but slowly all our neighbours came out and we were relieved to see that everyone had survived. Of course, someone had a little gas cooker and we had the tins of baked beans. It was Christmas Day and Santa had still managed to make it to Darwin. We found the childrens’ presents and we had breakfast with the neighbours. The old Kingswood was sitting half in and half out underneath the house. It had rocked the night away in the wind and had made dents in the concrete but didn’t go anywhere. We eventually decided to go for a drive. We made our way up to Casuarina High and found a dry space in the library where we set up home for a couple of days. Peter and of course all the men
had volunteered and got working, cooking and organising shelter for the women and children.
What was the clean-up like? I stayed with the children for a couple of days and then the buses arrived at the school and we had to get on the bus to go to the airport. We then stood in the sun for hours on the tarmac and had to catch the next plane available out of Darwin. We didn’t have a choice, we had to get out. Peter stayed in Darwin and worked and cleaned up. He was a telegraphist and needed to get back to work to start sending out the messages to the rest of the world. We ended up in Adelaide where I had family and Peter stayed in Darwin to help clean up. I came back to Darwin in May 1975 via a brief time in Alice Springs.
What was the general attitude of Territorians at the time? I think everyone was happy we had survived but of course traumatised by what we had just been through. Everyone just ganged together and worked hard to clean Darwin up. The plane ride to Brisbane was
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very bumpy and my children were scattered and sitting on other people’s knees. No one seemed to mind and we all just sat silently hoping the plane would make it to Brisbane safely. It was an amazing thing to experience, not that I would want to go through it again but the generosity from the rest of Australia and the world was absolutely amazing. When we left Darwin to fly out we flew via Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and then Adelaide and every time we stopped we were greeted by every day Australians and the Salvation Army wanting to give us clothes and money and anything else we needed - this included just a little bit of comfort. I will never forget the generosity we received during this time. Cyclone Tracy took everyone by surprise. Nobody had thought it would be so devastating. But despite this, many people had prepared. Statistics show that the Northern Territory sees approximately two cyclones develop each wet season. Majority of these are only lowerclassed cyclones with far less
destructive ability, but it is still very important to make sure you are prepared. Firstly, know whether your house is built to cyclone standards. You can check this with your local council or building authority. If it is cyclone coded, you may stay at your home in the case of a cyclone warning. If not, you will need to know where your nearest cyclone shelter is and how to get there in the case of a cyclone. There are a number of simple things which you can do around the home before cyclone season that will make a huge difference. Ensure that all of your trees are trimmed back and keep all branches well clear of the house. You may need to get council permission for this. Get rid of all loose material around the yard that may blow up and become dangerous in a storm, and tie down larger things such as trampolines and playsets. Keep yourself updated on weather warnings by television or radio throughout the season. If your house is cyclone coded and you intend to stay there in the case of a cyclone, ensure that you and your family know which room is the strongest. This is where you will
shelter. Have an emergency kit, and keep it updated every season. As established by the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, this should include; • a portable battery radio, torch and spare batteries; • water containers, dried or canned food and a can opener; • matches, fuel lamp, portable stove, cooking gear, eating utensils; and • a first aid kit and manual, masking tape for windows and waterproof bags. For more information about cyclones in the Territory, or to keep up to date with the weather warnings, visit www.bom.gov.au
Image courtesy: NT Library Archives
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Issue 02 | December 2014
Migrant Stories
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By Neethi Ashok
Darwinian of the Month approximately 300 members. He works with various Government and non -Government organisations. Jey has also served the Government and Multicultural Community as the Chairperson of NT Police Ethnic Advisory Group and served in that position for 8 years. Below are some excerpts from our interview with Jey. 1. Could you please tell something about your journey in Australia? When did you arrive in Australia? What triggered your migration to Australia? In this edition of NamasteyNT, we would like to share the story of a prominent Darwinian, Mr. Jey Lamech. Hailing from Burma (Myanmar), Jey is first a family man, works as a Psychologist and is also the President of Burmese association in Darwin which has
This is my second time in Australia, I was here in the 60s. My father was a Burmese Diplomat and I attended primary school in Canberra. I have lived in my own country only for 7 years as I travelled around a lot
in different nations and most of my schooling was outside my country. I returned to Burma (Myanmar) when I was 17 and had a cultural shock, we went through a hard time firstly adjusting to a new culture and secondly adjusting to the political climate. There was a nationalistic spirit in Burma (Myanmar) and being of mixed blood caused difficulties and also the imposition of Martial law with all its dire implications as history as noted was hard to get around. My parents and brothers and sister fled Burma (Myanmar) and settled in Australia in the late 70’s. I had trouble in receiving a Burmese passport as my parents had migrated to Australia and later received assistance from the Red Cross and came to Australia in 1983.
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16 2. Could you tell us more about your stay in Myanmar? Initially I could speak Burmese at home and English in different nations, but not enough to read or write to high school or University level so for the first year I learnt Burmese at home with tutors. Growing up with a father who was a diplomat and with strong ties to being Burmese, I grew up with certain mandates. • I was not to bring shame or disrepute to my father by my speech or behaviour as I was a diplomats son I was not to dishonour the culture or country. So returning to Burma (Myanmar) was difficult as new friends and extended family was trying to understand why I spoke differently, how I acted or had opinions that were different than the norm. As the state of the country was going through confusion, and things like freedom of speech, ability to choose what to buy, where to stay was controlled by the Military Government, it was difficult to be quiet or let things slide. In the movie “The Lady” the story of Aung San Su Kyi, it portrayed how people suffered greatly with forced labour, jailed for no reason, used as human bomb detectors and confinement. In that environment I saw and felt the brutality of torture, the demoralisation of people by forced labour and lack of voice. 3. When people go through war, trauma and torture, many times they get depressed or become affected by the experience, what actually helped you? Was it education? No, it was not my education but my belief in God, I was brought up with a Buddhist cosmology or world view, but then I converted to Christianity in Burma (Myanmar). It helped me. The proof was when I was in the pits, it all helped. Prior to this I had a belief that all religions were the same. The Buddhist views
of honouring parents, priesthood and scriptures, the truths of the Noble Eight truths, right speech right means of livelihood, right endeavour, right mindfulness and right meditation. But when I had my own encounter, it was not matters of wisdom or morality or mental discipline but a matter of quality of existence in trusting God that helped me to overcome and achieve a sense of peace. First choice is easy – if it is good and bad, anyone can choose. But when it is good and better it is hard. That is where my belief helps me to choose the correct one. (Jey gave us a story of how he had a situation where he had to choose between three equally good jobs and how his conviction turned out to be true). We carry the wounds, but wounds should heal. Only way to heal the wound is to take the poison out of you by forgiving. If you are wounded 90% of time you lose the battle. First get the poison out. You don’t need to be stuck. You need to improve the way you see the problem. I refused to let my past take my spirit. You do not have a right to be hurt but you do have a right to be healed 4.How did you escape? Those days with not much media support and in a heavily controlled environment, how did you manage to do it? I escaped through the help of the Red-Cross. I was a victim not because of my political views, nor of my behaviour but of being my father’s son. But Organisations such as Red Cross was there to help people like me. 5.What happened after you came back to Australia? I came back in 1984. Initially I went to Canberra to be with my parents. My father was retired and he was sad that all his life he served the country and his own country treated him like a traitor. But they honoured him after he passed away
when he was 97. I studied, worked hard and moved to Darwin to build a better life a better community and had hoped to travel more often to Burma (Myanmar). 6.In your business card it says “Good thinking” what do you mean by that? When people come to me with a problem, I tell them they need to upgrade their mind. Just like your computers we need to upgrade our thinking. Very few people actually do that. I tell people that the way they see the problem is the problem and you may be stuck. Right now you are here and to resolve something you may need to go to the next level. People often say “I want to live new”, but they act old. Then it is my challenge in therapy to get them to think different. Being with people I say, multiple personality is treated as a disorder. But we all have multiple roles or identities. Your job, your family, your friend, your community – all see you differently and the upgrade is for the identity. When you are sad, you attribute everything to one identity. You may be a good mother, but you may be a version 2 wife. So many roles to play and the person is exactly the same, so it is sometimes normal that one or two roles are not played at the same level as others. For instance, many people have a duty statement for the work, but are the Duty statement for work alone? What is your duty statement for your home roles? Sometimes I encourage people to have more options to deal with life situations. 7. How did you learn the skills you have to help people? I learnt from my training and experience. I don’t need to ask those direct questions, I just figure out by talking to them and if they don’t have tools, we need to give tools. Many times they may not even know the exact problem, my
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job is to identify the problem areas and give them the tools to fix it. If someone says I get angry when I hear something, I ask, if they have only one option, they should have multiple options to choose from. 8. How much you think your upbringing - Childhood, cultural elements helped in your success here? My father always instilled the values such as “Never bring shame on your country and never bring shame on your family “. Also as the eldest son I had the pressure and certain responsibilities. I am more of an Australian than Burmese, but still my culture is very strong. The way I talk to my family, Burmese friends & relatives are different. E.g. my father will call me “number one” and never call me by my name. I think I was blessed to have both sides of the culture. My culture, environment and choices combined formed my personality both positive and negative, however when we learn to upgrade to personality plus persona (i.e. the way heaven sees you) you will learn to achieve great success as you learn to live in the upgrade of personality plus persona. 9.What was your dream as a child? Did you ever think of being in the current profession?
I wished to become a priest. My name is Jeyaraj – a man of war, or man of peace. My father and society pushed me to become the man of war but I chose to be the other. I became a psychologist by accident. While working with the Government My CEO came to me one day and asked me to consider studying for people come to you for advice, I took it to mean training courses that were one day and the CEO stated he would help me to enrol and I was surprised when I received enrolment to study a degree in Psychology and the Department graciously gave me study leave and the rest is history. 10. Are there any unique factors in Darwin that contributed to your journey? How long have you been in Darwin? I came to Darwin for work and have been in Darwin since 1985. I was the chairman of the NT Police Ethnic Advisory Board. Initially the appointment was for a year but they made me stay for 8 years. I was also lecturing at the Australian Police College. I was also nominated numerous National Awards which I doubt I would have received anywhere else 11. We see a recently a lot of emphasis on mental health programs. What is your view on them and any message for this Christmas?
The main message is that you do not have to do this alone. Questions such as “Are you ok?” are great, a lot of people feel loneliness when their family break up-especially children. And many people go through a low at different times. Hopelessness does not have to lead to depression or suicide. Remember Suicide is the permanent solution to a temporary problem. Look out for people around you during this season wish them well and encourage them to look at the options they have to deal with the situation. Help is always available through: Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) in work, Organisations such as Anglicare or individuals like myself you can find under Psychologist can definitely help. Jey mentioned many people go through a low during festive season because people may be remembering and missing the company of loved ones who are far away. But we are lucky to live in a multicultural place like Darwin where we can enjoy many Christmas and New Year celebrations that are being organised by different groups. NamasteyNT wishes everyone a Merry Xmas and a Happy New Year.
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Issue 02 | December 2014
Special Story
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By Luxmy Chandran
Growing up in Australia with Indian and European Origins
I am a 22 year old lawyer, currently living in Darwin. My origins stem from India, Wales and Cyprus but I was born in Katherine NT and have grown up in Australia. I adore all aspects of my Eurasian cultural collage. I truly believe we become well-rounded and enriched because of the experiences different aspects of our identity instil within us. However internal acceptance of this cultural mixture often arises from confusion, perseverance and personal growth. Despite being born in Australia, I grew up in a primarily Indian cultural setting at home with
my family with some European elements interwoven into my upbringing. As a young child, I was constantly wishing to be ‘normal’, which in hindsight is such a horrible trait to aspire to, given in essence it is such a loosely defined concept. In every aspect of my life, there was an element of differentiation between myself and those around me - which is a true reflection of diversity. At school, I was constantly asked why I had a black sticker on my forehead and what certain Indian traditions I adhered to meant, whilst in the Indian community I was often questioned on my fair skin
and mixed heritage. In this article I will discuss how this reflection of differences, which stemmed from my parents’ choice of our upbringing, brought about both social challenges and benefits to my world. Some have a perception that one must choose between our Indian culture and the Australian or European culture, when we arrive in a new country or are born with mixed heritage. I don’t believe we are forced with a choice in either direction, rather we are posed with a very difficult choice of how we will treat our cultural ties. We can either embrace our
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Indian heritage while living within Australian society, or choose to slowly sever the connection. In my opinion the enrichment and balance of embracing both aspects far outweighs the difficulties in maintaining both. There is a prominent line drawn across my identity which creates astronomical expectations from both sides that are very often in conflict. However this is a price that I happily pay for the incredible honour of being accepted and feeling comfortable in two different cultural realms. Accepting my mixed heritage has taught me to diversify myself in every aspect of my life – I love trying new activities, listening to different perspectives and reading a wide range of books. I also find it easier to switch from one social setting to another without discomfort, whether this is at an Indian function, corporate settings
or at university socials, because I am comfortable enough with my identity to know how to adapt and read social settings. Growing in such a diversified setting has also provided me with heightened cultural sensitivity, as I feel I am more accepting of different people and their backgrounds. The journey towards accepting an identity which belongs to two differing cultures can be confusing and challenging. There are many conflicting external influences, ideals and opinions that spring within a multicultural world and the choice between rights and wrongs becomes increasingly blurred. This challenge can be tackled firstly by defining the boundaries we set for ourselves with reference to our diverse upbringing – this may not completely satisfy the
criteria of ‘normal’ in either cultural world, however it should be acceptable to your personal morals and should encompass your choice of principles from both aspects. Thereafter we will need commitment and loyalty to these ideals to be balanced with open-mindedness and acceptance of societal progression. In my experience, this acceptance has broadened my mind, strengthened my sense of identity, taught me diplomacy and has made my inter-cultural interactions more effective, which is invaluable in our globalising world. It is vital for young people to embrace their cultural heritage alongside their belonging in Australia: not only is it beneficial to their personal growth, it is also extremely beneficial in a globalising economy.
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Issue 02 | December 2014
Community News MALAK ONLINE TV Darwin Community Arts is producing informative online video program and are looking for the Volunteers for Malak Online TV multilingual program presenters for their first Episode of Malak Online TV which will be uploaded on www.malak.org.au from January 2015. If you are a performing artist, singer or dancer of the community and want to showcase your talent then send your expression of interest ASAP on http://www.malak. org.au/malakonlinetv/. For Further information contact Oli Dubsky on 89457347 and Nitesh raj Pant on niteshrajpant@gmail.com. PASSPORT TO DRIVE PROGRAM 2014 Passport to Drive Program opened on 1 July 2014 for permanent residents who arrived in Australia within last five years under Humanitarian entrants; Family stream migrants with Low English proficiency; dependants skilled migrants in rural and regional area; selected temporary residents (prospective marriage, provisional spouse, and provisional interdependency visa holders and their dependants) in rural and regional areas and who have low proficiency. The project period is from 1 July to 31 December 2014. For further information contact Nitesh @8945 9122 or driving@mcnt.org.au
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ENGLISH CLASSES English for everyday living are held each Monday 9am to 12pm at the meeting room Casuarina Library by the Happy Migrant learning Centre. Sessions are open from beginners to advanced levels. All are welcome. For further information contact Cecilia (Coordinator) 89273108 INDONESIAN CLASSES Selamat. Want to travel to Bali for weekend? How about trying to learn some basic words of the language to try to break the ice. The Consulate of the Republic of Indonesia are offering free language classes at Indonesian Consulate. For more information contact Jherry/Hesti on 89430208 or matahelumual@indoconsdarwin. org.au. Website www.kemlu.go.id/ darwin. Facebook www.facebook.com/ konsulatrint HINDI CLASSES Free Hindi language classes are scheduled each Saturday to commence from 2-3 pm at Alawa primary School during School Terms only (entrance from Pett St. Alawa) room 4. For more information contact Sumesh Dhir 0414663075 URDU CLASSES Free Urdu language classes are scheduled each Sunday to commence from 11 am to 1 pm at Alawa primary School During School terms
only(entrance from Pett St. Alawa) room 3. For more information contact Farah Sattar 0432240362 BOLLYWOOD DANCE ACADMEY Bollywood Dance Academy motto is ―anybody can dance‖ and provides free dance classes each Saturday at MCNT community Room Malak. For more information contact 0450990710 or Bollywood.bda@gmail.com or facebook.com/b.d.a.darwin What Age Time Bollywood Dhamaal 7-13 12-1 Bollywood Hungama 14-19 1-2 Bollywood Kamaal From 30 years old 2-3 TELECENTRO (DARWIN COMMUNITY ARTS PROJECT) Telecentro is a free community computer lab with broadband Internet access and technical support. Facility has 12+ computers for social and job networking with word processing, web browsing and online service to ATO, Department of Human Services, Department of Immigration, VEVO, etc. All welcome, however clients like SGP and related migrant communities are priority target groups. Open between 2-4pm each weekday at Chamber Crescent Community Arts Malak. Contact Jim McDougall at 89457347 for more info. SKILLED MIGRATION OR 457 VISA HOLDERS The MCNT provides general information assistance for skilled migration and 457 visa holders. Workshops focusing on employment, financial management and other forms of assistance aimed at benefitting these Visa holders and other community members. Contact Ron Mitchell for more information at 89459122 or ron.mitchell@mcnt.org.au INDONESIAN STORYTIME Enjoy a bilingual Storytime session each month for Indonesian and non Indonesian speaking families. This fun multicultural activity for you and your child– suitable for 0-5 years is fun way to get know to your neighbouring people. Sessions are held at 10am on last Friday each Month at Darwin City Library. For more information contact Frances Brougham on 89305235 NamasteyNT team welcomes your thoughts and enquiries to improve the magazine. Please send your ideas to mag@hallmark.com.au To read online -http://www.namasteynt. com.au/ Also please check our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/namasteynt
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Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year For all that you have meant to us, we would like to send you our very best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, full of love, peace and all the goods things for you and yours. May we all continue to dedicate our good wishes to you and our desire for much happiness, reconciliation for all of us, may we ever shorten the distances between us through words that together make up the mensagens from us to all of you. We hope that in this Season, the Light that guides the world may also illuminate your dreams. Have a truly Merry Christmas and Prosperous New Year, that the angels may be with you and guide you in this long journey of life, that your life may be full of blossoming fruit and flowers. We are happy in the work we do every day that allows us to meet new friends and deal with people as lovely as you. Merry Christmas, and may 2015 bring you all wonderful rewards, these are our most sincere wishes for you!
From ICS Darwin to its members Santa is definately on his way to Darwin and will visit the ICS Christmas Party on the 13th of December at Casuarina Square Community Hall located near Woolworth. Party begins at 6pm with music, games, food and soft drinks, all for free. So come along enjoy the family fun night and get a picture taken with Santa. This is an alcohol free event.
If you are planning to go away on holidays... NEIGHBOURHOOD Watch NT (NHWNT) is urging residents to keep their home secure while they’re away on holiday and is highlighting some tips to do so. NHWNT’s Support and Liaison Officer, Senior Constable Tracy-Dale Middleton said the first important steps were to “tell your family, friends and neighbours if you are heading out of town and secure both your home and your vehicle.” “You can also lodge an Absentee Owner Advice form at your local Police Station, and it’s wise to mark all your property with your NT Driver’s Licence number using the new NHW marker pens - a new way to mark your property. Contact the Neighbourhood Watch NT office for more details on how to get your kit!” The UV Marker kit pictured in the photo will soon be available to all NHWNT
members and at local Police stations and other participating venues or you can contact the NHW office. An Ultraviolet (UV) marker is a pen whose marks are fluorescent but transparent: the marks can be seen only under an ultraviolet light. They are commonly used in security situations to identify belongings.) Other tips include: • Have your yard maintained. • Use timer switches on lights, televisions or radios. • If possible, divert your home telephone to your mobile. • Install outside sensor lighting before your holiday. For more information or if you wish to become a member of Neighbourhood Watch in your area, go to www.nhwnt. org.au or call (08) 8999 0847 or email neighbourhoodwatch@nt.gov.au
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Issue 02 | December 2014
Health
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By Padmaja Damodaran
Hepatitis C
Could I be at risk?
which is a waste product of hemoglobin metabolism. Many other biochemical functions also performed by liver. Thus liver function impairment leads to abnormalities in the metabolism of carbohydrates, protein, amino acids, ammonia and lipids (triglycerides and cholesterol).
Hepatitis C is an inflammation of the liver. It is caused by a bloodborne virus that was identified in 1989. In Australia it is spread through sharing unsterile needles and other injecting equipment. There are several causes including infectious causes e.g. viral hepatitis, lifestyle habits e.g. alcohol and drugs . The incubation period of HCV is around 2 weeks to 6 months. Hepatitis viruses, replicate and finally damage the host cells. Accumulation of bilirubin in the plasma, urine and epithelium results in icterus (Jaundice).
MODE OF TRANSMISSION: Unsterile, reusing syringes, needles who use illicit drugs in the recent or past, along with contacting with other injecting equipment like tourniquets, water, spoons, with surfaces and fingers contaminated with blood. • Reused snorting devices which has contaminated blood. • Sharing a razor or toothbrush from an infected person. • Person exposed to unsterile tattooing, body piercing, certain folk medicine practices (acupuncture, ritual scarification) and commercial barbering. • Children born to HCV- infected mothers. • Health care, public safety and emergency medical workers after needle stick injury to HCV positive blood. • In many developing countries ,unscreened blood and blood products are still being used.
FUNCTIONS OF LIVER Liver plays an important role in metabolic functions, like bile secretion for fat absorption, sugar conversion to glycogen and excretion of bilirubin,
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS: Many people with Hepatitis C may have no symptoms thus do not realize that they have the virus and can spread it unknowingly. Some people develop liver disease
symptoms with both acute and chronic like- Tiredness, Lethargy, Joint and muscle pain, Depression with mood swings and anxiety, Headache, Nausea,Upper abdominal pain, Pale stools, Dark yellow urine, jaundice-Yellow eyes and skin, Fluid retention, nose bleeds and bruising and Rash. They may also experience Oral complications such as Dry mouth , difficulty in Speech ,chewing and deglutition and abnormal bleeding. For an assessment with a possible hepatitis C, an HCV antibody test is performed. Positive test indicates exposure to HCV and not indicative of active infection. TREATMENT: • Basic therapy is palliative and supportive. • Fluids and bed rest is given during the acute phase. • Nutritious and high –calorie diet is advised. • Alcohol and drugs metabolized by liver is avoided. • Viral antigen and ALT levels is monitored for 6months to check if hepatitis is resolving. • For hepatitis C treatment Peg interferon injection in combination with oral Ribavirin , is administered intramuscularly or subcutaneously for 24-48 weeks. • Liver transplant is for the patients who develop cirrhosis
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IMAGES FROM THE BUDDHIST INTERNATIONAL FOOD FESTIVAL
FILM PREVIEWS AT DARWIN COMMUNITY AND ARTS CENTRE AT MALAK
Collection of short films, from Actor/Director Nitesh Pant
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Issue 02 | December 2014
News & Events
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25 ICS DIWALI FESTIVAL CELEBRATIONS
Poinciana, Flame of the forest, Gulmohar was introduced into Australia in late 18th century. These trees are native to Africa. Whenever Gulmohar trees are in blossom many of us are transported magically to various regions of India. Fill your lives with color, energy and vigour and reconnect with nature. Fun morning with Marian Bhasin, Savita Bhuwal, Arya Valadian, Sita Valadian, Vinuthaa Murthy, Madhu Dasgupta, Prasanna Adams, Sarbari Kundu, Priya Desai, Bhavna Dubey, Thank you Prasanna Adams for the location
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ISLAMIC YOUTH BBQ
George, popularly credited as Spadikam George is an Indian actor visited Darwin
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Issue 02 | December 2014
Life Lessons
By Alexander Pappy
Wealth
Movie Review By Uday Alexander
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day is funny, family-themed movie that is all about a young boy, Alexander, and his series of never-ending days, where nothing seems to go right. Adapted from the popular children’s book of the same name, the film tells the story of unlucky, unfortunate Alexander who wakes up with chewing gum in his hair.
Wealth has an enormous attractive quality. The attraction to wealth is the greatest put together by all the other attractions. Human history has revealed man has undergone tremendous hardship, eventually realizing a simple fact that the more money and power a person has, the more luxurious and comfortable he is. Thus the race started by mankind to gain more and loose their sleep over wealth. Wealth. no doubt increases purchasing power, but the pleasures we get from it is temporary. The true joy you get from knowing your partner is with you is your victory ,the happiness you get from parents blessings is your wealth, when kids trust you with closed eyes you know you’re the richest person. This piece is written by a person who gained lots of wealth, lost it, made it again and evaluated and found that somehow wealth is not everything.
This is just the start of a long day in which everything that could go wrong, does go wrong. Alexander’s birthday party, which is planned for the next day, is cancelled, because the coolest kid in school, Phillip Parker, has chosen the exact same day to host his own party which involves a frozen yoghurt bar, a hot tub and even a Korean taco stand! Alexander’s day then goes from bad to worse as he accidently sets his crushes’ science book on fire, and then in an attempt to put it out, almost burns the entire lab. This makes him feel quite sad and finally, feeling sorry for himself, and at 12:01 at night, Alexander makes himself a birthday sundae and wishes for everyone in his family (who seem to have perfect days), to experience life like he does. This sets off a chain of events that causes his sister to ruin her part in a play; his brother’s girlfriend to dump him; his father’s interview for a job to be jeopardised; his brother’s face to be stained green; and his mother’s book release to be humiliated by a misprint. Oh, and did I mention the family car almost gets destroyed? All together this is a hilarious comedy and I thoroughly enjoyed it. I recommend this movie for people who are tired of all the serious, action films and want something a bit more light hearted. I give it 3.5 out of 5.
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Recipes
Marshmallow & Pineapple Pudding
December is a time for celebrations. When you are busy and still want to impress the family and friends, here is a simple desert recipe that anyone can try and get a few admiring glimpses from everyone you serve.
Making time less than 10 minutes
Ingredients Crushed pineapple 440g can-1 (squeeze out the water) Sour cream (light) 300ml -1 Multi colour small marshmallow -2 cups (or only white marshmallow) Sugar-12 tsp or less (according to your taste) Caramelized almonds Sugar-1/2 cup Chopped almonds-1/2 cup Water-2tsp (Heat sugar in a pan till it slightly melts. Add water & keep stirring till it turns light golden brown (be careful do not burn it). Immediately add the almonds mix well. Switch off the heat & pour it on a greased baking tray or on wooden cutting board layered with baking paper. Cool it completely & break into small pieces. Keep it aside.) Method Mix all above ingredients together & keep it in fridge. Before serving sprinkle the caramelized almonds on top & serve it cold. It is very light and full of flavour. About the author Sailaja Damodaran is passionate about food and she writes a recipe almost every day. She started her website www.sailajakitchen.org as her hobby for all food lovers. All recipes are made in her style. You can alter the ingredients according to your taste if you want. Hope all of you will enjoy trying out my recipes & leave your valuable comments! She has dedicated her site to a social cause - Eradication of blindness. For more details and donations please visit Sankara Eye Foundation website.
Letters to the Editor It is with great pleasure as a President of the Australian Burma Friendship Ass and in my role in the community at large as a Psychologist that I give my blessing to the launch of Namastey NT. I pray that in all your endeavours you will see more and more parties accessing this wonderful resource. May the truth of the meaning of Namastey continue to be the drawing expression of warmth, care and openness. Every culture even my own has an expression of greeting to family, friends and even strangers. May this be the expression seen and sought as people in Darwin experience the delight of your magazine. Jey Lamech President Australia Burma Friendship Association I read the first edition of Namastey NT Congratulations. It is a beautiful magazine. Once I started reading I could not stop. Each page was just as interesting as the other. You have brought the community at large together through Namastey NT. Well done. Really appreciated. Rita Sharan
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Condolences Dr. Sitaram Raut who has been a long time Darwin resident passed away in India on 4th December. We express our heartfelt condolences to the Raut family and wish that may his soul rest in peace.
Mrs Padmaja Damodaran’s mother (Bhagyalakshmi Damodaran, 66 yrs old) passed away on November 11th. It was only 8 weeks since she left Darwin after a short visit. We’d like to extend our condolences to her grieving family.