Lasseter sleeping, too tired. Two camels, no names. This is north-west of Docker River. Carrying all them things, two saddles, rolled up swag, tucker box, cup, billy can, kettle, tucker in a bag and a tool for searching for gold. Sleeping on a sandhill and smelling all the bush flowers and quandong.
My grandfather been tell me this when we moved back to his Country round Docker River [1968]. He live there all his life. He was already husband, father. Life was good there – Petermann Ranges… Everyone camp out all the time. All naked. All live in family groups and visit each other across the country. Everywhere group come together for good hunting – Sorry Business – ceremony – celebrations… and then they go back home. They see smoke over there – know family over there, so go visit. Might camp together for overnight, or little while, then back home again. All moving around that country [Petermann Ranges] back and forth. They follow kapi and bush foods.
They all saw Lasseter coming – past Papunya, through the lake [salt lake country – Lake Neale], Blood Range way. And they been seen him, white man coming up. They never seen white man before. They thought he might be ghost. They were too frightened – on the camel, and Lasseter was looking at them. He was looking round for gold. He had that map, little map… Anangu, they all tell each other what they seen as he went by.
Then his camel – two camel – they ran away. He went there to Lasseter’s Cave – Tjunti we call him – that cave he camp. And he stuck there for good. And he used to work with the people now, with Anangu mob, with them together. And he take two young fella look around for two camel that ran from Tjunti. From there they couldn’t find it and they come back home to Tjunti right after. They used to give bush tucker, kangaroo, emu, to him when he ran out of tucker… tucker box empty. Turkey meat, goanna, rabbit – everything – they shared with him. They been get friendly now.
He been stop with Anangu now. They all naked. All Lasseter clothes – his shirt – trouser – underwear – all tatters… nothing – just fall away. He stuck for long time with them. Couldn’t go – where would he go? Nowhere to go. Can’t walk too far… stuck there forever.
My grandfather been tell me all this and that. That’s all my grandfather story. This was when my mother was little girl, about this size [five or six year old], and my uncle was baby. Mother remember this time. She tell me that story too from that time, when my uncle was baby. Lasseter there travelling through from Blood Range, then camping at Tjunti for so long.
They been look after Lasseter. Then when he passed, big mob Anangu, they buried him. I don’t know where, but old people they know. Grandfather tell me south of Tjunti, that’s Lasseter’s Cave.
Kele, that’s all.
Nora Abbott was born at Areyonga and finished her schooling at Ntaria (Hermannsburg), which is her father’s country, and Areyonga Community. When Kaltukatjara (Docker River) settlement was begun in 1968, her family moved there because it is her mother’s country. There she became carer for her mother’s father, and travelled all through that country with him learning the important Tjukurrpa, when and where to find the best bush foods, and her grandfather’s personal history. She describes this as a very special time for her, a time in her life she treasures. Nora has painted for a long time independently, and then with Tjarlirli and Kaltukatjara Art. She moved to Mparntwe for her health and joined Tangentyere Artists to paint. Since joining Tangentyere Artists in 2020 she has focused her distinctive figurative style of painting the country she knows well, that of her mother and her father, and in particular, the important family history stories she learned from her mother’s father.
Desert Mob is presented annually in Mparntwe | Alice Springs on Arrernte Country.
On behalf of Desart’s staff and art centre members, the Executive Committee humbly and respectfully acknowledge the Arrernte Apmereke Artweye (Traditional Owners) and Kwertengerle (Traditional Managers) of Mparntwe.
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