Lifestyle 55+ Magazine 2023/24 Edition

“With a growing passion to support abused Aboriginal women, Lynelle began searching for land to provide sanctuary and protection. Fate led her to a piece of land near Mt. Beerwah.” Aboriginal elders Hazelle and Lynelle Mace

Lynelle Mace

The Queen of Nungeena

Words Robert Barnes

In the heart of Brisbane, on April 2, 1952, a remarkable woman named Lynelle Mace, fondly known as Aunty Minnie Mace, came into this world. With a heritage as diverse as her spirit, Lynelle’s mother had Aboriginal roots, while her father was of Irish descent. She humorously claimed a dash of Afghan blood from her great-grandfather. She is an elder of the Koa people. But beyond her eclectic ancestry, Lynelle’s life story is a tapestry woven with threads of resilience, transformation, and unwavering determination.

As she reminisces about her early years, Lynelle remembers being an exceptionally mischievous child. Her childhood was colored with naughtiness, earning her the endearing nickname “Minnie” from Minnie Mouse, the beloved Disney character. Her adventurous and bold spirit was evident from the very beginning, a spirit that would guide her through both trials and triumphs.

However, her spirited nature didn’t always align with the conventional path of education. In fact, Lynelle was expelled from Grade 9 for her disruptive behavior, setting her on a rebellious journey that led to encounters with drugs, alcohol, and crime. She ran away with the Hell’s Angels and found herself in King’s Cross and got to travel around Australia when she dated the drummer of Ike and Tina Turner’s band.

In the backdrop of a drug and alcohol fuelled life Lynelle played the part of a modern day Robinhood. While managing hostels for single Aboriginal women, men, and single mothers, Lynelle made a habit of lending hostel funds to people in need hoping they would return the money. When this did not happen, Lynelle found herself behind bars.

It was in the stark confines of a jail cell that she began a profound transformation. A chance meeting with a 95-year-old English nun was the turning point in her life. This remarkable nun saw immense potential in Lynelle and encouraged her to embark on a path of redemption and purpose.

Lynelle’s journey as a cultural leader and activitist began behind prison walls. Being street savvy and with an inate instinct for justice, she ensured that prior to her leaving prison, that other Aboriginal women detainees were treated with dignity and were much more aware of their individual rights.

She dedicated herself to education - learning literacy, numeracy, and the arts. Upon her release on parole, she went on to study at the Institute of Koori Eduction at Deakin University in Melbourne, where she successfully earned her Bachelor of Arts degree.

Thereafter, she spent her days travelling around the country and state teaching Aboriginal spiritual beliefs. She led cultural heritage tours on the Sunshine Coast and taught Aboriginal children, university and Tafe students all over South East, Queensland.

During these transformative years, Lynelle began to grasp the profound impact of drugs and alcohol on the Aboriginal community, especially women. It was during this time that she crossed paths with Raymond Johnson, a well-known englishman and renowned Egyptologist. This encounter set her on a spiritual path, and she made a solemn vow to never touch alcohol again, a promise she has faithfully kept to this day.

With a growing passion to support abused Aboriginal women, Lynelle began searching for land to provide sanctuary and protection. Fate led her to a piece of land near Mt. Beerwah, a place she desperately wanted to secure. However, her dreams were initially dashed when she learned that a Japanese company had placed a deposit on it.

In a surreal twist of fate, Lynelle had a vivid dream. In this dream, a Japanese man appeared at her front door, informing her that the land was now hers. The following day, when she met the owner, Peter Adams, she learned that the Japanese group believed the land to be sacred and decided to relinquish it to the Aboriginal women. The only condition was that they could use the land for an annual retreat.

Lynelle seized this incredible opportunity, and under her guidance, along with the late Eva Smith and her sister Bubby Smith, established the Nungeena Corporation for Aboriginal Women’s Business in 1992 ,which made a profound difference to the lives of countless abused Aboriginal women.

Her role as an activitist can most noticably be seen in the part she played initiating the Royal Commission into Aborignal deaths in custody. With the help of the BBC, these deaths became known world-wide, forcing the hand of the then Prime Minister Bob Hawke to take action. She was also instrumental in establishing one of the first Aboriginal kindergartens in Queensland.

Today, Nungeena is a scared place and is heritage listed. The land holds a spirit pool and birthing tree. Here, Lynelle weaves the threads of cultural heritage, connection, and empowerment for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.

Lynelle says the Aboriginal Father Spirit Baiame lives at the base of Mt Beerwah and energy travels instantaneously through the songlines found at Mt Beerwah.

Whatever happens at Uluru will be felt at Mt Beerwah within seconds. Songlines, she elaborates, are navigational tracks. In some parts of the world, they are known as leylines. The Chinese call them dragon lines. The Aboriginal elders and the trained indigenous keepers of the songlines will sing the landscape, and therefore be able to move from location to location through it, and teach each other. At each sacred site within that sung track, they perform rituals.

Today, Lynelle travels across Australia, as a cultural educator passionately teaching people about Aboriginal culture and its history which she dates back 15,000 years. She reveals a little-known connection between Aboriginal culture and ancient Egyptian culture. With a gleam in her eye, she shares that gold found on King Tutankhamun’s sarcophagus has been traced back to Gympie. Lynelle is a researcher of Gosford’s sacred site, Kariong Glyphs, where 300 hieroglyphs are engraved into sandstone walls. She speaks passionately about the Australian / Pleiadian / Egyptian connection.

Lynelle’s daughter, Hazelle, is poised to carry forward the legacy of the Nungeena Corporation. She envisions building cultural ties on the Sunshine Coast with a new centre open to the public. This centre will serve as a place to gather and learn about the rich cultural heritage of the area.

As we sit with Lynelle, she leans back, and her eyes sparkle with a profound sense of contentment. “There is magic in the land around us,” she says with a warm smile. The life of Lynelle Mace, from her tumultuous beginnings to her remarkable achievements, is a testament to the transformative power of determination, spirituality, and the unwavering commitment to making a positive impact on the world.

Lynelle has made a profound difference in the lives of countless Aboriginal women. She weaves the threads of cultural heritage, connection, and empowerment for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities.