Remnants of Yalata's Aboriginal History Preserved

Memories of Yalata will be captured by Indigenous policy researcher and writer Eleanor Hogan, who was recently awarded a $4,755 grant from the SA History fund. This assistance, alongside another smaller grant she's received from the Oral History Association of South Australia and the Northern Territory, will allow her to travel to and spend more time in the Yalata community. There, she plans to record the stories and memories of three senior Yalata women, transcribe them into a booklet with English and Pitjantjatjara translations and have them archived for the local community. "They have seen a huge amount of historic change from the time when they were living along the railway line on the Nullarbor in the 1930s and 1940s," Eleanor said. That includes issues of land rights, the Maralinga nuclear testing site in the 1950's, the Missions, the impact of alcohol in the community and their participation in its restrictions. Eleanor, who calls Alice Springs home, got to know the rich history of the Yalata region and many of its residents whilst researching her upcoming book The Unholy Alliance of Ernestine Hill and Daisy Bates, which will be published in March 2021. She met with Elders in their 70's and 80's twice over the last five years for this and discussed ways of recording their stories for the benefit of the region. "The older generation of remote Aboriginal people tend to have more health issues earlier, so you've got less people to draw on for Pitjantjatjara history - the memories of past eras will be gone soon."