"Neville White’s brother, Barry asked me (Rob Nethercote), as Chair of the Welfare of the Young Committee at the time, if Neville and Elder Tom could present the proposal to build a school on the homeland.
The idea was to encourage the boys not to leave as they could continue their schooling there. Early on John Mitchell and Peter Duncan took up this challenge.
Neville’s Vietnam Vets worked with the community members to build the school and to build the David Prest designed accommodation for those who stayed on the homeland. Later, the government built a better school and the old school building became their community centre.
Next we were asked to assist with building a state of the art workshop. Also, as the women cook the hunted prey outdoors, we were asked to assist with the building of a three sided building with a flue so that they could cook outside even during Monsoon season.
The secret to this project was that Tom was seeking from us what they wanted, no doubt after consultation with Neville.
So many indigenous projects and other Rotary projects fail as they are somebody’s idea of doing good but not responding to the recipient’s expressed need.
A visit to Donydji provides a real understanding of a successful homeland story where the elders do not allow drinking and gambling and the children are just wonderful, with healthy skin and teeth and a zest for learning.
It is a great story and a good one to show what can be achieved by goodwill and listening to need. It is a story of which Rotary Melbourne can justifiably take some credit for its role in supporting an indigenous community.
And to follow up those comments, the film is engrossing. Don’t miss seeing it!
I was lucky I had the opportunity to visit. My brother Andy spent a month there teaching mechanics to the boys and fixing lots of things. When he was about to drive home, I flew up to have two or three days there before we drove home together."
Thanks Rob for these fascinating details.
