Finding something decent to do: Memoirs of a Brisbane activist for Aboriginal rights, 1956-1971 Transcribed from original hand-written notes, organised and annotated by Dr Cathy Day, Australian National University 20 June 2020 1 Table of Contents Editor’s note ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Dedication ............................................................................................................................................... 9 Preface .................................................................................................................................................... 9 Bank Street ............................................................................................................................................ 10 Melbourne Street .................................................................................................................................. 15 Origins ............................................................................................................................................... 16 Cases ................................................................................................................................................. 21 Mary, a young lady ........................................................................................................................ 21 Abandoned baby ........................................................................................................................... 21 Mick, a little boy ............................................................................................................................ 22 Jim, an old man ............................................................................................................................. 22 Auntie B ......................................................................................................................................... 23 A Peeping Tom .............................................................................................................................. 23 John, a young white man .............................................................................................................. 24 Police care case ............................................................................................................................. 25 Funny things ...................................................................................................................................... 25 Auntie R and the party .................................................................................................................. 25 Rose and her hat ........................................................................................................................... 26 An islander .................................................................................................................................... 26 John, a young boy ......................................................................................................................... 26 A dear old lady .............................................................................................................................. 27 School friends visit ........................................................................................................................ 27 Moving day from Melbourne Street to Opal House ......................................................................... 28 Opal House ............................................................................................................................................ 30 Origins ............................................................................................................................................... 31 Cases ................................................................................................................................................. 40 A difficult woman .......................................................................................................................... 40 Court cases .................................................................................................................................... 41 A Catholic boy ............................................................................................................................... 41 The riverbank ................................................................................................................................ 42 A wedding ..................................................................................................................................... 43 River trouble ................................................................................................................................. 43 A man with a razor ........................................................................................................................ 44 2 Ben ................................................................................................................................................ 44 Child neglect...................................................................................................................................... 45 A boy, 2½ years old ....................................................................................................................... 45 A boy, 3 weeks old ........................................................................................................................ 45 Attempted infanticide ................................................................................................................... 46 A battered wife ............................................................................................................................. 46 Child abduction ............................................................................................................................. 47 Suicide ........................................................................................................................................... 47 A boy, 18 months old .................................................................................................................... 48 House of squalor ........................................................................................................................... 48 A frightened little girl .................................................................................................................... 48 Young unwilling mother ................................................................................................................ 49 Six abandoned children ................................................................................................................. 49 Blue baby....................................................................................................................................... 49 Worm infestation .......................................................................................................................... 50 A little black orchid ....................................................................................................................... 50 A fishing basket ............................................................................................................................. 50 Victorian runaways ....................................................................................................................... 50 A very young couple ...................................................................................................................... 52 In the cemetery ............................................................................................................................. 52 Responsibility ................................................................................................................................ 53 Funny things ...................................................................................................................................... 53 A clever drunk ............................................................................................................................... 53 A misheard conversation .............................................................................................................. 54 A letter to the Minister of Education ............................................................................................ 54 Smoking in the toilets ................................................................................................................... 54 A missing wallet ............................................................................................................................ 55 A jolly priest .................................................................................................................................. 55 Eye drops ....................................................................................................................................... 55 Medical incident ............................................................................................................................ 56 Little Tom .....................................................................................................................................