Tucked away at the bottom of P5 in this slim 1965 edition of Expression, magazine of the Writers' Guild of Queensland and the Guild of Academy of Art, is a small item , easy to overlook, except for the heading , THE LAST OF HIS TRIBE .
It informed members that next month " Uncle Willie McKenzie " , 84, last surviving member of the Stanley River tribe of Aborigines , would be the guest at the Writers' Circle . He would sing corroboree songs and tell folk tales . It went on to say that not only was he an expert with boomerang, but skilled at whistling fish to call them to the surface to be speared.
Uncle Willie would answer questions and a most interesting evening was assured . The year after , he died . He was described as the last fullblood surviving member of the Darwarbada tribe of the Caboolture district, tribal name Geerbo, his totem the native bee . McKenzie came from his family's first "white boss " , a selector , there being at least three variations in the spelling over the years.
Aboriginal poet Oodgeroo Noonuccal , Kath Walker, in her book , The Dawn Is At Hand , ran a poem for him , Dispossessed ; in Last Of His Tribe, she told of the plight of "Willie McKenzie" , a singer of ancient tribal songs , lead dancer of corroborees, who had taken part in two tribal fights against invaders , living in a Salvation Army home , a displaced person in his own country .
Jacaranda Press , Brisbane , in 1960 published Legends of the Goundirs , by Uncle Willie Mackenzie , told to his niece , Sylvia Cairns , illustrated by Fred Cobbo , a children's Dreaming story . In 1971 it was produced in braille.
Expression's patron was Sir Raphael W. Cilento , father of actress and author Diane Cilento who at one stage was married to Sean Connery (James Bond ) . In the 1980s she settled at Mossman , north of Cairns , where she opened an outdoor theatre named Karnak for experimental drama .
Expression's patron was Sir Raphael W. Cilento , father of actress and author Diane Cilento who at one stage was married to Sean Connery (James Bond ) . In the 1980s she settled at Mossman , north of Cairns , where she opened an outdoor theatre named Karnak for experimental drama .
