Translated by Jane Simpson

RT: School-jju kin akkul nyiyina, akkul ngini marlarluka, pikapikka, arnakkul still workjiyina station
[you were at school, when you were quite big children, I was working for you at that station.]

DS: Marlarluka kin akkul
[You were grown up]

RT: Yeah, we been still working ajjil, ah that two aunty too.
[Yeah, we been still working us two, ah that two aunty too, [JS: probably two Nangali]].

DS: Pukkunjiyina akkul.
[you were working]

RT: And this. Ngamuna awul milkintiyina cow
[those two were milking cows]

DS: Oh yeah ngamuna, puliki kari
[yes milk from cows]

RT: Milk. Two, might be, kujjarra kujjarra bucket
[Milk. Two, might be, four buckets]

DS: right full

RT: that's for alinyak apina, school ku, jukunjina, missis-jji nyanjina, Mrs. Servan ...kulpayina kujjarra bucket school-ku
[someone went for it, carrying them, the lady used to see them and send two buckets to the school]

DS: Yeah ankku
[yes for us]

RT: Tijjaj-jja ngini akku nyunjina, ngamuna
[The teacher would give the milk to you]

DS: puliki kari, fresh
[cow's milk]

RT: fresh one

DS: fresh, ngamuna puliki kari, jalupuyina ankkul
[fresh cows milk we drank]

RT: Smoko ngini
[smoko]

DS: Smoko-ku
[for smoko]

RT: Mhm

DS: Ala karinya ngini dinner-ka ankkul kurayina ngurraji kina , purtakijji ankkul apirrajina ngamuna-ka kin
[after that we would run to camp for dinner, and come back for milk again]

RT: Yeah

DS: But piliyi ngamuna jalupuyina ankkul, well alukarinya ngini kuyu kari puliki kari.
[But the milk we drank was good, from those animals, cows]

And numu ankku munkku wangu, wangurntinyi, warraku, piliyi.
[And it didn't give us stomach aches, no.]

RT: Yeah. We been have-im about ngappa piliyi too.

DS: Yeah ngappa piliyi rainwater anyul kuyina alangaranya.
[yes, we had good water, rainwater from there]

RT: Dam

DS: Alangaranya dam, kurayina
[from the dam it ran]

RT: Tank kina
[into the tank]

DS: Ala kana, ngurraji kina.
[to there, to the camp]

RT: Ngala kana dam, and another, yarnti ngini ngarntta jayina, yarntarntta janta yarnti-jji [points to front right of picture], still there, [turns to DS: you know alapparra alinya wanppinyi].
[to this dam [points], and another, one was here, one stands there, still there, [turns to DS: you know, where that one fell [had the accident]].

DS: Yeah, alinya now piliyi ngini ngappa wanppinyi, intit, yarnti
[yes, that one was good, rainwater]

RT: well, jartti karn ajjul nyirrina.
[well they put other ones]

DS: Yeah. Jartti karn, bore karn, wangu karn, salt water, salt water jalupuyina
[another one, a bore now, was bad, salt water, it was salty to drink]

RT: piliyi arnpa alinya pangkalinyi, ngarnttarnpa tank-jja
[That one was left good still, here at the tank]

DS: Yeah

RT: dam-jja anyungkku apina ngurraji kina now [pointing from front to rear]
[at the dam, it came to us, to the camp]

DS: yeah.. ngarntta nyina through rain ngappa piliyi, Arnttunya ngappa marnu waly apina [pointing to left of picture] kulanginjil
[yes, here, rainwater, good water. There the water flowed everywhere, halfway]

RT: [laughs] Yeah

RT: Mukkunya, pikapikka ngini akkul [points to left of picture] Kuyina, kangkurr-kari self again here school-ku, shower, [facing DS], nyanguna kari-ntiyina, laundry.
[Everything, you kids had showers for school, and for doing that what's name, laundry]

DS: Yuwayi

RT: wawarta-ka washim-minjji-ki, kangkurr wanppiji-ki, kuyina ankkul
[for washing clothes, for having showers, we had]

DS: Warlujurru karn alinya ngini,
[that was more recently]

RT: Yeah

DS: Kukarnta akkul apina, ngurraji ngara kangkurr-ku
[you used to go from the camp for showers]

RT: Yeah

DS: Ngurraji kangkurr anppirra, ngurraji-jji
[camp washing, at camp]

RT: Yeah ..

DS: alungaranya ankkul apina, alungaranya ngini, nyanguna kana ankkul apinyi shower kana.
[from there we went, from there, we went to what's name, shower]

RT: Mhm

DS: Nyanguna caravan shower

RT: yeah

DS: Ngarnttiji ankkul kangkurr-angkurr. School-ku karn
[Here we were washing, for school now]

RT: Clinic [points from right to left of picture]

DS: Clinic that way, warlujurru warlujurru karn
[Clinic is that way, it was more recent]

RT: That kujjara,... kumppu kujjurr school, and ngurraji ngini tijja kari, school-alkki, Clinic, .. laundry, and
[that two, two big ones for school, and the teacher's camp, associated with the school..]

DS: mhm

RT: clinic akinyi self, before dis one here alapparra ama mapurtanyi ngala kana-nya
[Later, the clinic was on its own, before they built this here]

DS: Yuwayi

RT: Station kina, alapparra mijiji alinya apirrkarni Brisbane ngara, Mrs. Servan, bush
[at the station, when that white woman came from Brisbane, Mrs. Servan]

DS: Yuwayi.
[yes]

RT: Work ji-yina nyanguna amparl, nurse.
[She worked as a what's name again, nurse]

DS: Walala ankkul apina intit? Walala ankkul apina ngarnttanya mangkkuru-jju manjun manjun ngini kuttanga-ka, parinyjina karn ankkul jappina, parinyjina ankkul, kupunjina ankkul, kapi ankkul jajjina, jartti ankkul panarnta jukuntajina ngurraji kina pulkapulkka-ka
[We used to go hunting, didn't we. We went hunting as kids on the black soil for bush rats, we got bearded dragons, we got them, we cooked them and ate them, some we would bring back to camp for the old people.]

RT: Yes

DS: Ajjul karn lalkki lalkki parinjina, kupunjina ajulurnu-arnpa, pawumpawu
[they would take them separately, they would cook them for themselves, poor things]

RT: Jartti ajjul pulkapulkka apina watti.
[other old people went a long way]

DS: Jartti ajjul, Yuwayi, jartti ajjul pulkapulkka apina watti, yungararnpa.
[Other people, yes, other old people went a long way, further]

RT: Mhm

DS: Ngajja, ngajjarr apina
[Close up, close up people went]

RT:…mangkkuru-njju, ngattayina ajjul mangarriji
[on the black soil they found plains goannas]

DS: Mangarriji, lirrppirji, ajulurnu ngini kutukutu kakurru
[plains goannas, creek goannas, they are found anywhere on the east]

RT: Yeah

DS: Lirrpirriji, nyilingulu, nyanguna wajjingkarr
[creek goannas, porcupines, that echidna]

RT: Kumppu that lirrppiriji
[creek goannas are big]

DS: Junga
[true]

RT: [points to left of picture] there now wulu-ngku live-jinta.
[they live in the scrub there]

DS: Kumppiyilppi not manjun manjun, kumppiyilppi, junmarninjara, and ngattu kumppu, lirrpiriji ngala warinyi ngini, mangkkuru warinyi.
[They are very big, not little, very big and long and fat, creek goannas live here in the plains country]

RT: Mhm

DS: Mangirriji kumppiyilppi kin intit
[plains goannas are very big too]

RT: Yeah

DS: Jartti parlkkarr pani-s, ngarnttanya ngini narrangka, mangkkuru-jju,
[Others are short on this side, here on the ground, on the black soil.]

RT: Mhm

DS: him manjun manjun one
[They are small]

RT: and watti watti
[And a long away off]

DS: Yeah and watti watti ngini kumppiyilppi, and ngattu kumppu
[Yes, and a long away off they are very big and fat]

RT: Mhm

DS: But piliyi anyul nyiyina,
[We lived well]

RT: Mhm

DS: Bush warinyi mukku jajjina,
[We ate a lot of bush food]

RT: Yeah

DS: Ap-anyul payinti payinti jajjan, nyanguna alinya, papulanji kari karn mukku.
[while today we eat a lot of European food]

RT: Yeah

DS: Wurrmuliti ngini pulkapulkka-jja ajjul
[In the old days the old people they]

RT: live jiyina, bush warinyi jajjina
[used to live, and eat bush foods]

DS: Yuwayi, marnukuju-ku anyul apina, pini kin akularnkki makim-rtiyina waya jangu maanjun, ala jangunya karn ankkul apina. And ngappa, parinjina ankkul
[Yes we used to go for conkerberries, you used to make small coolamons for us with wire, we used to go with those, and water we would get]

RT: Mhm

DS: In this dam, jarlarljarlarl jangunjju. We used to have log like these kind, make him long one, and put him wire, real strong wire, and put bucket [gestures with both arms above head as though carrying long yoke]
[with a yoke]

RT: Mhm

DS: Walk along with that to get water

RT: Yeah

DS: And us little kids we use to make him same little one like that, and put wire at the end and walk along.

RT: Apirrajina now ngapa-ka
[went for water]

DS: Come back, bring that

RT: ngurraji-ki
[for camp]

DS: Purtakijji karn ankkul apirrajina ngurraji kina, ngappa jangu. Piliyi ngapa ngalawarinyi ala kana tank/dam [points to right of picture]. [turns to RT, wulkuman?]
[We would go back to the camp with water. It was good water too in that tank]

RT: Ngajarrma too,
[bush carrots too]

DS: Ngajarrma mukku
[bush carrots and everything]

RT:[points] scrub kana.
[in the scrub]

DS: And iron ngara
[and from iron]

RT: Yeah iron

DS: And we used to make coolamon made out of iron. Old people used to make him for us. Or out of porridge tin, cut-im up in the middle and open it up, and fold it up.

RT: Milk tin

DS: And we used to carry that to put all our little bush tucker in there.

RT: Mhm

DS: yeah, we used to do that here.

RT: Mhm

DS: But we got taught by our people. Nyangirr, nyangirr angi kiwari jukukul, purnu jangu-jju,
[how you will carry children in coolamons]

RT: yeah

DS: Piliyi and munkku ngini properly jingkalnyinta, because pulkapulkka
[Good, and we are really happy now because of those old people]

RT: ankkul yeah

DS: Akularnkki learnim-tiyina.
[you taught us]

RT: All the way

DS: Yeah, all the way that's why I'm happy. I got it today.

RT: Still akkul knowim-jinta that some thing some place, pulkapulkka kari.
[You still know those things, places from the old people]

DS: Yeah, warlanjayina ankkul we used to go and dance with old people, right over there, [pointing to back left of picture]
[Yes, we used to dance]

RT: Ah yeah, right back that way [pointing in same direction]

DS: the other way [pointing to back centre of picture], that way, [pointing to back right of picture], we used to go for dancing. Night time we used to come this way [pointing to back centre of picture], dance this side

RT: yeah

DS: in that flat area

RT: yeah

DS: Have a good night, fun, dancing.

RT: mhm, [laughs]

DS: We used to have a good night fun. "Come on," we used to hear them old people talk to one another you know. "Come on, let's go!" all our mothers talk to each other. RT: And that ah

DS: "Oh we'll come too". We thought they gotta just take a walk,

RT: yeah ..?..

DS: sit around start singing

RT: One night hot weather time, they been dancing, ah, make a fun, wilyarr jayina, they all olat, [gestures to left of picture low] ya he bin go, [looks at DS]
[they were dancing]

DS: yeah yeah

RT: he the one been sing about that purrjjali

DS: Putjali, putjali, wilyarra

RT: wilyarra warlanjanjjiki
[for dancing for fun]

DS: That old man been sing that purrjjali japaku, town kuna,
[That old man sang that men's corroboree the other day, in town]

DS: That's the purrjjali I been hearim here, on this ground [pointing to the ground to the left of the picture]

RT: Yeah. From this, this country [pointing to the ground to the left of the picture]

DS: I been listen here, from this country, that old man been sing it and

RT: he still got it,

DS: he still got it

RT: winanta

DS: Winanta ama payinti.
[he sings it these days]

RT: Purrjjali, yeah.
[men's corroboree]

DS: And when you mob we been hearimbat now "Hey they laughin too! They been makinbat fun!" We been get up too, all the little one little one, we been get up like that [points to the back left of picture] like that from camp, we been walk now. Well that, that dance,

DS: they use to hit themselves [gestures hitting either shoulder],

RT: Mhm, and big light they been make them ahh, warlanjayina and that's all.

DS: …Oh big fire...

RT: and that boss family, first one where he got killed

DS: yeah, Wilkiti pawumpawu, old Wilkiti
[Yes, Wilkiti poor thing, old Wilkiti
(Wilkiti is the nickname of Jack Jones, former manager)

RT: tank. Yeah. And his son, they been go switch him engine over there. And his son listen to us, you know, laughing and squealing and singing, and he ask, father "Dad what they doing?" "I don't know, you got to ask so and so and so and so tomorrow morning. They might tell you something." Junga right they been kalyapanyi ankku that karnungu-jju Garry,

DS: yeah Garry
[Sure enough that boy Garry Jones asked us]

RT: Garry Jones

DS: al Garry Jones

RT: Yeah

DS: Our friend, we used to be little ones down here,

RT: Mhm, yeah

DS: Lindy and Garry

RT: Sue.

DS: Sue

RT: And he been ask him, kalyapanyi now ankku, "Nyangirr jinyi akkul tapinyngara-njja ngarntta, ngurraji-jji, an akkul warlukun nyirrinta kumppu? Yungkan akku. And nyanjjan akuluku light kina janjji kina, Wilyarra janta akkul."
[And he asked us then, "What did you do in the night there at the camp; you had a big fire, and you were visible standing in the light. You were having fun."]

DS: And purrjjali kina nyanjina
[and watching a men's corroborree]

RT: Yes. "Yeah, now we having a fun, purrjjali"

DS: Corroboree you know fun corroboree

RT: "Ah" he reckon "I'll ask Dad one day. I gotta go down see him".

DS: Jungarntaka apina,
[And sure enough he used to come]

RT: Yeah

DS: And he used to go pick him up us all the kids, we used to go and play there.

RT: yeah

DS: In that place there now. Sometime we used to go round the back and play tennis.

RT: lot of fun early day, makim-rtiyina ajjul, purrjjali ajjul punjina, like a early day kari purrjjali,
[they used to have a lot of fun in the early days, dancing corroborrees, old-style corroborees]

DS: Cos the olden days

RT: Yeah that's the one

DS: olden days purrjjali, that's the one that old man was singing, different to purrjjali nowadays they sing him,

RT: .. supper jangu, nyanjirr partina ankkul start-jinta wilyarra
[from supper, we would go and have a look, when the fun started]