BLACK Poverty…and HOPE..A Matter of Economics.. Mach 1

My Teams – October 26th, 2007 by Don

HOMELANDS

Am back home, in the Homelands (Ravenshoe, Far North Qld, highest town in the State, 900 plus odd metres above sea level) for family reasons, and have been back now for a few days.

My little bro told me, last night, that the last time I was back home was 9 years ago….wow…that kinda blew me out of the water. Things certainly have changed here, there is a vibe of prosperity in the AIR! Almost all the shop space in the main street is utilised. And more tellingly parking bays/slots, in the Main and only Thoroughfare, today, seems filled. I guess the final kicker/clincher, is the very real fact that, land values have certainly gone up. That last Fact came as a … Shock

Am like, what the…land values in Ravenshoe rising…but its true, all the supposed hippy type blocks outside of town are sold…yes sold…gulp…and further more they are opening up more blocks of land for development. Yikes progress, has finally come to town.

Now dodgypress, how does BLACK HOPE come into this you say, well hang on be patient…it will come…patience……back to my personal narrative….so here I am in town, struggling to sort out the varying emotions in my heart/mind, that have facilitated my shock sudden, exit from civilisation, to the bundooks, and varying thoughts in between…

So am on the main thoroughfare, walking home after after picking up some asthma medication, and then I hear a wolf whistle…I turn around and I see a MURRi dude, in a light Fluro like council uniform. He beckons to me and heads my way….I do a second take and recognise a long lost brother..its ASh,…

ASH, My Brother from another mother

Yep the ASH, man, my foremost childhood mate in all the great things, that high energy mischievous teens get up to, in a boring country town, in the deep north. Fishing, swimming, and camping expeditions, in small creeks and fast flowing mountain streams, these coupled together with roo hunting, up Mt Garnet way, made for a very fun kidulthood . And then as time ventured on, we and the rest of the restless, young Murri lads in our peer group partook in more sinister seemingly grown up, reckless activities, like black on white brawls, outside the top pub after last drinks were called. Silly petty vandalism type activities were also part of the fare.

These dangerous, mind numbing inane, senseless, reckless and stupid activities, occurred and were justified for various forgotten reasons.

Wantom SELF DESTRUCTION

As I drifted off to boarding school, and came home on holidays to see what the rest of the crew were up to, the start of a constant sad and disturbing flow of themes would come in…..the narrative would start like this ….âay where is so and so….. and the reply would, although, not all the time, even though it seemed and felt that way.., .hes gone into Lotus (HMS Prison, in the tablelands).. aay., and you would go, what for?

and it would either be a significant proportion of the time, for something petty and minor like unpaid fines, brawling, the odd smattering of break and enters..and the like….
Sometimes, the answer coming back would be like; hes dead aay, and you would go WHAT,

how and the answer, would be, he’s hung himself….and the conversation would just hang, and devastation would set in….

An Almighty CHANGE IS UPON US..

9 odd years later, Something Unexpectedly Startling has occurred, and it begins with the conversation that I have with ASH man in the street…

This Time Around, I start first with whats cooking at his end, and he beamingly and proudly tells me that, he now works for the council, has a new relationship, with a mighty fine woman, and together they have new baby, and the clincher is …wait for it ….TOGETHER they are in the market for a new house….YAAAAAAY!!!!! and all this from the man, who had spent some considerable time at her majesty’s pleasure (in Lotus Glen)…on and and off a few years back…this time around…he was in the race to capture the dream, that most aussies aspire to…. OWNERSHIP of Thine Own PAD!!!

MAN WAS i blown away…I shook his hand and Said Brother, thats the best News I have heard all Week… you have just brightened up, my last few days….he then went on to tell me that, he was also going to coach the Ravenshoe under 16 footy team…that was merely the icing on the MAssive Christmas Cake, that I had just started muching on…

Turns out ASh, was on his way to see, me, .. the man, had heard on the bush telegraph, why I was in town and he was on his way to the family home, when we ran into each other… so we headed off to have a meal, during which he filled me in on some of the lads in the old crew,….most were gainfully employed and living all over the tablelands and in cairns….AFter we had our meal and caught up, we were heading back to his car/truck, and his brother dropped by, he too was gainfully employed, and happily settled in a great relationship….. he told me that he had just purchased a new car and was awfully proud about it….I was happy inside and proud about it also…

WHoa…THE LADs Have Well and Trully Come Of AGE !!! BRILLIANt NEwS!!!!!!

DP!

ps. That was the Great News…in the second installment of this 3 Part Series…we shall probe a bit deeper..and readily examine whether ..if at all…. there is any downside..or is it all roses..

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, Aboriginal Aspirations, Aboriginal Empowerment, Aboriginal Poverty, Aboriginal Success, Aboriginal Youth, Australian Dream, Black Youth, Home Ownership, North Queensland, Queensland, Ravenshoe

2 responses to “BLACK Poverty…and HOPE..A Matter of Economics.. Mach 1”

1. Shannon Frick

   October 29th, 2007 at 2:55 am

   Great article Don! It is indeed quite a suprise to see how all the Ravenshoe kids have grown up and how they are doing their own things in life now. I agree about how it was bittersweet growing up in such a boring yet naturally beautiful place.

   Sounds like Ravenshoe’s becoming the new Kuranda (without the flood of tourists, thank goodness!), with all the hippy artist types moving into the area. Another huge change in Ravenshoe is the new Community Center. It just keeps getting better, which is great for the kids in town who need a place to go to in order to stay out of trouble and escape any domestic problems. Apparently there’s a free bus now that goes from the Community Center to Cairns and back every day - but I don’t know the details exactly.

   I’m moving back to Cairns in a few weeks, so drop me a line whenever you’re around and we’ll catch up!

   Take care,
   Shan

2. Don

   October 29th, 2007 at 7:45 am

   Hey Shannon,

   Its great to hear/see that the social services type infrastructure is improving. What is needed is government initiatives to stimulate the startup of sustainable businesses, whatever they maybe.

   Mate be good to catchup for a pint!

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