This is Country

This is country!

By Gayle Kennedy Illustrated by Ross Carnsew

Land

chapter 4 All about country Am I glad you lot were here to help with the tents!

Never met anyone who couldn’t put up a tent before.

P

M A

S

E L

Ain’t much need for ‘em in the city, Little John.

No, s’pose not.

We lost some time settin’ up camp.

And we still got a little bit of a walk to the rock paintings.

Let’s go.

Stay close, you mob.

No wanderin’ off or daydreamin’.

That’s right.

This isn’t a playground.

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WOW! Only ever seen these in books.

Awesome!

P

M A

My dad says these are thousands of years old.

S

E L

Some are, son.

Some are just a few hundred years old as well.

Us mob have been on this land for a long time, eh!

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These paintings helped us prove our native title over this land.

What does that mean?

It means our rights to our traditional land are now recognised by the government.

Our mob’s traditional laws and customs are recognised now too.

M A

S

Don’t you fullas know your country? Or who your mob are?

We never talk about it.

P

Vic’s parents never talk about their mob.

E L

That’s so cool!

Ahhh, well, we come from Sydney ...

That’s a shame.

What about your mob, Granqui?

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22-Apr-26 14:20:03

I was taken from my mob and adopted by a White family. I’m from the Stolen Generations.

Thought about finding my mob when I was young, but you know …

Know what?

Travelled, married, had kids ...

I kinda forgot about it.

P

M A

S It would be awesome to know who our mob are.

E L

But I think I’d better start looking.

And maybe we got land too!

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Everyone’s got land. We all come from somewhere.

That’s right.

Find ya mob, and ya find ya land.

E L

We’ll talk more tonight. Righto, who’s for a swim?

M A

P

S

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The land, and everything on it, is full of the spirits of our ancestors.

They’re all around us.

Not like you see in Whitefulla movies or on TV. But kinda.

S They look out for us. Keep us safe.

E L

P

M A

Like ghosts?

They ain’t gunna hurt ya or nothing.

If you say so.

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Later that night ...

P

M A

S

E L Wonder where my mob are ... who they are ...

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22-Apr-26 14:20:04