On Wadi Wadi Country – From the Mountains to the Sea

Helen Laidlaw

• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Year: 2024
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781398495524
• Subtopic: World History
• Index: History

Australia is a large continent and before British colonisation there were over 250 First Nation areas with different languages and cultures. The Wadi Wadi nation lived on an eastern coastal region south of Sydney, which was covered with thick subtropical rainforest and bordered by the Pacific Ocean which provided fish and shellfish in abundance. With its rich volcanic soil, it was one of the first areas to be taken by colonising farmers. The land was cleared and the food, culture and Dharawal language were all almost wiped out. Many First Nations people died from massacres, hunger, and European diseases. This story began in a deep valley 'Willow Gully' with remnant rare subtropical rainforest, inhabited by wallabies, echidnas, possums and hundreds of birds in a small coastal town called Kiama. The gully was settled in the 1840s by two British farming families, and in 2015 the remains of a small farm cottage was unearthed in the rainforest. By coincidence the Aboriginal family who lived there in the 20th century were discovered and they have shared their personal stories. This has provided links to the amazing history of the Wadi Wadi people all along the coast. Through this book find their stories, but also meet an Indigenous King and Queen, WW1 soldiers, a poet, fishermen, sports stars, and silent film makers. Many people have hidden their Aboriginal heritage as racism was rife. The 50,000 years of continuous indigenous heritage is at last being recognised. However, a referendum to recognise Aboriginal people in the constitution, held in October 2023, failed due to misinformation by opponents. But there is still hope!

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• About the Author
• Dedication
• Copyright Information ©
• Acknowledement
• Acknowledgement of Country
• Author’s Note
• Foreword
• Introduction
• Chapter 1 Aboriginal History for the Illawarra Region
• Chapter 2 Where in Kiama Is Willow Gully?
• Chapter 3 The First Settlers in Willow Gully: The Kings
• Chapter 4 The Pike Family of Willow Gully
• Chapter 5 Thomas Newing and Kiama’s Dry-Stone Walls
• Chapter 6 Quarries in Kiama
• Chapter 7 King Mickey and Queen Rosie: The Story of the Weston/Johnson/Johnston Family
• Chapter 8 The Story of Eight Sons: The Edwards Boys
• Chapter 9 World Wars and the Kiama Boys as Soldiers
• Chapter 10 Kiama Life: The Great Depression, Football and Fishing
• Chapter 11 Jimmy Carlson Remembers
• Chapter 12 Who Was Wally Dixon and the Dixon Family?
• Chapter 13 The Famous Longbottom Family
• Chapter 14 1960s: Riding for Freedmans
• Chapter 15 The Development of Willow Gully, 1980s
• Chapter 16 The Kiama Bypass, 1983–2005, and Sewer Main Installation in Willow Gully, 1990
• Chapter 17 2000: New Owners and Conservation Agreements
• Chapter 18 2011–2017: The Remains of the Burnt Cottage and Rainforest Regeneration
• Chapter 19 The Kiama Tornadoes 2013
• Chapter 20 Coming Home to Country?
• Chapter 21 Conclusion
• Appendix I 1835 Letter from Gerringong Farmers
• Appendix II In the Shoalhaven District: An Aboriginal Settlement
• Appendix III Bombardier Gordon Pike’s WWI Letter, 30/12/1917
• Appendix IV Interview with Queen Rosie, 1930
• Further Reading