4 minute read
Me and My Great-Great-Grandparents, Francis and Ella Woibo by Amaya Bowen
Amaya Bowen | Year 7
Q. Where are you from?
A. I am from two different clans/tribes, one of which is the Dharrpa clan. This clan, one of the 13 different clans in a town called Hopevale located in Far North Queensland, is my dad’s side of the family. The second tribe is the Thanakwith tribe, which is the tribe my mother’s father’s mother is from. They are traditional owners of the area around Weipa. Not only that, I’m also from Thursday Island in the Torres Strait.
Q. Do you speak any languages other than English?
A. I speak two different languages. When I am back at home, I speak Creole and Guugu Yimithirr, which is the language from Hopevale that we speak.
Q. Favourite memory?
A. My favourite memories are the ones when I’m with my whole family, whether that’s my mum’s or dad’s side of the family. I have such a great time with all of them. I love laughing, giggling, and just creating memories I’ll never forget. For me, the best memories are the ones created with family.
Q. What would you like to do after school?
A. After school, I would like study something at university. I would also like to work in the business world. That means at some stage I would like to own my own business whether that’s a café or something else. As a side option, I would like to be a photographer or something in the sports industry.
Q. What would you like to share about your culture?
A. I would like to share that my great-grandmother (Lillian Bowen) published a whole book about our language Guugu Yimithirr. She also wrote another book named Gudaa Bula Dyugi-dyugi Activity Book. In English it’s called ‘the dog and the chook.’
Q. Who do you admire in your family?
A. Someone I admire in my family is my mum. My mum is a hard-working woman who works for Rio Tinto as an electrician. She won the 2017 National NAIDOC Apprentice of the Year. The reason why I admire my mum is that she puts 100% into everything she does, whether that’s sports or in the workplace. She’s really passionate about what she does. She’s supportive of others around her and helps them reach their goals. That’s why I look up to her for the things she’s achieved and the support and encouragement she has given me. I hope someday I can be just like her – such a strong, powerful, and passionate woman.
Q. Favourite story growing up?
A. One of my favourite stories growing up was about my great-great-grandparents from Hopevale. On the 17th of May 1942, the Guugu Yimithirr people of Cape Bedford Mission were forcibly removed and evacuated during World War II. It has been 80 years since the evacuation and my great-great-grandparents, Francis and Ella Woibo, were just children when this occurred. Francis was 14, and Ella was just eight. Today, they are 94 and 88 years old respectively, and together, they still recall the stories of the evacuation. My great-great-grandparents recall some events on the 17th of May 1942 and the days leading up to their evacuation where they have recollections of boarding a steamer (ship) at the Cooktown wharf. They travelled south to the Woorabinda Aboriginal Settlement. My great-greatgrandmother tells of her journey on the steamer where she was thirsty and there was no water or food provided on the steamer, and she was too afraid to ask for water. Once disembarking the steamer, they were put onto trains and it was at a train station that she saw a tap dripping water; all she could do was watch. My great-great-grandfather tells of how they had to leave what little possessions they had. He tried to gather his father’s spears and woomeras but was told that they would not be allowed to take them with them. Their dogs were left behind also. It was at Woorabinda Aboriginal Settlement that the Cape Bedford People were under the Aboriginal Protection Act. They lived in camps, and under this authority, they had to seek permission for the necessities of life such as food, water, warm clothing during winter, baby clothing, warm blankets, and permission to travel from one community to another. Sometime later, they returned to their home, now called Hopevale. My great-great-grandmother left her brothers behind, back around the areas of Central Queensland. She later received a message from her best friend Molly that they were all being transferred back home. Today, my great-great-grandparents still live in the same area (house block) that they cleared for themselves on their return. They have eight children, 31 grandchildren, 90 great-grandchildren, and 14 great-great-grandchildren.
