On Monday 23 October Norman Baird
- a spark within was launched at the church grounds,
Mossman Gorge to a crowd of more than a hundred. People
traveled from Hope Vale, Cooktown, Wujal Wujal, China Camp,
Cairns and Brisbane to share the event.
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| Kuku Yalanji dancers opened
the proceedings with a special welcome dance. |
Gerhardt Pearson presents Annie
and Polly with their father's war medals. |
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Traditional
Owner David Buchanan provided the Welcome to Country
telling a story about how Norman once stopped the rain
at an important ceremony, something which also happened
on the launch day. Daniel Fischer (back) performed the
Master of Ceremonies. |
Mathew Gibson, Chairman of the Mossman
Gorge Aboriginal Community and also great great grandson
of Norman Baird. He said Norman's life was much harder
than anyone's today and said he was moved by the information
he read in the book. |
Noel Pearson, Director of Cape York
Institute said there was a "gathering momentum
of denialism in this country" and that "local
history about real people and real events is imperative"
to debunk myths presented as fact.
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| Kathleen Denigan delivering her speech.
Kathleen thanked three special women for their support,
Annie Kulka, Polly Fischer and Ivy Pearson. |
Gayle Fischer, Polly's daughter and grand daughter of
Norman spoke about the great legacy he has left. |
Lea Giles-Peters, State Librarian. Lea admired Norman's
love of life long learning a characteristic encouraged
by libraries. The State Library provided in-kind support
to the project. |
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Gerhardt Pearson, Executive
Director, Balkanu Cape York Development Corporation.
Gerhardt thanked Susan Medway
for her personal and professional commitment to the
project. |
Kuku Yalanji dancers. Norman has helped preserve a great
part of Kuku Yalanji culture when in the 1960s he translated
and recorded his language. |
Kerry and Will MacGillivray. Norman
Baird's war time photo has been in Kerry's family for
89 years after Norman posted it to her grandfather. |
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