Alngindabu facts for kids

Alngindabu, also known as Lucy McGinness, (born around 1874 – died 23 September 1961) was an important elder (almiyuk) from Chapana, near the Finniss River in the Northern Territory of Australia.

A mine called the Lucy Mine was named after her. Her family includes well-known leaders and activists like Joe McGinness, Val McGinness, Jack McGinness, and Kathy Mills.

Lucy's Early Life

From a young age, Alngindabu was trained as a domestic servant. Her white employers gave her the name Lucy. She became very skilled at sewing and cooking.

Lucy spoke the Kungarakany language and belonged to the Kungarakany people. Europeans sometimes called her group the "Paperbark People."

Family and the Lucy Mine

Around 1900, Alngindabu married Stephen Joseph McGinness, who was an Irishman. They had five children: Bernard, John (Jack), Margaret, Valentine, and Joseph (Joe). All their children were baptised as Catholics.

After Stephen lost his job, the family moved towards Bynoe Harbour to find new work. On their journey, Lucy's brother, Maranda, found tin ore. In October 1908, they officially claimed the land, and it became known as the Lucy Mine. This mine then became the McGinness family's home.

Lucy was very resourceful. She used an old sewing machine to make clothes for her family from calico flour sacks. She also sang Irish folk songs to her children, which she learned from her husband. Lucy also taught her children about her own culture and language. This included lessons about kinship (family connections), the Country (their ancestral land), and the Kurduk (spirits) who looked after it. She shared ancestral Dreaming stories, such as those about the Kewen (sand goanna women) and Kulutuk (doves) who protected Kungarakany land.

In 1918, Stephen passed away. After his death, Alngindabu and her two youngest children were made to live in the Kahlin Compound in Darwin. This was part of a sad time in history known as the Stolen Generations, where many Aboriginal children and families were separated.

From 1918 to 1922, Lucy's daughter Margaret and her husband managed the Lucy Mine. Others then took over until 1960, when her son Val started managing it again.

Lucy's Spirit and Wisdom

Ted Egan, a well-known Australian, described Alngindabu as "around six feet tall (183 cm), straight as a gun barrel, black, proud, barefooted, wearing a simple cotton frock and a wide-brimmed stockman's hat. In her hand she carried a few items tied in a red handkerchief, and she puffed contentedly on a pipe as she walked."

Lucy was known for being independent, generous, and deeply devoted to her family. She became an almiyuk, which means a female elder. As an almiyuk, she held special knowledge and had the authority to give names to children. Her brother Maranda was also an elder, known as a namiyuk (male elder).

Alngindabu died on 23 September 1961 in Darwin. She was buried in the local cemetery with a Catholic ceremony. To make sure Aboriginal spiritual traditions were also honored, a special "shade-laying ceremony" was held for her at Humpty Doo Station in 1963. Her family and cultural traditions continue through her descendants. Today, the most senior female family member holds the important position of almiyuk, or senior elder, for the Kungarakany people.

Lucy's Important Descendants

• Joe McGinness and Val McGinness both became important activists for Indigenous Australian rights in the 1930s. Val was also known for his musical talent.
• Daughter Margaret Edwards was active in the Council for Aboriginal Rights in Melbourne during the 1960s.
• John Francis "Jack" McGinness was an activist and the first elected Aboriginal union leader in the Northern Territory and Australia in 1955. He was president of the NAWU (North Australian Workers' Union) for three terms until 1963. Jack married Polly and was the father of Kathy Mills. Kathy is a prominent leader and was the first woman to be elected to the Northern Land Council.