Spirits of the Ghan

by Judy Nunn

  ‘Perhaps,’ he replied. Despite the experience, which he’d found overwhelming, Matt’s tone remained as ever doubtful.

  Jess laughed lightly. ‘You still don’t believe they are your ancestors, do you?’

  ‘I don’t know what I believe, Jess. I’m certainly aware that something extraordinary just happened, something quite inexplicable, but I honestly don’t know what I believe.’ He didn’t, it was true, but he wasn’t trying very hard. He didn’t know or care about anything at this stage. He was unreasonably happy, joyous in an exquisite way he’d never have believed possible. Tears pricked his eyelids, he could have wept unashamedly. Nothing else mattered.

  They sat in the centre of the dusty clearing for some time, talking endlessly about everything and nothing, kissing intermittently and making up for lost time, both wondering all the while how this hadn’t happened sooner.

  Then when they returned to Alice Springs he didn’t drop her off at her flat. He stayed and they made love throughout the afternoon.

  Everything changed from that day on. They were in love, certainly, but more than that they felt they’d known each other for the whole of their lives. ‘Perhaps from a previous life too,’ Jess said, and he knew she wasn’t joking. For Matt, the ghost of Angie was finally laid to rest, a beautiful image forever young that belonged to his past. The rest of his life now belonged to Jess, just as hers belonged to him.

  Several weeks later they flew to Adelaide for the weekend. Lilian had been nagging Matt for some time now, aware that his work was no longer as demanding as it had been.

  ‘You don’t mind Mum knowing about us, do you?’ Matt asked. ‘I haven’t said a word to her yet and I won’t if you don’t want me to, but she’s bound to guess.’

  ‘Of course I don’t mind,’ Jess said. ‘I adore your mother, you know that.’

  ‘Jess darling, how lovely …’

  A kaleidoscope of purple and pink greeted them at the front door and after the customary effusive hug Lilian swanned on ahead into the living room, where Dave was pouring the coffee.

  ‘I’ve prepared the studio for you, dear,’ she said pointedly, looking from one to the other as they settled into their armchairs.

  ‘No need, Mum,’ Matt interjected, ‘Jess’ll be staying in the flat with me.’

  ‘Oh good. About time.’ Lilian had known they were lovers the moment she’d opened the front door, but she’d wondered if they were going to try and disguise the fact. She was so glad they’d decided not to.

  ‘So what finally brought things to fruition?’ she asked, beaming broadly and ignoring Dave’s warning glance. She didn’t care in the least if she was overstepping the bounds of common decency, as he obviously thought she was. These two had been dillydallying for so long she had a right to know.

  Had his mother been just a little more tactful Matt might have launched straight into their story, but as was so often the case Lilian’s bluntness grated annoyingly. He gave one of his dagger-like glares and was about to tell her to mind her own bloody business when Jess leapt to the rescue.

  ‘Actually, Lilian, that’s a very interesting question.’ She flashed him a quick smile that had an instant calming effect. They intended to share their story in any event, and Lilian’s forthrightness was only expediting matters.

  ‘We returned to the sacred site,’ she said, ‘the place that Matt was led to all those months ago, remember? The place where he had his blackout?’

  She looked from Lilian to Dave, who both nodded. Then her eyes remained on Dave as she made her announcement, his reaction being the one that most interested her.

  ‘And while we were there,’ she said, ‘we were visited by a presence. Both of us,’ she added meaningfully.

  ‘Oh how thrilling!’ Lilian clapped her hands together like a ten-year-old promised fairy-floss. Dave remained silent.

  Jess went on to recount her version of events briefly, succinctly, saying that she believed it was Matt’s ancestors who had brought them together. ‘As may well have been their intention – or at least part of their intention – right from the start,’ she concluded.

  Matt followed up with his own description of the incident, which was far more complex, far more passionate and surprisingly out of character.

  ‘The experience was amazing, Dad,’ he said, addressing his father, aware that Lilian was already enthralled and that Dave was the one who would take some convincing. ‘The presence was palpable. I could swear I was being touched, I could feel something breathing, but there was no-one there. And when Jess and I were drawn together the sensation was exquisite, indescribable. It brought tears to my eyes, I swear. I could have cried right there in the middle of the desert for the sheer beauty of that moment …’

  Lilian remained utterly spellbound throughout, but Dave, watching his son so uncharacteristically animated, couldn’t help wondering at the change. What a turnaround, he thought. Does Matt really believe all this? Many people feel a spiritual presence in the desert. Crikey, the number of times I’ve felt it myself – but direct contact with one’s ancestors? Even if they’re black, as Jess believes them to be, this is stretching things a bit, surely.

  Dave’s incredulity was so readable, that Jess decided to save the poor man further turmoil. ‘Don’t worry, Dave,’ she said lightly, ‘Matt’s not a convert, I can assure you.’

  Dave felt guilty at having been so caught out. He liked the girl a great deal and had no wish to trivialise her beliefs or those of her people.

  ‘I’m sorry …’ He started to apologise, but to Jess no apology was necessary.

  She went on to explain. ‘Matt genuinely believes he was visited by some force,’ she said, ‘but he doesn’t for one minute believe the contact was made by his own ancestors. I doubt he ever will.’

  Lilian’s voice cut through the discussion bringing them all to a halt.

  ‘Well there’s one way to solve at least part of the mystery, isn’t there?’ she said.

  No-one uttered a word as they waited for her to go on.

  ‘DNA testing, of course.’

  Father and son exchanged a glance.

  ‘Yes, there is that,’ Dave agreed, wondering why on earth the thought hadn’t occurred to him. ‘There is certainly that.’

  ‘And just think of the glorious babies you’ll have.’ Lilian was already convinced the tests would prove Jess’s theory. ‘Not only physically beautiful, but you’ll be re-injecting black blood to the line –’

  ‘Give it a rest, Mum.’ Matt issued a final warning. ‘One thing at a time.’

  But Lilian ignored him altogether. ‘The re-introduction of black blood to the family line,’ she said, turning to Jess. ‘Mr Neville’s “biological absorption” in reverse: a most responsible thing to do in my opinion.’ She beamed, delighted that she’d had the final word. ‘And now let’s open a magnificent red wine.’

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  Love and thanks, as always, to my husband, Bruce Venables, who continues to be a constant source of inspiration and laughter.

  Thanks also to those ever-supportive friends who offer not only encouragement but on so many occasions assistance of the most practical kind: Dr Meredith Burgmann, Michael Roberts, Colin Julin, James Laurie, Sue Greaves and Susan Mackie-Hookway.

  A special thanks to two close family members who were always on hand and whose highly skilled areas of expertise provided invaluable research material: big brother Rob Nunn and cousin Max Brown. Max was ably assisted by his friends Jock Henderson and Colin Schipp, so thanks to them too.

  The expertise of another close mate was of untold value. I speak of the inimitable Bill Leak, whose passionate discourse on art is always riveting. Thanks, Bill, for allowing me to quote you directly, giving colourful voice and views to one of my favourite characters, ‘Lilian’.

  Thanks again to my publisher, Beverley Cousins; my editors, Brandon VanOver and Kate O’Donnell; my publicist, Jessica Malpass, and the entire hard-working team at Random House.

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bsp; There are many people in Alice Springs to whom I am most grateful: June Noble for the provision of contacts and material, and also for sharing her personal knowledge of the area; Liz Martin OAM and Kel Davis of The National Road Transport Hall of Fame and The Old Ghan Train Railway Museum for the encouragement they offered and the wealth of information I gained from their wonderful museum; Dr Patricia Miller AO, Deputy to the Administrator NT for providing information about traditional Indigenous rituals; Jenny and Alan Dietrich for sharing with me their knowledge of local Indigenous art, language and practices; Kathryn Bailey, Special Collections Librarian at Alice Springs Library for the provision of archival material; Charlie Poole for responding to my phone calls regarding added detail about the building of the Ghan; and Susan, Helen and Deb of Tourism Central Australia.

  Thanks to other mates Peter Hiland and Wayne Anthoney for supplying contacts and research material, and also to David Kightley of the Adabco Hotel in Adelaide.

  Special thanks must go to Hugh Warden of Gundooee Contemporary Indigenous Art for not only sharing with me his knowledge of central desert peoples, but for supplying me with a copy of People of the Western Desert, filmed in 1965 and 1967 by the Australian Commonwealth Film Unit for the Australian Institute of Aboriginal studies. This remarkable footage provides an excellent insight into the traditional daily life of the nomadic desert peoples of this country.

  Among my other research sources I would like to recognise the following:

  A Vision Fulfilled, David Hancock

  Alice on the Line, Doris Blackwell, Douglas Lockwood, Rigby Ltd, Adelaide, 1965

  The Surveyors, Margaret Goyder Kerr, Rigby Ltd, 1971

  The Territory, Ernestine Hill, Angus & Robertson Ltd, 1951

  Travels in a Foreign Land, Wayne Anthoney, 2010

  Understanding Aboriginal Culture, Cyril Havecker, edited and foreword by Yvonne Malykke, Cosmos Periodicals, 1987

  Iwenhe Tyerrtye – What it Means to be an Aboriginal

  Person, Margaret Kemarre Turner, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 2010

  Western Arrarnta Picture Dictionary, IAD Press, 2006

  The Red Centre, Jenny Stanton, photography by Barry Skipsey, Australian Geographic Pty Ltd, 1995

  Bush Foods: Arrernte Foods from Central Australia, Margaret Kemarre Turner with John Henderson, IAD Press, Alice Springs, 1996

  About the Author

  Judy Nunn’s career has been long, illustrious and multi-faceted. After combining her internationally successful acting career with scriptwriting for television and radio, Judy decided in the ’90s to turn her hand to prose.

  Her first three novels, The Glitter Game, Centre Stage and Araluen, set respectively in the worlds of television, theatre and film, became instant bestsellers, and the rest is history, quite literally in fact. She has since developed a love of writing Australian historically based fiction and her fame as a novelist has spread rapidly throughout Europe, where she is published in English, German, French, Dutch, Czech and Spanish.

  Her subsequent bestsellers, Kal, Beneath the Southern Cross, Territory, Pacific, Heritage, Floodtide, Maralinga, Tiger Men and Elianne confirm Judy’s position as one of Australia’s leading fiction writers.

  In 2015 Judy was made a Member of the Order of Australia for her ‘significant service to the performing arts as a scriptwriter and actor of stage and screen, and to literature as an author’.

  By the same author

  The Glitter Game

  Centre Stage

  Araluen

  Kal

  Beneath the Southern Cross

  Territory

  Pacific

  Heritage

  Floodtide

  Maralinga

  Tiger Men

  Elianne

  Children’s fiction

  Eye in the Storm

  Eye in the City

  The Glitter Game

  Judy Nunn’s bestselling debut, set in the steamy, cut-throat world of television.

  Edwina Dawling is the golden girl of Australian television. The former pop singer is now the country’s most popular actress, an international star thanks to the hit TV soap The Glitter Game.

  But behind the seductive glamour of television is a cutthroat world where careers are made or destroyed with a word in the right ear … or a night in the right bed. Where success breeds envy and corruption, concealed in the flashing smiles at every premier event, every party.

  Only the ruthless make it to the top. And, as Edwina is soon to discover, they will stop at nothing to stay there.

  Not even murder.

  The Glitter Game is a delicious exposé of the glitzy world of television, a scandalous behind-the-scenes look at what goes on when the cameras stop rolling.

  Centre Stage

  Stars shine on centre stage. But what secrets lie hidden in the wings?

  Alex Rainford has it all. He’s sexy, charismatic and adored by fans the world over. But he is not all he seems. What spectre from the past is driving him ever closer to evil? And who will fall under his spell along the way?

  Madeleine Frances, beautiful stage and screen actress. Years before she escaped Alex’s fatal charm, but now she is forced to confront him once again … and reveal her devastating secret.

  Susannah Wright, the finest classical actress of her generation. Not even her awesome talent can save her from Alex’s dangerous charisma.

  Imogen McLaughlin, the promising young actress whose biggest career break could be her greatest downfall. She wants Alex Rainford – but she doesn’t know that he has the power to destroy her …

  Centre Stage is a tantalising glimpse into the world of theatre and what goes on when the spotlight dims and the curtain falls.

  Araluen

  A spell-binding, multi-generational novel, set in the ruthless world of movie-making.

  On a blistering hot day in 1850, George and Richard Ross take their first steps on Australian soil after three long months at sea. All they have is each other, and a quarterly remittance from their irate father who has banished them to the Colonies.

  A decade on, and the brothers are the owners of successful vineyard, Araluen, nestled in a beautiful green valley not far from Adelaide. Now a successful businessman, George has laid down the roots of his own Ross dynasty, born of the New World. But building a family empire – at any cost – can have a shattering effect on the generations to come …

  From the South Australian vineyards of the 1850s to the opulence and corruption of Hollywood’s golden age … From the relentless loneliness of the outback to mega-budget movie-making in modern-day New York … Judy Nunn weaves an intricate web of characters and locations in this spellbinding saga of the Ross family and its inescapable legacy of greed and power.

  Kal

  In a story as sweeping as the land itself, bestselling author Judy Nunn brings Kal magically to life.

  Kalgoorlie. It grew out of the red dust of the desert over the world’s richest vein of gold. People were drawn there from all over the world, to start afresh or to seek their fortunes.

  People like Giovanni Gianni, fleeing his part in a family tragedy. Or Maudie Gaskill, one of the first women to arrive at the goldfields, and now owner of the most popular pub in town. Or Caterina Panuzzi, banished to the other side of the world to protect her family’s honour.

  The burgeoning town could reward you or it could destroy you, but it would never let you go.

  From the heady early days of the gold rush to the horrors of the First World War, to the shame and confrontation of the post-war riots, Kal tells the story of Australia itself and the people who forged a nation out of a harsh and unforgiving land.

  Beneath the Southern Cross

  A riveting novel that tells the story of Sydney and the people who shaped its character, its skyline and its heart.

  In 1788, Thomas Kendall, a naïve nineteen-year-old sentenced to transportation for burglary, finds himself bound for Sydney Town and a new life in the wild and lawless land beneath the South
ern Cross.

  Thomas fathers a dynasty that will last more than two hundred years. His descendants play their part in the forging of a nation, but greed and prejudice see an irreparable rift in the family which will echo through the generations.

  It is only at the dawn of the new Millennium – as an old journal lays bear a terrible secret – that the family can finally reclaim its honour …

  Beneath the Southern Cross is as much a story of a city as it is a family chronicle. Bringing history to life, Judy Nunn traces the fortunes of Kendall’s descendants through good times and bad, wars and social revolutions to the present day, vividly drawing the events, characters and issues that have made the city of Sydney and the nation of Australia what they are today.

  Territory

  A breathtaking story of disaster, courage and passion and that Top End spirit that never says die.

  Territory is the story of Henrietta Southern, a young Englishwoman who trades her war-torn homeland for a place of wild tropical storms and searing heat, crocodile-infested rivers and barren red wilderness. Six months after the bombing of Darwin, she joins her new husband, Spitfire pilot Terence Galloway, for a new life on his Northern Territory cattle station.

  It is also the story of their sons. Of Malcolm and Kit, two brothers who grow up in the harsh but beautiful environment, and share a baptism of fire as young men in the jungles of Vietnam.