EDITION 1 2012

MYSTERIOUS MALE CLAIMS NURSERY SPACE DARWIN SHADOWS IN THE PICTURE BRIGHT FUTURE AWAITS DESERT ROCKERS

FEATURES REGULARS

6 NATIVE ANIMALS 3 From the THRIVE WITHOUT Vice-Chancellor BUFFEL GRASS

TE’ WRAPS 8 OSCAR’S STORY 4 Snapshot IN CLAY AND FILM FIONA’S FRAME 31 Limited Edition 11 OF SHADOWS PUTS DARWIN IN THE PICTURE ENGINEER SIFTS 34 Q & A 14 THROUGH NZ’S RUBBLE AND RUIN 36 CDU Art MYSTERIOUS Collection 17 MALE CLAIMS NURSERY SPACE MAKASSAN MAP 20 CONNECTS SCIENTISTS AND COUNTRIES SHELVES DO THE 22 TALKING TO PROMOTE HEALTHY FOODS FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR 24 TO PROBE NEW ERA IN RIVER RESEARCH ALBUM, TOUR AND 26 BRIGHT FUTURE AWAIT DESERT ROCKERS GIANT FROG HAS 28 HYDRATION ALL WRAPPED UP RESEARCHERS 32 AUDIT WATER USE IN TIMOR-LESTE Origins is produced by Charles Darwin University’s Offi ce of Media, Advancement and Community Engagement (MACE). The Offi ce of Media, Advancement and Community Engagement is grateful to the following people and organisations for their contributions and assistance in compiling this edition: Anita Angel, Gavin Bedford, Tim Berra, Sue Carthew, Te’ Claire, Bryan Davies, Michael Douglas, Martin Dziminski, Karen Edyvane, Cain Gilmour, Amy Kimber, Frances Knight, Tania Paul, Chris Miezis, Jen Pinkerton, Steven Reynolds, Christine Schlesinger, Timor-Leste Dive Photo Contest, Chris Wallace, Dion Wedd, Dave Wilson. CONTRIBUTORS Opinions and views expressed in this edition do not necessarily refl ect those of Charles Darwin University. Reproduction of any material appearing in this edition requires written permission from Robyn McDougall [email protected]. PENNY BAXTER Freelance writer Penny Baxter tells the story of Published June 2012 an ancient hand-drawn map of the Makassan Charles Darwin University, NT, Empire that may help protect the biodiversity Australia and resources of the Arafura and Timor Seas. Protection of the shared biodiversity and This edition is also available at: www.cdu.edu.au/ resources of the seas is critical to sustaining corporatecommunications/publications.html. coastal and Indigenous communities in the region. CRICOS Provider No. 00300K RTO Provider No. 0373 LEANNE COLEMAN Staff writer and science communicator Leanne Coleman joins researchers on a tributary near editor project manager the Adelaide River in the Northern Territory to Robyn McDougall Connie de Silva delve into a century-old mystery about a hatchet- shaped fish found only in northern Australia and southern New Guinea. In another story, she design printer reports on an investigation into the underground life of the giant burrowing frog and its ability to survive the Territory’s long dry season. ROBYN MCDOUGALL Robyn McDougall has edited Origins since 2009. She brings to the magazine her skills as a long-time newspaper journalist and her experience as a journalism academic. In this edition, she interviews environmental scientist Text face: Centennial Professor Sue Carthew. Robyn is Director of the Display face: Helvetica Office of Media, Advancement and Community Engagement (MACE) at the University.

Origins is printed from vegetable-based inks and 98% of waste and by-products of the process have been recycled into paper products, alternative fuels and miscellaneous materials. PATRICK NELSON Based at the Alice Springs campus, staff The paper used in this edition of Origins has been manufactured under the environmental management system ISO 14001 using Elemental Chlorine Free writer Patrick Nelson has been writing about (EFC) pulp sourced from sustainable, well-managed forests. Territorians, telling their stories and taking their photos for the past 30 years. In this edition of Origins, he accompanies arid zone ecologist Christine Schlesinger on an inspection of her experimental sites in the West MacDonnell Ranges. In another story, Patrick talks with COVER IMAGE Arrernte musician Chris Wallace about his Marine life image courtesy Timor-Leste Dive upcoming desert rock album. Photo Contest: www.underwatertimorleste.com. 3 CDU RANKS VICE-CHANCELLOR

IN WORLD’S ORIGINS TOP 400

This result positions CDU fi rmly within the top 4% of world universities

C harles Darwin University has made a remarkable entry Of course the challenge for CDU as a regional university is to on to the list of the world’s top 400 universities since we last maintain the ranking in the competitive international system. published Origins late in 2011. This certainly is our challenge for the future.

Even though CDU is Australia’s youngest university, the This edition of Origins showcases some of the work taking place prestigious Times Higher Education World University Rankings at CDU that has helped to position us among the world’s top 400 has placed us at number 306 in the world. This result positions universities. It shares some of the positive impacts we are having CDU firmly within the top 4% of world universities. locally, nationally and internationally.

It is a wonderful result by any measure and should be a source You will learn how one of our engineering graduates is helping of great pride for the Northern Territory, our staff, students and Christchurch in New Zealand to get back on its feet after a series alumni. Times Higher Education also placed CDU at number 13 of devastating earthquakes in 2011. in the rankings of Australian universities. We also talk with a researcher who has recently headed an The rankings, which were released in the second half of 2011, audit of water supplies in Timor-Leste and her concerns about are based on data provided by Thomson-Reuters and take into the impact of climate change there and in other developing consideration excellence in teaching, research and knowledge countries. transfer, and the international outlook of the university. And closer to home, you will discover how the Menzies School of These national and international rankings are enormously Health Research is spreading the message about healthy food in gratifying given our university’s size, relative youth and its remote communities in the Northern Territory. location in the far north of Australia. It is an endorsement of I hope you enjoy this snapshot of CDU. years of great work in research, in particular, which is often cited by other researchers and also reflects the high productivity Professor Barney Glover of our staff and postgraduate students. Vice-Chancellor 4 SNAPSHOT NT PHARMACY STUDENT HAS FIRST SHOT AT SNAPSHOT NATIONAL ORIGINS

TITLE BELOW Final year pharmacy student Sarira El Den will represent the NT at the national Alphapharm Pharmacy Student of the Year competition later this year. STUDENT TEACHERS TOAST OF THEIR TOWN

Four CDU students were “The beauty of this program the toast of their town at is that it is customised to meet the recent opening of the the needs of the students, Growing Our Own teacher their community and the local education program at Ltyentye school that they work in,” Apurte (Santa Teresa) in Professor Byrnes said. Central Australia. On completion, the students Karina Gorey, Kirsten Braun, will be able to apply Marcus Williams and Anita for membership of the The Territory’s top pharmacy student will compete Gorey are working towards Northern Territory Teachers’ at the national finals of the Alphapharm Pharmacy a Bachelor of Teaching and Registration Board. CDU Student of the Year competition. Learning Pre-Service and delivers Growing Our Own, Inservice, a fully accredited funded by the Australian This is the first year NT students have had the opportunity and nationally recognised Government, to 10 students to compete in the national competition that recognises teacher education program across the Territory in outstanding skills. being delivered by CDU Bathurst Island, Wadeye and During the recent SA and NT regional finals in Adelaide, through the Growing Our Own Santa Teresa. program in partnership with CDU pharmacy student Sarira El Den was judged to “The program is truly the Catholic Education Office. have recommended the best medicine, securing a challenging the frontiers of place in the finals in Melbourne later this year. Pro Vice-Chancellor of teacher education. It embodies She will compete for a trip to the Netherlands to the Faculty of Law, Education, the idea of two-way learning, attend the International Pharmacy Student Federation Business and Arts Professor which enables an exchange Congress in 2013. Giselle Byrnes said it was of knowledge and experience. an important day in While our students are The Pharmacy Student of the Year award is a joint celebrating the achievements learning from CDU academic initiative of the Pharmaceutical Society of Australia of Ltyentye Apurte School staff, they also learn from the and Alphapharm, in collaboration with the National in growing the number students in new and profound Australian Pharmacy Student Association. of Indigenous teachers in ways,” Professor Byrnes said. community schools.

Literature in more than and Associate Professor RESEARCH 16 Northern Territory Brian Devlin will build the Aboriginal languages archive in collaboration PROJECT TO will be preserved after with the communities PRESERVE CDU researchers secured that own the languages, $430,000 as part of the enabling the researchers INDIGENOUS Australian Research to engage with texts (and LANGUAGES Council’s 2012 Major related audiovisual files) Grants announcement. as well as the Indigenous knowledge authorities for IN NT The researchers will create the languages. a living digital archive of endangered literature in The project also involves more than 16 Australian the Australian National Indigenous languages. University.

CDU’s School of Education Professor Michael Christie 5 SNAPSHOT RIGHT Pormpuraaw rangers collect data on the health of wild crocodile nests.

WILD SNAPSHOT

CROC EGG ORIGINS RESEARCH TO BENEFIT INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES A collaborative research The move comes after findings annual flooding already killed In 2011 CDU and Big Gecko project exploring the science from a study that began the majority of eggs. conducted a Certificate II behind harvesting wild in 2008 by Big Gecko into “By only collecting eggs with in Remote Crocodile crocodile eggs in Cape York whether the saltwater crocodile a high risk of flood-related Management for the could lead to opportunities for population inhabiting key rivers mortality before heavy Pormpuraaw Land and Indigenous communities to in Aboriginal land around rains, they can be redirected Sea Rangers funded by the manage their land and natural Pormpuraaw, in western Cape into valuable community Queensland Department of resources directly. York Peninsula, could potentially development and employment Environment and Resource support a sustainable harvest of incentives for the local Management. “The rangers CDU and Darwin-based community,” Dr Britton said. wild eggs. will play a key role assisting crocodile specialists Big “If the experimental harvest Big Gecko with the collection Gecko are conducting an CDU senior research associate supports the hypothesis that a of scientific data, monitoring experimental harvest of wild Dr Adam Britton, also a partner wild egg harvest in the region nesting activity and collecting saltwater crocodile eggs in Big Gecko, said the results is sustainable, there will be data on population densities,” in Queensland’s Cape York strongly suggested that a wild strong grounds to continue the Dr Britton said. Peninsula, in collaboration egg harvest in the area would harvest and bring economic with the Pormpuraaw Land be extremely low risk to wild and management benefits to and Sea Rangers. crocodiles because extensive the area.”

ALICE SPRINGS LECTURER RISES TO TOP OF CLASS Alice Springs campus nursing The award commends the lecturer Robin Cross has efforts of academic staff who been named in a list of the go beyond the call of duty to top 15 university lecturers enrich the lives of students in Australia. and work colleagues.

HUMANITARIAN Mrs Cross was placed eighth ACADEMIC IN out of more than 4000 colleagues in the Australian MEDICAL MISSION Lecturer of the Year awards BELOW run by the online tertiary Alice Springs campus nursing lecturer TO THAILAND Robin Cross has been named in a list of education portal UniJobs. the top 15 university lecturers in Australia. A CDU humanitarian specialist joined a medical team earlier this year to provide life-changing surgery for children in Thailand. It is the highest finish by a CDU lecturer and the third The trip to Ubon Ratchathani, near the border with Vietnam, year in a row that Mrs Cross was organised by the US humanitarian agency Healing the has featured prominently, Children, which arranges for volunteer medical teams to operate having finished second among on children whose families lack access to surgical services. CDU staff in each of the Bachelor of Humanitarian and Community Studies previous two years. coordinator Dan Baschiera assisted the team that included Other CDU staff to rate highly medical specialists from the Northern Territory and a team were Angela Sheedy, Dr of US surgeons and nurses. Vinuthaa Murthy, Dr Greg The surgeons operated on children with cleft lip and/or palate. Shaw, Cheryl Hunt, Trudi Hill, Joe Acker, Carol Thorogood, “These are delicate and expensive procedures to repair cleft Dr Isabelle Lys and deformities on children who might otherwise never get the Dr Mary Morris. opportunity to have an operation,” Mr Baschiera said. 6 LEFT Dr Christine Schlesinger at the Simpsons Gap site: “There are measurable benefits to native fauna in environments where buffel grass is controlled”.

1 SNAPSHOT This Spencer’s burrowing frog (Opisthodon spenceri) was recorded at Simpsons Gap in large numbers after heavy rains in ORIGINS 2010 and is one species that benefits from buffel grass management.

2 A northern spiny-tailed gecko (Strophurus ciliaris).

3 A fire-tailed skink (Morethia ruficauda).

4 A stripe-faced dunnart (Sminthopsis macroura).

5 Long-nosed dragon (Amphibolurus longirostris).

TOP RIGHT A knob-tailed gecko (Nephrurus levis). 7 SNAPSHOT ORIGINS

1 NATIVE ANIMALS

2 THRIVE WITHOUT BUFFEL GRASS 3

A Central Australian researcher has found that more native animals live in areas that have been cleared of the introduced pastoral grass Cenchrus ciliaris (buffel grass).

Arid zone ecologist Dr Christine Schlesinger has found a distinct difference in the abundance and number of species of frogs, lizards, snakes and small animals in areas where buffel grass has been removed compared with areas that are left unmanaged.

“This is the first clear evidence that controlling the grass has positive effects for native fauna,” she said.

Dr Schlesinger has been gathering data from experimental sites at Simpsons Gap and the Desert Park in the West MacDonnell Ranges 4 since 2008. Half the plots are heavily overgrown with buffel grass while the remainder, which is managed by the Simpsons Gap Rangers and staff from the Alice Springs Desert Park, is dominated by native grasses and forbs.

TEXT Patrick Nelson

IMAGES Patrick Nelson Christine Schlesinger

5 8

ORIGINS TE’ WRAPS OSCAR’S STORY IN CLAY & FILM

A short fi lm by TE’ CLAIRE – almost three years iin the making – has captured the hearts of viewers and immortalised the life of her grandfather, Oscar.

TEXT I n five minutes, the film “Each character has 11 Ms Claire thought it would Leanne Coleman transports you into Oscar’s to 12 hand-sculpted mouths be amazing to do something world, dries your mouth, to give them their similar. She returned to IMAGES tightens your chest and leaves expressions,” Te’ Claire Darwin to finish her year Kate Paneros you with a sense of loss. Set explains, holding a small 12 studies at Casuarina in the fictional suburb of wooden box with labelled Senior College and began her Mount Bundy, the film’s main sections for each character. research into stop motion character Oscar lives alone in animation. “It took nearly six hours to the smallest house between construct each character, “I had always been interested two of the tallest buildings on including their tiny clothes. in sculpting, and during Little Road. His compulsive But their appendages were my year 12 studies I made routines lead him through more difficult. Oscar alone a similar polymer clay everyday life as memories needed 36 pairs of hands. animation film.” from his past piece together They were very prone to his life story. Her first venture into breaking. For one scene I “claymation” (an animation The narrative of the animated went through eight pairs.” technique using clay film “Oscar the Owl” is an Ms Claire didn’t get to say figures) was a real learning emotive one. It is based on goodbye to her grandfather, experience. Ms Claire has the true story of Te’ Claire’s but he inspired her film, preserved her first clay grandfather who battled which she says gives her a character in a wooden obsessive-compulsive disorder sense of pride. box, and she pulled him (OCD) for most of his life and out to show me. He is a far died in 2009. Her journey into film making cry from the professionally began with a chance visit to Passionate about bringing sculpted and life-like the Australian Centre for the mental illness issues to the characters that feature in Moving Image (ACMI) precinct forefront, 19-year-old Charles “Oscar the Owl” today. at Federation Square while Darwin University student living in Melbourne in 2009. Despite her obvious talent Te’ Claire is driven. After Sitting in a film booth in the in her first attempt, she hours sculpting her beloved library section, she stumbled had been toiling somewhat animation characters from upon the 2003 Academy blind in the techniques of wire, foam latex and moulding Award-winning animated film claymation. She needed expert clays, she delicately hand- “Harvey Krumpet”, directed help for her big aspirations. paints life into them. and animated by Adam Elliot. As luck would have it, 9 ORIGINS

TOP LEFT A slice of a handmade set from the film.

TOP RIGHT Writer and director of “Oscar the Owl” Te’ Claire.

Al Oldfield, a prominent animator who had worked on the 2009 critically acclaimed stop motion film “Mary and Max” (directed by Adam Elliot) was living in Darwin, running a stop motion animation studio, and Mr Oldfield became her mentor.

“Having the guidance of someone in the industry like Al Oldfield was incredible, even if it was just to be able to call him to give me tips on what tools to use to sculpt my characters’ hair. Any time I had a question, or something would crack or break, he was a call away to give me advice and I thank him wholeheartedly for that.”

With Mr Oldfield as her guide, and the help of friends and family, Ms Claire’s dream was taking shape in reality. She also enrolled in a Certificate IV in Interactive Digital Media with CDU to learn the editing techniques that would enable her to compile her film to RIGHT industry standard. Characters from “Oscar the Owl”, an animated short film “It took years to develop by CDU Creative Arts student the characters,” she said. Te’ Claire. 10 elow is the anatomy of used for the costumes and BELOW AND B PAGES 8,9 stitched on to the puppets. Te’ Claire’s five-minute labour Te’ Claire created the of love that is “Oscar the Owl”: Buttons were sculpted OSCAR polymer-based characters

ORIGINS from Fimo and cooked, and sets by hand. • 28 months to make painted and sewn on to • A storyboard of 51 panels THE OWL clothing. Each button took mapped the film scenes 30 minutes to make. Six • Shot in 46 hours over pairs of shoes were created one week for each character • Six hours to construct • 20 LED lights were made, each of the five puppets, taking nine hours to including 1.5 hours to solder and connect. sculpt each head and Oscar’s mining hat one hour to paint three also had a wired LED light layers for each head • Grass was made from • Three hours to make the teddy bear fluff, brown clothing for one puppet dye, coffee bean and salt • 55 individual mouth • The rigging used to move expressions characters around the • Recycled material from sets took three weeks opportunity shops was to construct.

LEFT “I wanted to make sure I “I created 45 individual Characters from “Oscar the Owl”, accurately captured the life of newspaper clippings and an animated short film by CDU Creative Arts student Te’ Claire. my grandfather.” articles using Fimo [a brand of polymer clay] and paint, Ms Claire then developed depicting some of the major the storyline, designed the subjects he was interested in.” characters and sets before beginning months of still In the film, Oscar also had animation filming, where tiny replicas of two televisions a single frame could mean in his lounge room that were hours of work. Overall, she highly representative of took more than 10,000 still his character. “I remember photographs during sessions visiting him as a child,” Ms lasting up to13 hours to create Claire said. “He had one large her five-minute film. wooden TV with no sound for the picture and a smaller TV An OCD sufferer herself, Ms he used for the sound.” Claire immersed herself, working diligently to perfect Ms Claire’s film received rave her craft and ensure every reviews and an award at the detail of the sets and end-of-year show for CDU’s storyline remained true to Creative Arts students in her grandfather’s story. She 2011. She said that although not only replicated his home she didn’t make the film for inside and out, she even filled acclaim, it is satisfying after the jars on the shelves on the all the hard work. sets with the contents her “I felt bad at the screening grandfather had kept in them, when I saw a small child in including miniature teeth. the audience start to tear up Everything in the film has at the end of the film, but I am been handmade, including also happy that people can the characters’ tiny clothes. identify with Oscar and his The teeth alone took her two struggles. The real purpose of weeks. “I made sure I had the film was to bring attention everything right, down to to mental illness,” she said. what he ate for his dinner and “I think it is important to snacks,” she said. understand what people with mental illness go through.” “My grandfather was always interested in research and Based on a true story “Oscar the Owl” is a five-minute stop motion animation knowledge and was a bit created by Te’ Claire in collaboration ABOVE of a hoarder, collecting with Al Oldfield and Helena McKerlie. Each of the five characters newspapers on major events, has around 11 separate mouth expressions. teeth and even toenails. 11

FIONA’S FRAME ORIGINS OF SHADOWS

TEXT PUTS DARWIN Patrick Nelson

IMAGES Fiona Morrison IN THE PICTURE

ABOVE: Laneway #6 Light from a street lamp cuts through the overgrowth to bring out the detail in an otherwise dark laneway on a hot and humid tropical night. 12

Photographer and artist FIONA MORRISON ORIGINS uses her camera and tripod to shed a little light into Darwin’s dark and mysterious suburban shadows.

T here’s something dark It’s a practice that stems Fiona moved to Darwin in LEFT and curious about many of from her early adult life in 2000 with plans of staying for Huantie Night 6 (part 2) Won the inaugural New the images created by Charles Melbourne, when walking a year before venturing into Territories Art Prize at Darwin University’s award- home from nights out on South-East Asia with camera 24Hr Art last year. winning photographer Fiona the town. “We’d be walking in hand. “That was 12 years MIDDLE Morrison. It probably has a lot through the inner city suburbs ago and I’m still here. Who Stuart Park, 7.37pm to do with her fascination for after having watched a band. knows, I’ll probably never The interior light from the window juxtaposes the soft nocturnal photography. I always had my camera leave,” she said. lilac hues of the darkening sky and loved the challenge of There have been many Late last year Fiona and beyond the palms, capturing shooting long exposures a moment in the changing nights when Fiona has fellow artist Anna Reynolds without a tripod,” she said. colours of Darwin by night explored the darkened streets spent two exciting months RIGHT and alleyways of Darwin’s “I came to love the blur that a in Beijing on an artists’ Laneway #1 suburbs capturing long long shutter speed created in residency program facilitated From the series “Trace”, developed after completing a exposures of buildings, certain images.” through 24Hr Art. Master in Photography at CDU. walls and latent humanity.

There have been many nights when Fiona has explored the darkened streets and alleyways of Darwin’s suburbs capturing long exposures of buildings, walls and latent humanity. 13 ORIGINS

“I took my six-year-old to the back of the bike as a wall. It struck me that there LEFT daughter and Anna brought makeshift light.” were no doors or windows on Malak, 8:10pm A 30-second exposure after dark her five-year-old son and view from the street. Then I Fiona is not sure what drives brings out a rich array of colours we lived in a two-bedroom began noticing other buildings not visible to the naked eye. her to capture the dark of mezzanine that featured a with similarly strange facades night but does recall the night RIGHT huge studio space in Huantie and from there my fascination Nightcliff, 7:08pm she “discovered” Darwin. Art City. with night time suburban This wall and this light sparked “I had been in Darwin four Fiona’s desire to photograph Darwin grew.” “Often I would venture into or five years and had Darwin at night. the night streets of Beijing, struggled to find subject It ultimately became the although never further than I matter that enthused me. project for her Masters in was willing to cycle. Leaving Photography, which she “It was night and I was riding my daughter home asleep completed through CDU my bicycle through Nightcliff with Anna, I would strap the last year. when I passed a block of units tripod to the child’s seat and with a bright orange light carry the camera in the front mounted in the centre of the basket with a torch taped

CDU photographer and part-time lecturer in photography Fiona Morrison, along with Batchelor-based artist Anna Reynolds, is preparing a collection of works for display in Darwin.

The images, featuring the architecture, public places and people of Beijing, were made collaboratively by the artists when they participated in the 24Hr Art International Studio Residency program in China last year.

“The exhibition will feature about 15 large-scale photographic-based works,” Fiona said. “One measures 1.1m by 4.5m in length, so the impact will be strong.”

The exhibition will open in the Flinders Gallery at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory on 7 July and remain on display until the end of November 2012. 14 ORIGINS ENGINEER SIFTS THROUGH NZ’S RUBBLE AND RUIN 15

There’s a good chance the earth will move in Christchurch today ... and tomorrow ... and the ORIGINS next day. BRYAN DAVIES helps the shaky city to get back on its feet.

TEXT T here have been more than 10,000* quakes, tremors Patrick Nelson and aftershocks “above magnitude 2” since the 7.1 quake

IMAGES that rattled the bones of New Zealand’s second-biggest The Press, city in September 2010. New Zealand As large as it was, the legacy of a lesser magnitude quake (6.3) in February 2011 has been far worse.

With a death toll of 181 and a repair bill of an estimated NZ$30 billion, the quake in February 2011 lays claim to the dubious distinction of being the third most costly in the world.

New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said that among the rubble and ruin were about 10,000 houses that would have to be demolished.

A member of the enormous response effort is CDU engineering graduate Bryan Davies, who inspected dozens of broken buildings during a three-month tenure in the Shaky Isles.

“I condemned four houses in the first month. The risk was too LEFT Rubble from the Cathedral high to enter, and too expensive to repair, so they’ll have to be of the Blessed Sacrament’s demolished,” he said. collapsed bell tower buries a motor vehicle in the city centre. “A lot of buildings have big cracks in their walls. Many have already been taken down and there are a lot of vacant blocks; LOWER some of which they’ll never build on again.” Office workers in the 18-storey Forsyth Barr Mr Davies had been working in the Darwin-based office building are rescued through of Aurecon, a global engineering and project-management windows after the building’s stairwells collapsed in the consultancy firm, following his graduation from CDU February 2011 quake. with a Bachelor of Engineering in 2009. 16 ORIGINS

LEFT Jeff Barber, Peter Kelly and Jim Cohen of the New With a death toll of 181 and a repair bill of an Zealand Government’s Earthquake Commission inspect damage to River Road in Christchurch.

estimated NZ$30 billion, the quake in February RIGHT The spire and part of the tower of Christchurch’s 2011 lays claim to the dubious distinction of heritage-listed Anglican Cathedral collapsed in the February 2011 earthquake causing severe being the third most costly in the world. damage to the remaining structure.

“The Christchurch office became very busy, so I moved there to Mr Davies said that while some people had moved away fill a multi-area role that involves inspecting houses, churches, from Christchurch, there was plenty of will among remaining commercial and industrial buildings for structural weaknesses locals to rebuild the city. and damage. I made a lot of calculations, wrote a lot of reports “The rebuild hasn’t really kicked in yet. It’s complicated work and assisted with identifying repair solutions.” that will require the destruction of more large buildings and the Mr Davies was yet to arrive in New Zealand when a third design of new subdivisions. Painters and plasterers are very big quake (13 June, magnitude 6.4) caused about $6 billion popular at the moment, but it will take 10 years to fix the city in further damage, but he was at home near downtown and get it back to where it was before the earthquake.”

Christchurch when a 5.5 struck in October. * Visit www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz for updates on seismic activity in the city. “It lasted a fair while and was quite noisy. It caused buildings to flex and twist and turn, but I was on the ground floor in the apartment, which is quite stable.”

The fate of the building that had housed the previous Aurecon office, a stone’s throw from the landmark Christchurch 12 BIGGEST EARTHQUAKES Cathedral, is typical of hundreds of others in the central business district. SINCE SEPTEMBER 2010*

“It has been earmarked for demolition, as have 60 to 70 per cent DATE TIME MAGNITUDE** of buildings above five storeys.” 4 Sep 2010 04:35 7.1 Mr Davies said despite the high frequency of quakes and 13 Jun 2011 14:20 6.4 shocks in Christchurch many go unnoticed by the populace. 22 Feb 2011 12:51 6.3 “You’d probably feel a 3.5 and up, but it depends on other 23 Dec 2011 15:18 6.0 factors such as intensity.” 22 Feb 2011 14:50 5.9 Intensity – or peak ground acceleration – is a measurement 13 Jun 2011 13:01 5.9 of how violently the earth shakes at ground level, whereas magnitude is a measurement of the energy released. 23 Dec 2011 13:58 5.9 22 Feb 2011 13:04 5.8 “Intensity is important in determining building codes in earthquake zones and is of particular interest to structural 4 Sep 2010 04:56 5.6 engineers.” Mr Davies cited intensity as one of the key factors 6 Jun 2011 09:09 5.5 in how the lesser quake of June 2011 caused more damage 9 Oct 2011 20:34 5.5 than the bigger quake in September 2010. 2 Jan 2012 05:45 5.5 “Its intensity was very high at 2.2g (i.e. 2.2 times the * www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/largest acceleration of gravity), making it a very violent event. ** Magnitude: A measure of the energy released by an earthquake at its source. Its epicentre was just 11 km from the city centre, it was Magnitude is commonly determined from the shaking recorded on a seismograph. relatively shallow at 5 km underground and many buildings Each unit of magnitude on the scale represents a substantial increase in energy, for example a magnitude 5 releases 30 times more energy than a magnitude 4. had already been damaged by previous quakes.” (www.geonet.org.nz) MALE MYSTERIOUS their netsintheremote Marrakai Creekinthe The researchersset Northern Territory. Leanne Coleman Kate Paneros IMAGES ABOVE TEXT SPACE NURSERY CLAIMS I Few researchers have to battle the Northern Northern the battle to have researchers Few quest foranswers.But a in crocodile saltwater Territory’siconic nurseryfi sh inalmostacentury. fi the the conduct on they as research rst and salmon, beingreturned tothewater. tributary isbroken onlybythesplashoffish,including largebarramundiand threadfin Fat cloudsofhumidityhanginthe skyabovethemurkywater. Thedeep silencealongthis Territory, tworesearchersstandaboardtheir4.9metreboat gentlyhaulingintheircatch. n atributarycalledMarrakaiCreek justofftheAdelaideRiverinNorthern DION WEDD , it’s all in a day’s work work day’s a in it’sall ,

TIM BERRA

17 ORIGINS 18 ORIGINS

MAIN PICTURE The nurseryfish has some unusual characteristics including the male having a small hook on its head that holds the egg mass.

RIGHT Nurseryfish are found only in northern Australia and southern Papua New Guinea.

The researchers, Professor Tim Berra and “I have caught more than 1300 nurseryfish, Dion Wedd, are single-minded in their fishing. some with nearby egg masses suggesting they They are not interested in the highly prized were dislodged from the male’s hook, but never table fish, the barramundi, or the salmon. any actually attached,” he says, retrieving a They want just one species from the creek: male and female nurseryfish to show us the a little-known, hatchet-shaped fish that structural features that distinguish them. carries its eggs resembling a bunch of While the female has a small hump on the grapes on a small hook on its head. top of the forehead, the male has a significant As the dinghy carrying our Origins team hook-like protrusion. “These egg masses can approaches the researchers, we hear a splash. hold thousands of eggs, each connected by Within moments, the large head of a saltwater a long filament that the male carries on his crocodile emerges near the bank, a sobering clamp-like hook. What we don’t know is how reminder of the perils of undertaking this the eggs become attached to the hook and research. All limbs are pulled well within whether the male fish is a paternal match. our vessel. “DNA analysis that I published recently has As we come alongside their boat, Professor revealed very low genetic variation within the Berra tells us of being stalked by the resident nurseryfish population, which makes it difficult five-metre saltwater croc that locals call “Agro”. to say with certainty that any given male is the And it’s easy to see how he gained his name. genetic father of the embryos within the egg Attracted to the catch the researchers were mass,” Professor Berra says. “However, we hauling in, Agro tore a huge hole in the strongly suspect that the male carrying the egg fish net just before our arrival. mass is the father of those embryos. Multiple paternity is not involved. Despite the real dangers, Professor Berra says he finds the crocodile-rich environment “We think that egg carrying is an adaptation stimulating, and after 10 years of working that protects the eggs from tidal flow and siltation and enables the male to move ABOVE on the hatchet-shaped nurseryfish (Kurtus the eggs to a safe location.” Three-time Fulbright gulliveri) he is determined to discover the Fellowship winner reasons for its unique adaptation of the Professor Tim Berra. The fish itself is iridescent silver, shimmering hook found on the head of the male fish blues and purples, with translucent ribs LEFT and why he carries the eggs. and mouth parts. “You can actually see light Co-researcher through the ribs of the fish,” Professor Berra and Territory Professor Berra has seen males carrying Wildlife Park explains as he holds the fish up to the sun. curator Dion Wedd. eggs and has collected males and egg masses separately, but he has been unable to catch To find out more about how these fish live, one with an egg mass attached, which could Professor Berra and co-researcher Dion Wedd, potentially solve the question of genetics Territory Wildlife Park curator, sit in the boat and whether the males are carrying removing the otoliths (ear bone) of their catch. their own offspring. “The otolith records the age and locality of 19 S IN G RI ORIGINS O

ADELAIDE RIVER DARWIN

MARRAKAI CREEK

the fish,” Mr Wedd says, as he places the tiny LEFT scale-like bone into a small yellow envelop and Living up to his name, the five-metre saltwater croc “Agro” leaves a huge hole in the researchers’ net. Professor Berra calls out the fish weight and measurements for recording.

Like the rings of a tree, the otolith can provide insights into the life of the fish. When cut into ultra-thin layers and analysed under a powerful microscope, the bones can provide detailed information on the activities of the fish. Mr Wedd first saw nurseryfish in another SOLVED! iconic Northern Territory waterway, the Daly River, which also is known for its crocodile population. “I guess you could call me a fish his is not the first fishy mystery for Professor Tim nerd,” he confesses as he diligently labels T Berra, a three-time winner of Fulbright Fellowships to envelopes containing samples. “I like to collect Australia (1969, 1979, 2009) and author of more than fish and the first time I caught a nurseryfish 75 scientific papers and six books. I thought it was weird and totally unlike anything I had seen before.” Inspired by legendary American explorer William Beebe, Professor Berra is an international expert in freshwater Formerly head of the aquarium at the Territory fish, with a reputation for solving long-standing mysteries. Wildlife Park located just outside Darwin, Mr Wedd is now curator of the park. “Because the He taxonomically separated the trout cod from the environment is so hostile the only way we will Murray cod in the Murray River, and solved the mystery find out more about the breeding behaviour of of the disappearance and reappearance of the tiny these fish is by breeding them in captivity,” he salamander fish in south-western Australia. He found says. He has tried, but even with all his years that the salamander burrowed into the watertable when of experience with Territory fish, he has been its freshwater pools dried up and reappeared when the unsuccessful so far. pools replenished.

“These fish are very difficult to keep in He also was involved in the preservation of a five-metre captivity. They won’t eat and are very docile. megamouth shark in 1988, a species seen only twice We think the next step would be to try to grow previously. them from juveniles in captivity.” Professor Berra is a University Professorial Fellow at CDU, Professor Berra’s research in the NT is supported by CDU and Research Associate the NT Museum, Darwin. He is a and the Northern Territory Government through the Territory Wildlife Park and NT Fisheries. He has received previous world-renowned Charles Darwin specialist and Emeritus support from the National Geographic Society. Professor of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology at the Ohio State University, USA.

20 ORIGINS

MAKASSAN MAP TEXT Penny Baxter

IMAGES Portrait by Fiona Morrison Other images supplied by Karen Edyvane, Timor-Leste CONNECTS Dive Photo Contest SCIENTISTS AND COUNTRIES A 400-year-old map shows the extent of the ancient Makassan Empire, which surprisingly included part of the Northern Territory. Marine conservation biologist KAREN EDYVANE believes the shared heritage binds together the four countries that border the Arafura and Timor Seas.

LEFT Professor Karen (Bonba) Edyvane, Arafura Timor Research Facility and Research Institute for Environment & Livelihoods (RIEL). Professor Edyvane is currently at CDU on secondment from the NT Government, Department of Natural Resources, Environment, the Arts and Sport (NRETA). 21

A n ancient map hidden among the lot about not only the history of human help to address some of the key priorities royal garments and fading photographs of migrations in our region, but also climate in the Arafura-Timor Seas, including food ORIGINS the palace of the 16th King of the ancient change and the impacts on coastal and insecurity, illegal fishing, unsustainable Makassan Empire is revealing more marine resources. fishing, pollution and the impacts of than the exotic maritime ancestry of the human use and climate change. The passionate marine scientist also Northern Territory. It also may help to sees the map as reinforcing the strong Within the Northern Territory, protect the rich biodiversity and resources cooperative marine research programs collaborative marine research activity on of the Arafura and Timor Seas. rapidly developing between the four these “shared seas” is centred primarily The hand-drawn map was found by two countries bordering the Arafura and around the Arafura Timor Research Darwin researchers while they explored Timor Seas: Indonesia, Timor-Leste, Facility (ATRF) in Darwin, a major the ancient city of Gowa and the palace of Papua New Guinea and Australia. collaborative national marine research the Sultan Hasanuddin on the Indonesian facility established in 2006 dedicated to “Similar to the Mediterranean Sea, island of Sulawesi. research in the region for researchers the Arafura-Timor Seas are classified from CDU, the Australian National The map bears the title “Gowanese legally by the United Nations as a University, the Australian Institute of kingdom and areas that accepted ‘semi-enclosed sea’, with obligations Marine Science and the NT Government. Gowanese sovereignty until 1660” and and responsibilities for cooperative encompasses the Indonesian archipelago, management and scientific collaboration. Professor Edyvane, who is a lead Timor and, most surprisingly, Arnhem These seas are just rich in marine researcher at the ATRF, said she believed Land in the Northern Territory, a region biodiversity and fisheries resources, much international and regional commitment known as “Marege”. While the map was of the resources are ‘shared’, due to the and scientific cooperation were critical to reproduced originally from an Indonesian shallow, semi-enclosed nature of these seas.” understanding and protecting the shared text published in 1967, the veracity of biodiversity and resources of seas, which CDU is playing a major role in the Makassar claim of sovereignty or provide food and livelihoods for millions international scientific cooperation hegemony over Marege, remains a topic of coastal and Indigenous communities in the Arafura-Timor Seas, both in of controversial and historical debate. in the region. its collaborative marine research Unearthing the map was a major surprise and education relationships with key She said that while the map at the tomb for marine conservation biologist universities in the region, such as of the Sultan Hasanuddin was not a new Professor Karen Edyvane, from the Hasanuddin University in Makassar. It discovery, it undoubtedly reinforced the Research Institute for the Environment also participates in major regional marine cross-cultural relationships and exciting and Livelihoods at Charles Darwin forums, such as the Arafura-Timor Seas regional marine science collaborations University, who was on a research visit to Experts Forum (ATSEF), established being undertaken at CDU and the ATRF. Hasanuddin University in Makassar, the in 2003 through a Memorandum of “This unique, shared Makassan heritage capital of Sulawesi. Understanding between the governments binds us together across the whole of Indonesia, Timor-Leste and Australia. “We were absolutely stunned to see the region and importantly, is very significant Northern Territory was included as part In a major boost to marine science and for our partners and our cooperative of the accepted Kingdom of Gowa, which regional collaboration, ATSEF recently relationships in the region,” she said. is also known as the Makassan Empire,” received more than $8.7 million in “What is particularly exciting for scientists Professor Edyvane said. “We know the funding, including from the United in the Northern Territory is that we now Makassans were visiting the north coast Development Program, for regional know that we are building on a very close of Australia over 400 years ago, from planning, research and training in the and special, shared maritime and cultural the early 1600s to 1907, primarily to Arafura-Timor Seas. Through regional relationship spanning over 400 years.” harvest trepang (sea cucumbers) to sell partnerships, the ATSEF program will as a delicacy to China. But we didn’t realise that northern Australia and specifically the Northern Territory was also considered part of the sovereign Kingdom of Gowa.”

This early contact and the 1600km annual monsoonal journeys of the seafaring Makassans to the shores of Arnhem Land, two centuries before British colonisation, could now be one of the keys to protecting the future of the Arafura and Timor seas.

It was like stepping back in time with an eye on the future for Professor Edyvane.

“While this fascinating cross-cultural relationship has been the subject of intense study by social scientists, such as historians, archaeologists and anthropologists, we are only just beginning to explore this research area as scientists. Future studies may tell us a 22 ORIGINS SHELVES DO THE TALKING TO PROMOTE

TEXT HEALTHY Jen Pinkerton

IMAGES Frances Knight FOODS

A t the local store in Frances Knight, project officer Indigenous communities are Galiwin’ku, the largest from the Menzies School of taking up and spreading the community in East Arnhem Health Research, said the Land, a band of community women knew that people healthy foods message, with women walks the aisles. in the community would be Running fingers over “healthy proud. “They created it. The help from the MENZIES foods” labels, their faces system belongs to them.” flicker with pride. These “shelf For these women, stressing SCHOOL of HEALTH talkers” they’ve designed — the importance of Yolngu eye-catching icons that make food, as well as store-bought RESEARCH. nutritious options shout from food was key. “They wanted shelves — are a community- to keep that connection to wide effort. country and show that bush foods nurture health, as does food from the store,” Frances said.

Labels were designed with a “dhanyia” or traditional basket image, half-filled with Yolngu bush tucker and the other half with balanda (or “white fella”) food.

The Menzies’ Nutrition Promotion and Education in Remote Community Stores Program encouraged consumption of fruit, vegetables and water. Beyond that, it hoped to raise intake of fibre, iron and protein and to lower consumption of food high in added sodium, sugars and saturated fats.

LEFT (From left) Menzies’ project officers Lawurrpa Maypilama and Frances Knight with ALPA nutritionist Clare Brown and Doris Yittun from Galiwin’ku, and the good food dhanyia basket. 23 ORIGINS

RIGHT Manymak Ngatha shelf labels in place in the Galiwin’ku Store Yittun.

ABOVE Enlarged section of shelf labels.

A large proportion of the in customer knowledge and run by the National Heart national Indigenous health food-purchasing behaviours. Foundation. And the fourth gap is attributable to diet- community, Titjikala in Thumbs Funded by the Fred Hollows related causes, including Central Australia, devised a Foundation, the Menzies obesity and low intake of fruit system using local artwork nutrition project includes up for and vegetables. Diabetes, and language to spread activities in four communities heart disease and under- the message. across Cape York, Central nutrition were flagged as Australia, Arnhem Land While the project evaluation good issues by many remote and the Torres Strait. phase continues, small community leaders. success stories emerge. Good A different labelling system tucker Shelf-talkers hope to address tucker talk, it seems, is in the is being piloted in each of some of these issues as part air. In one store, the manager the locations to help inform of the Menzies’ nutrition reported dramatic increases the development of a new program, which was launched to the sales of newly labelled package of resources for use in 2011. It follows on from dried fruit and nuts. in establishing, running and remotely based nutritionists’ evaluating shelf label projects In Cape York, children greeted reports that community with remote communities. freshly pinned posters with members and store staff are delight, Frances said. “One eager to show clearly which In Pormpuraaw, a remote girl ran up to poster and store items are healthy food community of about 600 shouted, ‘Thumbs up good choices but are unsure of how people on the western coast tucker!’ Her mother asked for to do this. of Cape York Peninsula, a Thumbs Up sticker to put music sells the message. “We know various projects on her fridge at home. She Menzies teamed with the have responded to the need wanted to show there’s good Retail Stores Branch of the for better nutrition in the past, tucker in there, too.” Queensland Department yet no evaluation or research of Communities and the The resource package is has been published indicating Jimmy Little Foundation, expected to be complete in which tactics work best and, which brought musicians to June, providing information indeed, which foods to label the community and helped on healthy food criteria, how as ‘healthy’,” Frances said. children write their own to create shelf-talkers and It became clear that “healthy eating” songs. how to evaluate the efficacy people working in remote of signage and shelf-talker “The song was turned into a communities to promote programs. fantastic film clip and then nutrition need further replayed at community video resources to do so. A number nights. It spread the message: of international projects based ‘thumbs up for good tucker’,” on community-wide nutrition Frances said. promotion have included shelf-talker systems and found Mabuiag in Queensland’s that these systems could Torres Strait has a “tick” bring about positive changes system similar to that 24 FULBRIGHT SCHOLAR ORIGINS TO PROBE NEW ERA IN BELOW TRaCK Director and Fulbright Scholar Professor Michael Douglas. RIVER RESEARCH Southern Australia’s increasing demand for water is driving pressure to develop the country’s northern catchments, but how do we do it sustainably? MICHAEL DOUGLAS will investigate a new phase of river research when he takes up a Fulbright Scholarship to the United States.

N orthern Australia The question that arises schemes involving dams and perhaps a more realistic is regarded widely as a for policy makers and pipelines across the north. description for our climate is special place. The interplay researchers alike is how can the ‘dry-wet tropics’ because, “People have to be aware between an ancient landscape Australia develop the north for the most part, we live in a that these decisions are about and monsoonal weather in a sustainable manner? desert that happens to be wet trade-offs. If you take water patterns has created vibrant This and planning for a new for a while.” out to benefit one sector, you communities and rich phase of river research will are likely doing so at the TRaCK’s research has drawn Indigenous cultures, while occupy the Director of TRaCK, expense of another,” Professor together a significant body of maintaining largely intact Professor Michael Douglas, Douglas said. “Dams involve work on the importance of ecosystems. as he undertakes a Fulbright very expensive infrastructure wet season flows. The annual Scholarship in the United But there is a perception with potentially irreversible wet season floods: States starting in June. in some quarters that wet consequences for the • Connect the floodplains season flows in the north A survey of more than 1000 environment and downstream to the river and allow are “wasted”. Research people across Australia communities, so politicians movement throughout the from the Tropical Rivers conducted by TRaCK and water managers must entire river system and Coastal Knowledge researchers in 2009 found ensure they are using the • Transport nutrients and (TRaCK) consortium shows, most respondents valued a information available when sediments and reconnect however, that the north’s balance between agricultural making decisions. habitats unique biodiversity and the and other ecosystem services. “We are classified as living in landscape’s resources depend Yet periodically, politicians call • Boost plant growth, the wet-dry tropics, but on these dramatic floods. for large-scalegg agricultural providing habitat into the ddrierrier mmonthsonths LEFT The wet transports nutrients and sediments, and reconnects habitats in northern Australia. 25 ORIGINS

T he Tropical Rivers and Coastal Knowledge (TRaCK) consortium was set up in 2007 to address fundamental knowledge gaps about how tropical rivers work and how they are valued.

While research has been happening across the north for some time, the formation of a consortium of more than 70 of Australia’s best tropical river and coastal scientists signalled critical mass in terms of a collaborative effort from different disciplines and institutions.

TRaCK Director Professor Michael Douglas said the driving force behind setting up the program was a growing understanding that rivers were among the most threatened ecosystems on the planet and most had suffered serious environmental degradation.

“I want to ensure that we avoid making the same mistakes that have been made in managing rivers elsewhere, because once TRaCK ecosystems are degraded, it’s expensive and difficult to PLUGS turn back the clock,” Professor Douglas said. KNOWLEDGE GAPS

• Increase the commercial where development was “Many of these wetlands are National Environmental and recreational catches detrimental to stream flows little more than a metre above Research Program. But there of coastal fish such and wild aquatic resources, sea level, so we need to start are still significant gaps in as barramundi and it is possible that the net planning now to preserve our knowledge. king threadfin effect of that development on areas with high conservation “I’ll be using my time in the Indigenous communities could values,” Professor Douglas said. • Provide better opportunities United States to examine the be negative. for harvesting customary “Feral animals have really approach American scientists aquatic resources such as While the north’s ecosystems impacted on a lot of those have been using, which aims to black bream and long- are relatively intact, there floodplains as well. A lot of build knowledge about rivers as necked turtle, which make are threats that will become resources have gone into part of an integrated system. an important contribution more persistent over time. it and the health of some It’s very important we study to Indigenous people’s diets Even the most conservative wetlands is improving, but it’s rivers in their entirety – from and household budgets. estimates indicate sea level a big public investment and it the headwaters to the coast.” Work has also been carried rises will push saltwater into needs to be maintained. the wetlands of northern out by economists to estimate “The first phase of TRaCK Australia, which are the number of local jobs research has concluded and internationally significant for that would be created by we are now involved in a TEXT migratory birds and important Amy Kimber expanding various sectors. new research program under breeding grounds for the This research showed that the Commonwealth-funded IMAGES iconic barramundi. Dave Wilson Michael DouDouglasglas FionaFiona MorrisonMorrison

FAR LEFT The annual wet season in the north allows movement throughout the entire river system.

LEFT A water droplet rich with life. 26 ORIGINS ALBUM, TOUR & BRIGHT FUTURE

Central Australian desert rocker CHRIS WALLACE and his SOUTHEAST band might just be the next big thing in AWAIT Indigenous music.

F ollowing an impressive “We’re just taking it one day DESERT first-up performance at at a time but basically I’m the Garma Festival in East looking forward to it if we TEXT AND IMAGES Patrick Nelson Arnhem Land, a four-piece make the cut,” Chris said Indigenous hard rock band, from the backyard of his FAR RIGHT Southeast, stole the show last eastern Arrernte home in Ready to rock ... Gavin Hayes (left) and Chris Wallace of the Southeast year at the Bush Bands Bash dusty Ltyentye Apurte band based at Ltyentye Apurte. in Alice Springs. The band is (Santa Teresa). ROCKERS now waiting on confirmation Chris, who completed a music to participate in this year’s course at Charles Darwin Sand Tracks tour. University in 2011, has enrolled in a follow-up course this year. We sing about life, Contemporary Music lecturer Cain Gilmour said Southeast was fast developing into a about our history and formidable act. about being strong 27 ORIGINS

“They have a unique sound Chris and Derek Hayes, Gavin “We sing about life, about “We take the young students and perform well on stage Hayes and former drummer our history and about on trail rides for a reward if and have a place as a new Earl Hayes, combined their being strong.” they work hard at school. Indigenous rock band on the considerable talents in 2007, “Being strong” is a key “Sometimes we go for a week scene,” he said. naming the band Southeast message for the young people and teach them about plants because of their town’s “If they continue to work hard who Chris works with in his and trees and paintings, and proximity to Alice Springs. and develop their skills I won’t day job as a family support tell them stories about the be surprised if they crack it in “Santa Teresa is 76 kilometres worker at Santa Teresa. land and cultural stuff.” a commercial sense.” south-east of Alice so we “I teach them what I’ve learnt Southeast has started work on decided to call ourselves Chris grew up in a country from my uncles and aunts its first album. Southeast. music environment, although and grandparents and try “It’s a big project but we’ve he quickly developed a liking “We wanted to create a new to pass the knowledge on to got some songs sorted out and for the sounds of ’80s rock. hard rock sound a bit like them. Sometimes they listen, we’re working on others so ACDC but a bit different; but sometimes they’re more “My uncle played a lot of hopefully this year …,” he said. something from the desert.” interested in having fun.” Slim Dusty songs and he taught me the notes on a Chris, who plays rhythm lead, It’s a role that affords him guitar, but I liked the metal writes most of the songs and opportunities to deploy his bands like ACDC, Megadeath shares vocal duties with Gavin horse-handling skills. and Stryper.” while Derek plays bass. 28 ORIGINS GIANT FROG HAS HYDRATION ALL WRAPPED UP In wetlands and creek systems around the Top End, frogs are beginning to take shelter, on a mission to fi nd a hidey-hole to stay hydrated and survive the Northern Territory’s tough dry season. STEPHEN REYNOLDS investigates the secret life of frogs. TEXT C harles Darwin His PhD research began in Leanne Coleman University PhD graduate 2005 when he started chasing IMAGES and herpetologist Stephen frogs around at night in Fiona Morrison Reynolds has been Mickett Creek, in the northern Gavin Bedford investigating the secret suburbs of Darwin. The frogs Martin Dziminski Stephen Reynolds underground life of the giant were equipped with radio burrowing frog (Cyclorana transmitters, which would australis), and its ability to help to uncover the truth shelter in the earth during about their lives during the Northern Territory’s the “dry”. long dry season. “Our radio transmitters were Dr Reynolds is passionate tiny so as not to interfere about “ecophysiological” with the frogs, but that also research – that is, how meant the aerials on the animals at the organism transmitters were tiny so the level are in harmony with frogs could only be tracked their environment. up to a distance of around 50 metres,” Dr Reynolds said. “We had to radio track them 29 ORIGINS

Frogs shed their

BELOW Burrowing frogs are active skin every few days during the wet season

at night, because that is when “Frogs need moisture burrow they built up their of osmosis, absorbing water they were active, to see where to survive and because layers of skin to form a cocoon through their skin like a they moved so we didn’t lose burrowing frogs spend so to reduce water loss in the sponge,” Dr Reynolds said. them in the creek system.” much time underground we dry soil, allowing them to “Frogs can also extract water wanted to know how they maintain their skin moisture.” For three months towards from the soil while in their protected themselves when the end of the Top End’s As part of his PhD thesis, burrows. However, once the the soil dried out.” monsoonal wet season, Dr entitled “Body fluid osmolality soil around them becomes too Reynolds and collaborators To investigate Dr Reynolds and hydric relations of frogs dry and they can no longer followed the frogs and as dug up frogs at various from monsoonal northern physically absorb moisture, the weather began to dry up intervals during the dry Australia”, Dr Reynolds the cocoon they form protects the frogs began to disappear season and measured the wanted to know more about them from the soil taking its underground. dryness of the soil. He found the function of the cocoon, moisture back. that the frogs had formed when the frogs formed the “Giant frogs in the Top End “The cocoon completely a layer around their bodies, cocoon underground, and spend almost six months each covers the frog’s body (and offering protection from how it prevented water year in the total darkness looks a bit like glad wrap) the soil. loss to the soil. of their burrows during the except for their nostrils so dry season awaiting the “Frogs shed their skin every “Frogs don’t drink like they can breathe. monsoonal rains,” he said. few days,” he said. “We found your average animal. They that while they were in the hydrate through the process 30 ORIGINS formed around them. of thedrysoilcrust thathas enough forthemtobreakfree wet seasonmoistenthesoil monsoonal rainsofthenext burrows untilthefirst confined intheirunderground There thefrogsremain underground.” capacity beforeburrowing bladders, whichtheyfillto water storedintheir hydrated byreabsorbing drink orurinate,andkeep conditions). Theydon’t eat, hibernation, butfordry of ‘aestivation’(similarto rate untiltheyareinastate frogs slowtheirmetabolic “While intheircocoon,the each yearintotaldarkness spend almostsixmonths Top the End in frogs Giant sufficient rain.” emerge whenever thereis confirmed. Ingeneral itwill years, butthishas neverbeen stay undergroundforseveral generally believedthatitcan down ametreormore.Itis water-holding frog can burrow 20 to30cm,thedesert frog burrowsdownaround While thegiantburrowing ( desert water-holding frog adaptations, includingThe that allhaveuniquesurvival species inthegenusCyclorana habitat. Thereare10different frog tosurvivewithinits allowing thegiantburrowing of thesurvivaladaptations from dryconditionsisone “Growing acocoontoshelter Cyclorana platycephala ). the growthrateofcrocodiles. on anewprojectatCDUtomaximise environment andiscurrentlyworking adaptations ofanimalstotheir in thebehaviouralandphysiological Dr Reynoldsisinterestedprimarily stay hydratedwhileunderground. Forming acocoonhelpsthefrogs LEFT

of burrowingfrogsintheNT. There areapproximately15species ABOVE 31

LIMITED EDITION LIMITED EDITION

E lizabeth Nyumi was born c. 1947 She began painting for Balgo in the late Biennale. Her work is represented in

at Parwalla. Her skin is Nungurrayi and 1980s, her style initially quite muted. the Holmes a Court Collection, and at ORIGINS her principal language group is Pintubi. More recently, her canvases and prints the Museum and Art Gallery of the NT, Elizabeth lives at Billiluna, one of Balgo’s convey a thick build-up of dotting among others. outlying communities. She grew up along typically embedded with such things as CDU’s Northern Editions Studio print the Canning Stock Route before settling camp settings, coolamons, bush tucker makers will travel to Balgo in September at Balgo with her father (her mother and scrub. Elizabeth has travelled to work with the Warlayirti Artists in tragically died quite young from a dingo overseas and throughout Australia for Japanese-style woodblock printing bite). Elizabeth trained in domestic her art, which is garnering increasing and etching. help and worked throughout the region attention and widespread recognition. for pastoralists. Together with her Elizabeth was one of the few Indigenous husband she remains a strong and artists represented at the 2004 Sydney active advocate for teaching her culture to the next generation.

Elizabeth Nyumi Parwalla Created 9 October 2003 Screen print, edition 25

IMAGE SIZE 104 x 69 cm

REF NO 03/46

PRINTER Northern Editions Print Makers

W: northerneditions.com.au 32 RESEARCHERS AUDIT ORIGINS WATER USE IN

TIMOR-LESTETEXT Penny BaxterBaxter Water,Water, liklikee bloblood, is the

IMAGESIMAGES Portrait byby Fiona MorrisonMorrison essence ooff lilifefe for people who OtherOther imagesimages supplied byby Tania PaulPaul susurvivervive off ththee land. But this life-blood for tthe people of TTimor-Lesteimor-Leste iiss in danger from the threat of cclimate change, as TANIATANIA PAULPA discovers.

LEFT T rekkingrekking over the moumountainousn landscape of the CDU senior highlandshighlands behind Dili in seasearchr of water is already a matter horticulture lecturer of life or death for the peoplepeople who live in farming villages. Tania Paul’s investigative research helps to determine PovertyPoverty is common in tthesehese communities where the water the vulnerability of the water isis poor qualitqualityy and scarce, aandn the country’s long dry season supply in Timor-Leste causes manymany life-life-givinggiving sprispringsn to dry up for months at a time.

A jjointoint pprojectroject between GeoGeosciences Australia and researchers at Charles Darwin UniversitUniversityy (CDU) has painted a vivid ppictureicture of water use so the GGovernment of Timor-Leste can proprotecttect this prpreciousecious resourresourcec from the threats posed by climate chanchange.ge.

TTemperaturesemperatures in Timor-LesteTimor-Leste are expected to rise by 0.4°C to 1°C bbyy 2030; cyccycloneslones anandd rain events will become less ffrequentrequent but more intense; aand the sea level is expected to rise bbyy 6 cm to 15 cm, aaccordingc to the climate change ppredictionsredictions ooff the PaciPacificfic CliClimatem Change Science Program.

ThisThis means Timor-Leste willwill experience intense rainfall events similarsimilar to tthehe 2010−111 wet season when heavy rainfallrainfall ran throuthroughgh the islaislandn nation’s engorged streams, creeks and rivers out to the oocean, without replenishing the undergroundunderground aquifers.

TThehe heheavyavy rains destrdestroyedoyed mmost of the country’s food crops ooff rice, maize (which is like a corn) and cassava (a root eaten fforor carbohydrates). The loss also meant the Timorese had only a ffewew crops to plant fforor the next season.

TTherehere are ffearsears that as the ttemperaturee of the earth rises, crops such as cocoffeeffee ((which needs cool temperatures to survive) could be threatened. 33 ORIGINS

As geologists mapped the type, quality and size of the and sacrifices are necessary to please the underground spirits underground aquifers in Timor-Leste, the researchers from who look after the water. CDU’s School of Primary Industries spent 18 months mapping “In some villages, people believed you couldn’t drink rainwater the human impact and use of water in the young nation. because it was somehow contaminated,” she says. The small team of researchers included Bronwyn Myers, With Timor-Leste’s population of 1.7 million people expected to Rohan Fisher and Andrew Campbell, and was headed by grow by 2.4 per cent, the Government of Timor-Leste is under horticultural researcher Tania Paul. pressure to make sure there is enough water to go around. They spent two months meeting the people who live in areas The researchers identified an estimated 44 per cent of the supplied by the three different aquifer types – sedimentary, country’s population live in areas where the water source is low fractured rock and limestone – to gauge how water was treated quality and low in quantity, making them more vulnerable to differently and its impact on their livelihoods. predicted changes to the water source from climate change. Ms Paul says it was not just the way people used the water The joint Geoscience Australia and Charles Darwin University that varied, but also the impact of water on the local economy, research will provide advice to the Government of Timor-Leste how it was involved in religious and cultural beliefs and the to ensure reliable water and food supplies for the people of perceived ownership of the valuable resource. Timor-Leste into the future. Priority actions include monitoring “We heard some amazing stories, like people who had to trek groundwater resources to better understand water availability; up to 10 kilometres twice a day through the mountains to fill irrigation maintenance; diversifying agriculture and reducing a small bucket up with water,” she says. “You could see the waste; and over use of the existing water supplies. hardship in their faces. Ms Paul says she hopes the comprehensive research project, “Some families have to move from their homes in the mountain which was funded by the Australian Government under the to be near water, which means the children can’t go to school.” Pacific Adaptation Strategy Assistance Program, through the International Climate Change Adaptation Initiative, with help This project combined life-long passions for South-East Asia and from the National University of Timor Loro Sae, could lead to horticulture for Ms Paul, who visited more than 30 villages with further research and capacity building to help fight the effects Marcal Gusmao from the National University of East Timor to of climate change in developing countries. talk to residents about water.

In some villages, the cultural and religious beliefs surrounding water are so strong that they prevent certain people using it,

UPPER LEFT UPPER RIGHT Senor Gusmao tends his vegetable garden, Looking south over the bridge to Laleia which is hand watered using river water. and the Laleia River in Timor-Leste.

LOWER LEFT LOWER RIGHT The highly invasive weed Chromolaena Bamboo is used to divert rain from odorata, which is taking over much of the the roof into a small water storage tank. pastoral and farming land in Timor-Leste. 34 ORIGINS Q & A position inDarwin. the up take to Adelaide in home former her from north 3000km moved recently Sue Environment. the and Science Health, Engineering, of Faculty the of Vice-Chancellor Pro SUE CARTHEW scientist Environmental

CULTUREFACULTY NEW INTO SETTLES HEAD is is hope tosubmitthemshortly. IhaveonePhDstudent,basedin working onseveralmanuscriptsIalreadyhadintrainand primary research.However, inmy“spare”timeIhavebeen to knowtheuniversityandFaculty, soIhaven’t startedany It’s abitearlytojudgeyetbecauseI’vebeenprettybusygetting interests inecologyandenvironmentalscience? Have youbeenabletomaintainyourresearch but it’s importanttotaketimelookatthebigpicture. much goingonacrosstheFacultyit’s easytogetlostinthat, challenges istogetmyheadabovetheday-to-day:thereso and aplacewell.ButI’mslowlygettingthere.Oneoftheother anything, andthat’s hardwhenyouareusedtoknowingpeople done. I’vespentquiteabitoftimefeelingasthoughIdon’t know So far, gettingtoknowhowthingsworkandget in theposition? What doyoufindisthegreatestchallenge my timesofarasexciting,scaryandenergising. a completelydifferentculture.SoIsupposecoulddescribe Faculty andthechallengesitfaces,gettingtogripswith and outsidetheuniversity, understandingthebreadthof It’s beenawhirlwindofgettingtoknowpeoplebothwithin your firstsixmonthsintheposition? the Environment.Howwouldyoudescribe Faculty ofEngineering,Health,Scienceand You joinedCDUearlierthisyeartoleadthe Lee Pointafewtimes. birds uphere,we’vebikedand walked aroundEastPointand National ParkandFoggDam.In anattempttogetknowthe and thebirdlifespectacular. We’ve alsobeenoutto Litchfield The waterwayaroundYellow Water atdawnwasjustbeautiful, can’t waittogetbackthereonce itbecomeseasiertogetaround. be easier. We wenttoKakaduforthefirsttimeoverEasterand get outandaboutabit,asthedryseasongetsgoingthiswill amazing environment.So,mostweekendswe’vebeentryingto explore theregionandmakemostofbeinginsuchan Being outdoorspeople,myhusbandandIarereallykeento Northern Territory’s impressive environment? Have youhadtheopportunitytoexplore city isveryconvenient. takes me15minutes,andlivinglessthanfiveminutesfromthe to getwork(fromtheedgeofBarossacity).Nowit love theclosenessofeverything.Itusedtotakemeoveranhour swim, haveBBQsandeatoutsideallyearroundisgreat.Ialso We tendtolikeanoutdoorlifestyle,andsothefactyoucan bit ofgettingusedtoafterthehot,drysummersAdelaide. huge downpoursofrain,althoughthehumidityhastakena start ofthewetseason.Ijustlovedthosebigstormsand So farI’mreallyenjoyingit–eventhefactthatwecameat most northerlycapitalcity? How doyoufindlivinginAustralia’s on theFaculty. possibilities are,butforthemomentmyfocushasbeen can’t waittogetoutintothefielduphereandseewhat I regularlySkype–soamtryingtokeepmyhandin.also I stillhavequiteafewPhDstudentsbasedinAdelaide,whom marsupial anditsrelationshipwithfire/landmanagement, Alice Springs,who’s juststartedworkonasmallthreatened Fiona Morrison IMAGE Robyn McDougall INTERVIEW Robin Williams andCatherineHamlin. David Attenborough,CharlesDarwin, would youliketohavedinner? Which fourpeople,livingordead, makes thesituationmuchlessstressful. means somuchlesstensionintheroom,and perceptions ofanissue.Taking thisapproach are notattackingyou,theytheir something youhavedone,remindyourselfthey a decisionyouhavemadeorconsequenceof are upsetorangryaboutsomething,anditmightbe about depersonalisingconversations.Whenpeople found reallyusefulwhenIwasHeadofSchool.It’s is somethingthatcamefromaleadershipcourseI I gotboggeddowninit(whichwasoften!).Theotherone of thattime.Thatspurredmeonandkeptgoingwhen a storyofmyachievementsandIshouldmakethemost thing thatisallaboutyou.Iwasessentiallywriting in yourlifethatyougettoconcentrateonasingle with, remindedmethatitwasreallytheonlytime turned consultant,whomI’ddonesomework was writingupmyPhDthesisandanacademic Two thingscometomind.OnewaswhenI received andwhoofferedit? What isthebestadviceyouhave Dead Poet’s Society, RearWindow Moulin Rouge,ErinBrockovich,ShirleyValentine, A coupleoffavourites: – soIprobablydon’t haveonefavouritefilm. I don’t havealotoftimetowatchthemthesedays I’ve alwaysbeenabitoffanoldmovies,although What isyourfavouritefilm? Reynolds and ... Atthemoment,I’mreading biography, mysteries,quirkystories,comedy, leadership I amanavidreaderandreadallsortsofthings: What areyoureadingatthemoment? children. Thenaturalenvironment–prettyself-evidentreally. something Ihavealwaysbelievedandtriedtoinstilinmy My parents–whotoldmeIcoulddoandbeanythingwanted: Who orwhatinspiresyou? to facilitateexcellenceinothers. leadership positioninrecentyears,I’verelishedtheopportunity and inspiringpeopleduringmycareer. Andhavingbeenina had somewonderfulopportunitiesandmetamazing master ofyourowndestiny. Howcanyoubeatthat?I’vealso some ofthebrightestpeoplearound,andyoucanmostlybea challenging butrewarding,it’s flexible,yougettoworkwith little, notreally. Academiapresentssomanypossibilities.It’s Other thanspendmoretimewithmykidswhentheywere in yourcareerifyouhadtimeover? Is thereanythingyouwoulddodifferently Chasing theDime Gone withtheWind, Why PeopleFail byMichaelConnelly. ... bySiimon 35 ORIGINS Q & A 36

CDU ART COLLECTION CDU ART SITTING ORIGINS AT THE OF APY EDGELANDS S enior Yankunytjatjara elder and traditional healer Whiskey Tjukangku is a founding member of BELOW Iwantja Arts and Crafts at Indulkana. This is one of Whiskey Tjukangku the largest communities at the gateway to Anangu- Wampataku – Hunting Pitjantjatjara-Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands, situated 2010 south-east of Fregon and Mimili and just west of the Acrylic on linen Stuart Highway in South Australia. 60 x 50cm Charles Darwin University Art In his words: “I was the first man to start being an Collection – CDU2072 artist at Iwantja, so I was the original member … TEXT Purchased through the CDU Anita Angel Foundation, 2011 I paint a lot and I learned linocuts … I remember Curator, CDU Art Image © the artist & courtesy Iwantja culture designs that no one else knows.” Collection and Art Gallery Arts and Crafts, Indulkana, SA

Tjukangku grew up in Ernabella and De Rose Hill, South Australia, working as a stockman for many years droving cattle throughout the region, until he grew “homesick” for his ngura (country), returning to reside again at Indulkana. His paintings reflect on his extensive travels and experiences throughout desert country often unrelated to his Tjukurrpa (Dreaming), yet recalled in his memory and art as influential to his sense of self and identity as a senior Yankunytjatjara man.

Wampataku – Hunting 2010 depicts “a good place to camp down in the creek bed”. A man who has gone hunting for emu and kangaroo sits in the shade of trees between the hills. A work of great vitality and energy, it is a triumph of scale over size, its figurative elements hark back to a moment in the history of Western Desert painting before attenuated abstraction became the norm. The artist’s signature depiction of punu trees – jagged and meandering – dramatically divides the composition diagonally, like the airborne fall of a hunting spear. The organic forms echo the esoteric designs incised on weapons and ceremonial or utilitarian objects made from the same punu sourced by Yankunytjatjara men, revealing the inextricable relationship between the natural world and ceremonial life.

Whiskey Tjukangku held his first solo exhibition in April-May 2011 and has participated in group shows at major galleries interstate since 2010. His work is represented in the National Gallery of Victoria and the South Australian Museum.