The Spirit of Time

By Peter A Hainsworth

THE NOVEL!

THE SPIRIT OF TIME.

There is no one reason for having written this story.

In my lifetime I have collected within my memory many thoughts and facts of Australia.

With this in mind, I have attempted to tell things as they are and not be politically correct in whom I might hurt or not.

To assume is to allow others to experience what indeed is in your intellect to do.

I have placed a heroine as the main character in the book to allow for the difference between the ugliness of man to fight, against that of the female insight into love. Blending the two, I hope to have captured life in reality.

We have taken the time zone back to the forties at the start to enable us to have a greater understanding of the pioneers as they struggled under greater adversity than they do today.

Having said that, it was of course the right of the Indigenous people to say they had those hardships before the white man. It was because of them the people were able to expand this Island and in that, had the right to be themselves then and also today.

Perhaps this is the reason I have placed a great emphasis on them and the customs.

To capture the dreamtime in one’s mind is to know who you are! Having achieved that I wished to give some insight so others may find peace in their life time!

Politically there remains an undercurrent of stupid acquiescence that threatens to demolish this once great country. This is not directed towards any one group, but more to the point ridiculing to the apathy of my fellow Australians. Their being afraid of what they do not know creates this monster termed as racism.

The towns, places, plants along with the wild life are real and if this book can get one person to seek out what is out there then I have achieved the need that is yours.

The realness of the Indigenous people of the region along with their language are also real and as you find the beauty, you would be one step towards thanking the pioneers for their strength and tenacity.


Regards

GUNNA

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press AU
• Release date: Dec 2, 2021
• ISBN: 9781982292874

Book preview

Copyright © 2021 Peter A Hainsworth.

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author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use

of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical

problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The

intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you

in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any

of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right,

the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are

models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.

Interior images taken from the Public Domain websites

ISBN: 978-1-9822-9288-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-9287-4 (e)

Balboa Press rev. date: 02/03/2022

CONTENTS

Interpretation of Words Written

Foreword

Introduction

Chapter 1     The Beginning of Time

Chapter 2     The Spirit

Chapter 3     The Arrival

Chapter 4     Her First Meeting

Chapter 5     Welcome to The Outback

Chapter 6     Eulo Downs

Chapter 7     Trouble and Tranquility

Chapter 8     The Party

Chapter 9     Life as It Was

Chapter 10   The New Life

Chapter 11   Hell Has No Priority

Chapter 12   Good Bye to A Great Man

Chapter 13   The Spirits Give a Gift

Chapter 14   The Power Begins

Chapter 15   The Legacy of the Rainbow Serpent

Chapter 16   After Pain Comes Delight

Chapter 17   A Life Time Before Your Eyes

Chapter 18   For Now or Forever

Chapter 19   What Could Be More Real

INTERPRETATION OF

WORDS WRITTEN

THE DREAMTIME: Aboriginal cultural belief!

ABBO & BLACKFELLA: A derogatory word used for Aborigine!

MISSUS: Another term/saying of Madam!

MUELSING: The cutting away of the wool around the rectum! (To stop flies/maggots attacking the sheep!)

BLOODY: An Australian word used to emphasize a point of view!

DUFFING: A term used to describe the theft of animal stock!

BLACK GIN: A name used to describe an Aboriginal woman! (Also derogatory)

BO-AB TREE: One that is synonymous with the dryness of the land and holds water!

THE OUTBACK: The areas of land situated to the middle section of Australia (The Bush)

SPINOFEX: A dry ball of grass that has a drought resistant ability to survive!

CUPPA: A shortened word for a cup of tea!

SHEILA’S: A word to describe a girl/woman!

BLOKE’S: A word to describe a boy/man!

FAIR DINKUM: Expression of realness!

BLOODY RIPPER, BOOMER, RIP SNORTER & HUM DINGER: Expressions of excitement!

POOFTER: A person who is Gay!

COPPERS: Police!

STIRRING THE POSSUM: Agitating people or person! (POSSUM: Tree living animal)!

MULLIC HEAPS: Mounds of earth after digging!

MUD MAPS: A crudely drawn, easy to read series of maps to get from point A to point B!

JACKAROO: A skilled person that moves animals! (Cattle or sheep, etc!)

KOORIES: Generally associated with the Aborigines of the southern states!

QUID: A term used for the old currency of Australia. (The quid being one pound Stirling)

FOREWORD

This book was written to explain life in general. To try and bring real places to your attention and to complement their existence!

However there is no connection between real people and places to those in the fictional book.

I dedicate this book to both my Father and Rolph Arthur for their impact on my life.

INTRODUCTION

Politically there remains an undercurrent of stupid acquiesce that threatens to demolish this once great country. This is not directed towards anyone group, but more to the point, directed to the apathy of my fellow Australians.

Their being afraid of what they do not understand creates this monster that is generally termed as racism.

There are many lines in the book that would explain the pain of this open wound.

The towns, places, plants and wild life are real and if this book can get one person to grow, then that would be one step towards thanking the pioneers for their strength and tenacity.

Within this book, you will visit towns and places that are real.

You will experience areas and cultures that are synonymous to the Aboriginals of Australia. Their words, stories, animal and plant names along with themselves, are from the region spoken of.

Please respect the power of the DREAM TIME, for your life is connected to it.

For you to travel through this mystical place, the RAINBOW SERPENT will ask you for nothing.

GUNNA

CHAPTER ONE

THE BEGINNING

OF TIME

At the tender age of twenty two, Mary Hanker was wondering about life and what it was that it gave.

Only moments before a member of the armed forces had given her the news that her husband had been killed in the war.

It was January 26 1943 and bad news was being given of fine young men dying because of the war, far too much.

At her young age this news was exceptionally hard to take and as would follow, depression was to set in. However in the case of young Mary, a depression that was at one time debilitating and at other times confusing.

Her life was, as in finished and yet there were times she wondered to when it would be all over and she could start to understand these feeling that were literally driving her mad.

Not that she did not or could not feel for the loss of Tom, but an eerie feeling of something stranger than she could actually fathom. Something that started in her mind the moment she was told of her.

Needless to say this feeling and the pain of losing Tom remained for some considerable years and into the future.

As Mary attempted to understand her pain, she remained a recluse and at times in her solitude spoke to herself as an insane person of mystery. Little did she know that as time went by she would have a challenge bigger than she could ever imagine.

In that alone she wondered to why, when wishing to cover herself in pity, came a pressure to her chest that had her momentarily forgetting those feelings? Mystical feelings of driven power into the unknown, was in control of her depression!

The months passed by and she was able to start to function better, although to some extent reason was back and yet there was still this inner voice of challenge.

This then led her to the conclusion to start again somewhere. Somewhere, so as to have her pain left behind!

It was now in the year 1945.

After searching in the wanted advertisements, she saw a position as a Nanny on a sheep station way out in the innermost regions of the outback of Queensland.

Why she was drawn to this area is a mystery and yet it did seem a new place and a new life to start again. Hopefully she can adjust to the life out there in a country that was hostile to man and beast! Others did, so why not her?

The voices were telling her that all would be ok and she should go ahead into this new venture with a heart full of endeavor to find peace within. The voice at all times telling her of a magic that has time immortal waiting for her and all those that she will come on contact with in the ensuring years.

After receiving the position of Nanny, Mary went about explaining as best she could to her friends that she was moving on to this new life. Many friends thought she was losing her grip on life and perhaps even slightly insane. Mary was not telling them everything; because even she could not realize the direction she was being pulled towards. How could a young girl from the city life of Melbourne adjust and survive the harshness of the great outback of Australia?

Ignoring all cries to reconsider the matter, she went about finding as much about the region she was going to.

A town far away called Cunnamulla in South West Queensland was her final destination.

A vast land of sheep grazing properties of immense size, with a toughness of living the life of a scorpion on desert sand! A life style, which to the most part, could only be endured by those who were born to that land and had in their veins the blood of the true pioneers of life!

It was now late 1945 and Mary had brought her train tickets to Queensland!

She was to leave on the next train heading north the following Monday and was rather pensive about everything, yet quite excited in what may follow her travels into the unknown.

Rising early she bid farewell to her friends and took her baggage to the Spencer Street Station to board the Spirit of Progress to travel north.

Finding a carriage that was reasonably empty she sat back and contemplated her next move.

The train was only to arrive at Albury as the next train into New South Wales and Queensland had a narrower track width and so the change of trains was necessary. There were no problems in this transfer and her baggage was placed on the new train.

After a few restful hours walking around Mary was once again on her way north.

As the miles went by, there were moments of sadness, moments of apprehension, along with the lack of knowledge of the unknown.

However as in the overcoming of her husband’s death, she showed resilience to the most part, excellently strong in her resolve to succeed.

Little did she know the extent of her lack of understanding of many things, yet pushing on by the words delivered time and time again to her since Tom’s death?

CHAPTER TWO

THE SPIRIT

Reaching perhaps about the half way mark to Brisbane an incident occurred on the train, which was a precursor to what she would be finding out about herself into the future!

Sitting in a mixed carriage, she found herself becoming aware of an altercation between a rugged looking man with a beard and a dark young man.

Mary found out later that the young man was an Aboriginal Native of Australia.

Get the bloody hell out of here you black bastard. Get back to the other carriage where you belong. With that he drew back his hand and struck the young man across the face.

With blood streaming down his face the young man said.

Don’t hit me boss I am going and to that proceeded to retreat back to the other carriage.

Before he could take two steps Mary said.

Stay where you are please.

In her next breath, she started to tell the bearded man to show some compassion and leave the young man alone. The answer to that was startling to her to say the least.

Go get off your high horse woman and mind your own bloody business. Bloody Abbo’s are just useless bastards and thieves and should be shot.’

Ignoring the man Mary went to the young man and handed him a hanky and asked him to sit down whilst she could look at his injury. This action infuriated the other man so much he took some steps towards Mary as to attack her. He did not make it, much to her amazement the actual outcome had her wondering and confused beyond disbelief.

Taking three steps towards Mary the bearded man suddenly fell down with a gasp and died instantly on the spot.

To most people one would say that his arguing was to raise his blood pressure and from that having a heart attack.

Rising quickly from the seat, the young Aboriginal man suddenly with eyes wide open said.

"Don’t you worry missus, you’ll be alright. I can see that you are #within#.

Someone who has the reasoning to be within must have the power of *GUNNAWUNDAI*.

You missus must have been the one he gave the gift of power too.

After the issue was taken care of and whilst Mary sat and contemplated what had occurred, she kept hearing the voice of what the young man said.

The young man sat and pondered his wonderful feeling to be near the # SPIRT OF TIME #.

As Mary sat gazing out the window of the train, she became aware of the ever changing landscape. The green fields of Victoria, against the brown but fertile rolling plains of New South Wales!

Now there was before her eyes, this barren, burning, seemingly hostile land.

After passing through Toowoomba and the railway sidings of Dalby and Chinchilla and always heading out across this large land, only this time it was not north but west towards Charleville.

Time also had a draining effect on travelers as the trip west from Brisbane to Charleville would be eight hours, stopping more than travelling forward it seemed. However Mary found that by absorbing the country side as she did, the distances seemed to fly by.

As was said before, the diverse structure of the land was all inspiring. From the Gidgee to the Brigalow and even the Mulga type soils were continually changing from one to the other and back again. Mary learned later that these different type soils gave growth to a variety of plant life so different to each other. With the Gidgee being so gravely and the Brigalow having such a different color and texture!

Looking at the grey/brown soils of the Brigalow was always a worrying site for the traveler when it rained. When wet, it left you bogged to the axles, yet when it rained it also gave way to a nutrient soil, which gave good crops of silage for the stations animals.

The Mulga of course only did what it did, nothing spectacular. Seemingly resting dormant until the season’s rain turns the dust into an overnight field of grass! Magical, yet as proven, always!

The train stopped at a siding that had a sign saying they were now in Roma.

There were about a dozen or so of Aboriginals who were to board the train heading west.

The group was made up of both male and females, with a few wide eyed children.

The children were excited to be getting on the train and Mary concluded that this must be their first ride on a train.

A group of the people sat down in Mary’s carriage, however sitting away from where she sat.

Other than those who had just boarded, Mary was alone and had the carriage all too her-self till then. Their boarding pleased her for she hoped that she could talk with others to have a better understanding of where it was she was heading. There had been a conductor on the trip, however owing to policy; his conversation was kept to company business only.

Listening to the talk of the group it was strange to hear a language she did not know and wondered to if some day she would understand it. Of course Mary was not to know at that time there were thousands of dialects within the Aboriginal culture.

When they spoke Mary was amazed at the speed of which they spoke their language and had a little laugh to her-self, as if she ever could!

Just as Mary was dozing off to sleep, she had this feeling of eyes watching her.

Turning her head towards the isle of the carriage she saw three sets of eyes looking at her and with a smile and many giggles they ran back to their parents.

She was now fully conscious of the loneliness she was enduring during this trip and also understanding that at the end of this journey she did not know what or who she might be able to communicate with. With this she rose out of her seat and went to the other end of the carriage to introduce herself and hopefully find out a little of her destination.

With a friendly smile and a short hello, she made the effort to join those there and from that enjoy the rest of the trip as having friends. When no words were returned as in acknowledging her, she wondered if they were like the other young man on that previous occasion, too frightened to speak with a white woman.

Turning around to go back to her seat she found out that her thoughts were correct when a voice said.

Don’t think we are rude missus, half my people do not speak your language and the others are frightened to be beaten for talking to you.

Understanding this, she nodded and said that she understood, but being so in need of help she asked again if she could talk with them.

Don’t matter none, he said. The bloke who runs the train will tell the coppers in Charleville and we will all be locked up.

This made Mary very angry and all she wanted was some idea of her travels ahead and with the conductor not willing to take the time to explain, she took exception to it.

I will tell you this missus, when you get to the end of the line here, your travels are not over. As you said you are going on to Cunnamulla and to do that you must catch the Great Western Railway down there.

Returning to her seat she wondered to if this trip would ever end!

CHAPTER THREE

THE ARRIVAL

Sometime later the train pulled into the station and for this leg of the journey it was the end of the road. Mary had asked quietly of the man she had spoken too, if someone could help her with her bags and she would pay him.

Upon reaching and acquiring her ticket she found that the train to Cunnamulla would not be available until the next day.

Endeavoring to find out where a hotel was, she came across the station master to ask directions.

After he told her where the hotel was, he whispered to her.

Would not trust them blackfella’s if I were you Mam, rob you blind they would.

Mary went red in the face with anger and retorted.

Keep a civil tongue in your head and mind your own business, you sir are a bigot and a fool.

Striding off to attend other matters he could be heard muttering many a word not to be spoken.

As Mary and the young man who was carrying her bags went ahead to the hotel, the young man spoke!

Missus if you continue to argue for us, you will make matters worse and for you also, as the people here about are not used to having communication with our people. We will be ok, you will see, just let me be a paid person of yourself.

Mary decided that it would be perhaps best for now.

Resting up in her room later that night, she heard a knocking on her door. Asking who it was, she was surprised to find out, that it was the aboriginal man from the train.

Opening the door she beckoned him in to the room, as she remembered his words and did not wish for him to get into trouble. As for her, she needed all the advice she could muster.

What is it she asked?

If you got the money for another ticket on the train, the young man who helped you will travel with you and see that you get to your destination safely. He is a good young bloke and can be of great help if it is indeed someone who you would feel safe with.

Why would you have him do that

Because the Elder of our people said that you are a special person sent and that GUNNAWUNDAI will get mad at us if we don’t do that.

That was the second time Mary had heard that name mentioned, little did she know that someday she would understand very clearly who and what GUNNAWUNDAI was.

Arriving at the railway station the next morning and after acquiring another ticket Mary took particular notice of a large gathering of the aboriginal people gathering about. Not that she was an expert to whether this was normal or not.

But as it were, there were others who also noted this as they waited for the arrival of the train.

They were all white folk and stayed as a group so as to look like safety in numbers. Safety of what, was really the question! Mary felt as for some particular reason she felt quite at ease with those that she had travelled and spoken with.

One woman seeing her alone approach her and ask if she was okay and if she could be of any assistance. Thanking the woman for her concern, she explained that she was fine and that she had a helper to assist with her bags and company her through to her destination of Cunnamulla.

The train having arrived, she requested her bags to