Beyond the Crossing

by Lorraine Watts

  ****

  I left Fitzroy Crossing twenty years ago, and moved to Perth, but the memories are still very much alive and maybe, one day, I will write a book about it. I transferred to Esperance for work at the beginning of 2003 but I am due to return in two weeks' time. Yesterday I signed up to a dating website. I was not to know at the time but a completely new world was about to open up for me. This is how it unfolds...

  An email just arrives. It is a message from the dating site. My heart beats faster as I check my messages. The date is 26 November 2003 and the email says, “Hi Liz, I have read your profile and I like what I see. Would you like to meet for coffee? I live in East Perth. Do you have a pic? Mike.” Wow! How exciting! Mike doesn’t realise I live in Esperance. I feel safe to get to know him online. I do like his photo and his profile. I wrote:

  “Hi Mike, thanks for replying to my message. I am in Esperance at present but moving back to Perth in about two weeks’ time. I’ve been here since the beginning of 2003 working for the State Government. Bye for now, Liz.”

  Mike replies saying, “Hi Liz, I would love to see your pic and to meet you when you are back in Perth. My email address is 'Mike@gmail.com'. I am working at a mining company, helping to plan their move to their new offices. I can give you my phone number. Bye for now, Mike.” He wants a photo of me. I guess that has to be expected. I don’t want to put it up on the dating site. I reply, saying:

  “Hi Mike, here is my photo. I would like to get to know you a bit more online before we talk and meet. Bye for now, Liz.”

  Mike replies promptly, “Hi Liz, point taken, thanks for your photo. I like your smile! I should have included 'impulsive' in my profile. Regards, Mike.”

  It is good that he thinks the photo is ok. That’s a relief. I certainly like his. I reply,

  “Hi Mike, I do like impulsive people! I made the decision to take this job in one hour. I have also lived in Arnhem Land (Numbulwar) and the Kimberley region (Fitzroy Crossing) of Western Australia. I’m looking forward to hearing from you again, Liz.”

  Mike replies, “Hi Liz, what were you doing up north? I’m from the UK. I haven’t seen much of Australia. It is such a big country. Tell me more, Mike.”

  He is English. I wonder how long he has lived in Australia. He might be interested in some of my tales about up north. I write, “Hi Mike, my first big adventure was moving with my now, ex-husband, Martin, from Melbourne to an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory. We went there in 1980 to work for the Church Missionary Society. Are you still with me? Liz.” He might think I am too religious. Time will tell, I guess.

  Yet another email from Mike arrives, “Hi Liz, I am intrigued. Does this mean you were a missionary? Ha! I have never dated a missionary before and, ah, I forgot to mention I am an agnostic. Nevertheless, tell me more about your experiences. Until next time, Mike.”

  He is agnostic and he seems to have a sense of humour. I like that. I write back saying, “Hi Mike, I am happy to share more about my experiences with you if you are really interested. It began with a vacancy for a store man in Numbulwar with the Church Missionary Society (an Anglican Mission). The job entailed assisting the Aboriginal Corporation in the transition to managing and owning the community store. I’ll tell you more next time. Bye, Liz.” It is great to have someone to converse with, even though it is only via email.

  Mike writes back saying, “Hi Liz, coming from the UK, I can’t imagine why you would want to go to such a remote place - especially after living in Melbourne. It sounds like a life changing experience. Tell me more. Bye for now, Mike.”

  I reply, “Hi again Mike, I wonder about that myself. I think we were looking for excitement. After living like hippies in Melbourne in the 1970s, smoking dope, going to protest marches, folk clubs and the rest of it, we found it hard to settle down to so called ‘normal’ life. Our relationship was very shaky as well. What about you – what brought you to Australia? I hope to hear from you soon, Liz.” I hope he tells me a bit more about himself. It is all a bit one-sided so far.

  “Hi Liz, I came to Melbourne to get work in the computer industry in the 1970s. Your story is much more interesting than mine is though. You were a dope-smoking hippie and a missionary! You can hear my stories later. Tell me more. Mike xx.” It is interesting that Mike is in the computer industry – well paid, I hope. It would be nice to have a partner who has stable employment.

  I write, “Hi Mike, the decision to work with Aboriginal people was consistent with my socialist ideals of the ‘70s. In truth, I actually experienced a kind of cultural shock. The community was so vastly different from anything I had ever experienced. The Aboriginal people didn’t speak much English. I was nervous speaking to them anyway and withdrew more and more into myself. I found out what it is like to belong to a minority group – there were over five hundred Aboriginal people and only fifteen non-Aboriginals. Martin worked at the store but he found it hard too. He didn’t get on with the manager and they were in constant conflict. I will write again soon. Liz xx.”

  Mike writes, “Hi Liz, Tell me more about Numbulwar. It sounds fascinating. Mike xx.”

  A short time later, I write, “Hi Mike, it was fascinating at first. It looked like a tropical paradise with coconut palms along the beach just minutes from our house. The sky was mostly clear and blue, apart from the wet season (May to September). A former market garden had grown into a jungle. There were crocodiles in the water and the mangrove swamps. It was hot and humid. The ocean was so inviting but it was too dangerous to swim. There were many venomous snakes, no sealed roads and the only way in and out was via an airplane. Many of the non-Aboriginal people we worked with at the mission were burned out and cynical. It was naïve on my part to think that a Christian community would always be an ideal world of love and care. On the contrary, I learned that we are all human and imperfect – me included. Until next time, Liz xx.”

  Mike replies, saying, “Hi Liz, it sounds like it was tough going. How did the Aboriginal people respond to Christianity? I thought they had their own traditional belief systems. Love Mike xx.”

  I write back saying, “Hi Mike, you ask an interesting question. They embraced aspects of Christianity while still maintaining their traditional belief systems. I certainly learned more from them than I was able to offer in return. Some Aboriginal people were strongly opposed to the Mission being there. There were ‘curses’ pronounced against the store and some individuals. It was a bit scary at times. Love Liz xxx.”

  Mike writes, “Were you pleased to get back to Melbourne?”

  “Hi Mike, arriving back in Melbourne in July 1981 was a real shock. We were only in Numbulwar for one year but I counted down the days until we left. I had really hoped that life would get back to normal once we were back in Melbourne. I was wrong. We felt so out of place in Melbourne and longed for the chance to live in the bush once again. I was very confused. It was so cold with sleet and snow in the Dandenong Ranges. We lacked winter clothes, had little money, and no work. We eventually found a house to rent and Martin got a labouring job he hated. Going back up north was looking more and more attractive. Love Liz xx PS. I really look forward to getting your emails.”

  “Hi Liz, I love getting your emails too. I feel like we are old friends even though we haven’t met as yet. I am looking forward to that day. You also mentioned you lived in Fitzroy Crossing. How did that work out? Love Mike xx.”

  “Hi Mike, well, where do I start? It looked and felt like the end of the earth. The Mission was transferring ownership of the Community Store over to the Aboriginal Corporation. They initially built shanties for the Aboriginal people in the 1950s, then a school, and a boarding hostel for the children from the out-stations. I hoped it would be a fresh start, bringing Martin and me closer together. The Numbulwar experience helped me relate more easily to the Aboriginal people. I began to see they weren’t so different to me.”

  “Soon after arriving, I discovered I was pregnant. The Abor
iginal women were excited about my coming baby. We were there six weeks when they asked me to help them with their reading and writing and I agreed. Fitzroy Crossing was tough for Martin but a great experience for me. I loved my work and wanted to improve my education through correspondence studies. I think Martin resented that I was growing in a different direction to him. The gap between us grew larger each day and we were always arguing. Eventually, Martin walked out on us. In 1985 I decided to move to Perth so I could go to university. Love Liz xxx.”

  It is so nice getting the regular emails from Mike. It makes the time go more quickly and brightens my days. Another email from Mike, “Hi Liz, I am sorry to hear about your marriage break-up. I know what that is like – it can be tough. About the Kimberley, I have only visited Broome in the North West. Love Mike xxx P.S. I am looking forward to meeting you in person sometime soon.”

  It is strange and wonderful how close I feel to Mike and yet we haven’t met in person. There are so many stories I can tell him about up north. I must tell him about when the Fitzroy River was in flood and a venomous snake bit an Aboriginal woman, isolated by floodwater. Some of the Mission refused to drive her through the floodwater to get help. Martin took the Toyota, against their wishes, and drove through the floodwaters. She received treatment just in time.

  Then there was the outing in the Territory where Dennis, a builder with the Mission, drove the Land Rover to the Billabong near Numbulwar. He was classified as legally blind due to glaucoma but that didn’t stop him. There was no road, only a sandy track to follow. Wild buffalo roamed the bush and we found ourselves confronted by a big, angry, bull. He stamped the ground as you see in bullfights. We didn’t know if he was going to charge at us or not. We sat still for what seemed like forever, until he turned away. That was really scary! I must tell Mike that story.

  These ‘outback’ experiences left a lasting impression on me. In Numbulwar, I learned a lot about how all people share the same basic needs, wants, and desires. A smile can bridge most situations while fear puts up a barrier. I have been fortunate to work with Aboriginal people since that time. I have a great respect for their history and culture. I hope that Mike shares those values.

  Another email arrives from Mike, saying, “Hi Liz, do you know what day you will be coming back to Perth? I am really looking forward to meeting you in person. Lots of love, Mike xxx.”

  “Hi Mike, I will be back in Perth on 10 December. I can’t wait to meet you ‘in person’. It is a 700km drive so I may need a day to recuperate before we meet. Lots of love, Liz xxx.”

  “Hi Liz, Can we lock in a date and time for a coffee now? How does 12 December at 3.00pm sound to you? Why not make it for dinner as well? I can’t wait. We have so much catching up to do. I want to tell you about a fabulous job opportunity for me to go to Weipa in Northern Queensland...”

  About the Author

  Lorraine Watts lives in Busselton with her husband Tom. Prior to 2010, her career in the public sector included senior positions with the Departments of Education, Training, Culture and the Arts, Disabilities and lastly with the Department for Communities. These roles enabled Lorraine to travel throughout much of regional Western Australia. It greatly increased her awareness and love of the regional, rural, and remote parts of Australia. She has three adult sons and two young grandsons. Lorraine's interests include blogging, reading, adult literacy, and social networking. She is currently the Real Estate Writer for the Busselton Dunsborough/Margaret River Augusta Times and does freelance business writing on request.

  Email Lorraine at reoh@iinet.net.au

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