A conversation with Carol Vale Sharni-Rae Vale

A conversation with Carol Vale

by Sharni-Rae Vale

Carol Vale talks about her childhood and growing up as a Dunghutti/Gumbaingirr woman from NSW with her granddaughter Sharni.

Sharni: What was your favourite childhood memory?

Nan: I have many happy childhood memories, but I guess my favourite ones are those times spent at the river. We used to always be in Kempsey and Tamworth, both of these places have rivers and our family would always join with other family members and enjoy swimming, eating and our old people telling us stories. Sometimes we would camp and have campfires where our aunties and uncles would tell stories and our old Nan (Balu) would always tell us stories of when she was growing up or when her children were growing up. There are many of those stories but one was about how we used to have a medicine man in our family, and he had two medicine dogs – big white ones sort of and when he couldn’t come to help people, he would send those dogs and they would heal the person they were sent to care for.

Sharni: What was the mission like?

Nan: I grew up on the mission with my father’s extended family. All of us on that place were related and the descendants of Frank and Sarah Archibald. We used to have to make our own fun which included playing games of rounders and going exploring in the bush for blackberries and other fruits to eat. We would always go everywhere together as big groups of girls and boys and were never really alone. If one of us was doing something wrong, we would always be told off by one of the aunties and uncles.

Sharni: What was your favourite meal growing up?

Nan: Damper and treacle, which is sort of like golden syrup. My Mum was an amazing cook and so pretty much anything she cooked was great.

Sharni: Did you have a nickname growing up?

Nan: I had a couple of nicknames including Pod which most of my family called me. Another was Blondie which a couple of my aunties called me and the final one was Callie which my Nan called me.

Sharni: What school did you go to?

Nan: The Armidale Demonstration School

Sharni: Do you have any regrets growing up?

Nan: Yes, not finishing school and dropping out. I loved education and learning but social problems contributed to me leaving school, and home, early, which has been my biggest regret.

Carol Vale is a professional facilitator, social researcher and policy analyst with expertise in Aboriginal issues, public policy and stakeholder engagement across a range of sectors. Carol is Managing Director of Murawin Pty Ltd, a specialist inter-cultural consulting and facilitation organisation that specialises in working with a range of clients to enhance organisational capacity by undertaking social research, community consultations, stakeholder engagement and evaluation services.