Country
through Indigenous eyes Determined to tell his people’s story, local Broome legend Neville Poelina has paved the way for a thriving Indigenous tourism culture. By TORI WILSON | Images TOURISM WA
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eville Poelina was destined for a life in tourism. Born storyteller and Nykina man from the Kimberley, from the age of nine Neville was catching bait and selling it to those he calls ‘sunset travellers’ – retired folk, or grey nomads, who made up the bulk of tourists during that time – with a convincing guarantee he’d top up the bait until a catch was made. As a third-generation pearl diver, Neville grew up surrounded by hard hat divers who, through sheer hard work and impressive bravery, carved the foundations for the thriving industry it is today. Having come from Timor to become a hard hat diver in Broome, Neville’s father developed a respected reputation in his field; inspiring Neville, among cousins and Tourism WA
brothers, to follow suit. “I grew up in Chinatown. When I was a kid I walked that street of Chinatown and the old divers respectfully called me diver’s son,” says Neville, who always new he was destined to dive. Neville personally spent over 20 years of his life dedicated to the pearling industry, predominately diving. In that time, he witnessed a world of change in how the job was done. Neville says the origins of the pearling industry were tough years and in his dad’s day, hard hat divers risked their lives for little reward. “I went into that industry and had an awesome time, but my dad’s life was hard. When I first went to sea, nine iron men went out on a wooden boat and when I retired, 13
plastic people went out on a steal boat,” says Neville. “I was there from the change of the guard from hard hat to wetsuit. The wetsuit industry came in and completely changed the way of diving.” Neville says after decades of diving he grew weary of spending so much of his life underwater. That’s when he began an aqua culture course at TAFE to broaden his horizons. Neville speaks with conviction and exemplifies competency in all his endeavours, so it came as no surprise when he said, in 1996, a twist of events had him becoming a lecturer at TAFE when he was just halfway through his course. “If I’m going to do anything, I do it wholeheartedly,” says Neville. Broome Visitor Guide | 2022
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