Lorna Dixon facts for kids

Lorna Rose Dixon (also known as Laura Mandima Dixon) was an important Aboriginal woman from Australia. She was born around 1917 and passed away on December 21, 1976. Lorna was a guardian and protector of the Wanggumara language and culture. She worked hard to keep her language and traditional stories alive for future generations.

Early Life and Learning

Lorna Dixon was born in Tibooburra, New South Wales, likely in 1917. Her father, Albert Ebsworth, was a stockman from the Galali language group, and her mother was Rosie Jones. Lorna and her brothers and sisters went to school in Tibooburra.

They spent a lot of time with their grandparents, who spoke the Wangkumara language. They learned about bush tucker (traditional foods), important places, and old stories from the bush around their town. Lorna's parents also took them to special cultural gatherings. They traveled through their traditional lands, following the paths of ancient beings from the Dreaming, which is a very important part of Aboriginal culture.

Forced Move to Brewarrina

In 1938, the Aboriginal Protection Board made a difficult decision. They forced Aboriginal people living in Tibooburra to move to a special station near Brewarrina, which was more than 320 kilometers (200 miles) away. They were threatened with guns and told their children would be taken away if they didn't go.

Lorna and her family had only a few hours to pack a few belongings. They were loaded onto trucks for the long trip. The new place in Brewarrina was already crowded. It was meant for about 100 people, but now over 500 people had to live there. The women had to sleep on the schoolhouse floor, and the men on the verandah. The manager of the station was armed and scary. The Wangkumara people felt alone among the many other cultural groups there.

Sadly, Lorna's grandmother and step-great-grandfather died soon after the move. Her sister, who was pregnant when they left Tibooburra, also passed away after giving birth in Brewarrina Hospital. The manager would not let Lorna's family leave the station for work or outings. He also told them they were not allowed to speak their traditional language.

Moving to Bourke

After about three or four years, a new manager arrived at the station. This new manager allowed Lorna and her family to leave. They moved to Bourke. There, Lorna met and married Eric Dixon, who was a stationhand from Walgett. They had many children together.

Lorna's parents died not long after they moved to Bourke. Because she had been forbidden to speak her language for so long, Lorna did not teach Wangkumara to her own children. However, when she was alone, especially before sleeping, she would think in Wangkumara. She also created her own way of spelling the language. She shared this with a cousin in Broken Hill, and they wrote letters to each other. They felt they could express their feelings better in Wangkumara than in English.

Documenting Language and Culture

In 1970, a researcher named Janet Mathews from the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies heard about Lorna Dixon. Janet was traveling around New South Wales, recording Aboriginal music, languages, and old stories.

Lorna was very eager to share her knowledge of the Wangkumara language, customs, stories, and important places. She recorded more than sixty tapes, each about one and a half hours long, with Janet Mathews. Lorna also helped identify many sacred and important sites in the "Corner Country" around Tibooburra, Naryilco, and Cooper's Creek. She did this with Janet and with Howard Creamer, an officer from the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service who surveyed Aboriginal sites.

In 1974, Lorna Dixon was chosen to be a member of the Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies. In 2004, a room at the institute was named the Laura Mandima Dixon Room to honor her important work.

In 1994, nine of Lorna's traditional stories were published in a book called The Opal that Turned into Fire and Other Stories from the Wangkumara.

Death

Lorna Dixon passed away in Bourke on December 21, 1976.