Government House

The Tiwi girls came to Brisbane for Wendy's investiture and they were the stars of the occasion.

It must have been more than the Black in Blue it was that ordinary Australians just want to see Aborigines engaging in normal life.

So one after the other of the dignatories, Queensland Governor, Police Commissioner, other medal recipients came up to have their photo taken with the Downlands kids.

The next task will be to edge them into Work Experience so they can imagine themselves participating in normal life. I say Imagine because back home there are no Fathers, Uncles and Aunts going off to work like other Australians do.

Ordinary Australians cannot buy land and build a house on the Tiwi Islands - though the Tiwi Islands have some of the best real estate in Australia.

We don't want Tiwi land taken over. But the down side, is that Tiwi are kept on a reserve, where tourists come over to have a look each day, but where the action and activity of mainstream Australia does not happen.

That is why parents have asked us to take the kids south for education. As the kids tell me, 'studying alongside other Australians, helps us to pedal harder and makes you want to get somewhere'. We have to help to define that somewhere!

If you are free to help fund this project, go to Vinnie's website https://www.vinnies.org.au/show_appeal.cfm?table=appeals&parentid=0&id=43