A Tribute: Vale Darrell Arthur West 25 April 1945 - 24 March 2009
2010; Aboriginal Studies Press; Volume: 2010; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês
ISSN
0729-4352
Autores Tópico(s)Cultural Heritage Management and Preservation
ResumoDarrell West was a man of the sea, most content when camped on the coast, sitting in front of a fire with a drink in one hand and a muttonbird (Shearwater) roasting slowly over the coals. Undoubtedly, his love of the sea stemmed from his childhood years at Killiecrankie Bay on Flinders Island, where he would while away his time mucking about in boats, snaring wallabies, and cooking warreners, periwinkles and crays in a kero tin on the beach. Sport was an integral part of his island life, involving cricket and footy matches on the long sandy beach at Killiecrankie and, later, in the professional arena, in the Tasmanian Football League. Darrell excelled at sport from an early age and went on to represent the State in football and ten-pin bowling, and in the 1970s was awarded the national 'Aboriginal Sportsman of the Year' medal. His ability attracted the attention of interstate coaches and he was enticed to Melbourne for a short time to train with Collingwood, but missed his friends and family and so returned to Tasmania. Among his mother Ida's most treasured possessions were his sporting trophies, including one he received when he was about ten years old from the Flinders Island Emita Cricket Club for the 'most catches in one season'. Another, from the juniors' football club, was awarded to him for being 'the most unselfish player', a trait Darrell carried with him into his adult life. These unselfish acts did have a down side, however. In a grand final, while playing for Glenorchy, he took a mark directly in front of goal but instead of kicking for goal, himself, to win the match, he handballed it to a passing player, who promptly missed the goal. As Darrell's earlier sporting life waned, he became increasingly involved with Aboriginal politics, taking part in many demonstrations for Aboriginal rights, including the 1982 Commonwealth Games protests in Brisbane and the Franklin Dam protests. Darrell's political activities inadvertently led to his long-term involvement with archaeology and archaeologists when, in the early 1980s, he was appointed as the Tasmanian Aboriginal Centre's community representative. Over many years he worked on several archaeological projects, including the Henty-Anthony hydro-electric scheme, Australian National University (ANU)--National Parks and Wildlife Service Franklin--Lower Gordon expeditions, the King River hydro project, the Denison River archaeological survey, the La Trobe University Southern Forests Archaeological Project, the Tasmau Peninsula archaeological project, the Midlands archaeological survey, the Helsham Enquiry, the King Island survey and the Forest Archaeology Project. He also assisted both of us greatly in fieldwork and excavations for our doctoral degrees in central Tasmania and the Furneaux Islands respectively. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] From this point on Darrell's involvement in archaeology and cultural heritage issues became the major focus of his working life, along with the Saints (St Kilda Football Club) and the cricket. In the 1980s and '90s he was the Aboriginal Community representative on most of the archaeological projects in Tasmania. His presence was a source of both angst and enjoyment; angst because of the political tensions between the Tasmanian Aboriginal and archaeological communities, and enjoyment because of the pleasure that Darrell's cheerful and sometimes mischievous sense of humour added to the occasion. As an example of his disarming and humorous side, Jim Allen and one of us (RC) were drinking at the National Park pub in central Tasmania one field trip, while Darrell had found some new friends to play pool with, a couple of large, burley log truck drivers. As the tempo and volume of his discussion over forestry and logging impacts on Aboriginal heritage increased, he suddenly pointed at us to announce 'and those archaeologists over there are going to stop all this logging and put an end to your jobs'. At that point Jim and I made a very hasty retreat to our truck outside. …
Referência(s)