Brian Ross wrote on Dec 7
th, 2024 at 11:25am:
"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it"
George Santayana
Well said, Brian.
Back in 1960 I was a Station Assistant (Reliving) on the NSW Railways, first at Delungra, which.wasn’t racit, there were one or two Aboriginal people about but it was a very small town. Next was Mungindi which was a mixture of both people,
Never saw any segregation except at the pictures where people tended to congregate in racial groups, because they were friends or family members.
As the place filled up vacant seats would be taken regardless of pigmentation of those around and nothing but smiles all round if the lights were still up.
Used to go hunting with a couple of the local tribsmen who also worked on the railway and after work we’d have a swim in our private swimming pool, the elevated cast iron water tank of the steam era.
Next was Pokataroo, no discrimination against anyone, only two of us, the SM and me.
Then I got dragged to Moree [my home station, so no living away from home allowance] I found out two significant things there, 1st that the other bloke on relief was a local and never left home even though there were blokes screaming out for a relief so they could have a holiday. This rankled.
The bloke I worked with for the day was a hard worker who never shirked the tough loading jobs in the goods shed, we got on well and when we knocked off I suggested that he come across to the baths for a swim.
‘’Can’t.mate, l’m barred.’’
‘’What’d you do?’’
‘’Born with the wrong colour skin.’’
I then remembered a few things I’d heard, and here was the living proof.
Got in the car, my trusty 1929 Plymouth tourer and, forgoing due wages headed south and never went back till around 2008, things were even worse but the boot was now on the other foot.
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