Five Dock (D13)

I'm at Viviane's now for the next few days. She lives in a fashionable part of inner Sydney, Five Dock. It has much more of the feel of an English town. There's a high street, a pub, and an Italian Deli, and people walking up and down the street. The supermarket is called Supabarn. It's just like a Co-op or Tesco.The temperature however, is rising. Bush fires are being predicted. Another Black Saturday is in prospect. Over the years dry tinder gathers on the forest floor. Sooner or later it's going to go up. They're talking energy similar to a nuclear bomb detonation, so serious stuff. Last time this happened the fire ball caught up with escaping cars, engulfing all and everything in it's devastating path. It is natures way of clearing the debris and you'd better not get in the way. In the safety of Inner Sydney we retreat in doors anyway. It's just too hot to do anything, forty one degrees, not even mad dogs are out in this.

The TV channel ABC is showing a programme called 'Message Stick', a totally Aboriginal production, they say. It is showing a musical performance in the Yoda Yoda language of the beginning of time. The faces are of mainly mixed race people, some very white so as you can only just tell they have Aboriginal blood in them. They are dressed formally in Sunday best. Some are playing violins and other instruments. There are a variety of voices from base to soprano. They are also singing gospel songs. Hallelujah!

In 1975 a film 'Rabbit proof fence' shocked Australians as it told the story of the 'lost generation'. Aboriginal children taken forcibly from their parents because they were judged to be unable to bring up their children properly. It was not until the 1967 census that Aboriginals were recognised as people at all.

The Australian nation feels a collective guilt about the way the Aboriginals were treated. The Prime Minister has apologised for the brutality meted out to them. Yet many feel that the Aboriginals do little to help themselves. They rely on state hand-outs and are generally feckless. Don't they know they can't just take stuff just because they need it, or go where they like just because they fancy it. There are reports of suicides in custody, the villains preferring to die rather than be locked up. Some feel the Aboriginal is beyond help, they are a broken race, they are a dying culture.

I suppose their fate will be that of the North American natives, the South American tribes, and the African. How fortunate then that someone has got them to see the way of the Lord and salvation through Jesus Christ. Dress them properly and teach them proper instruments. Read the Bible and pray. It looks from ABC TV that they are being civilised after all. An educated middle class is emerging. Jesus Christ indeed.

Now that the temperature has settled a bit we're going to hit Wooloomaloo tonight to eat at the famous pie shop - Harry's Cafe de Wheels. Harry tells us this is where the rich and famous come to taste genuine Aussie tucker, mate. Change of plan, it's going to be too busy and we wont be able to park. We will go to Balmain instead.

Balmain is a port village opposite the main Sydney harbour. You can see the Bridge across the water. Here harbour workers built their houses. It was the Salford or Hulme of the emerging city. In recent years it has become gentrified. The housing stock has become modernised. The prices have gone up. It is a desirable and trendy part of town, and hidden from the ordinary traveller. It has a main street with road side cafes and restaurants. The houses are old colonial style with verandas. Many are built of sandstone. They must be cool inside. The old workers houses now fetch a million dollars or so. This is where I would live if I lived in Sydney. I love it.

Over dinner I learn more about Viv and her family. She's some lady. I will meet her son Tristan at her daughter, Rachel's, 30th party next week. Back at her place I book my stay at Daydream Island, one of the Whitsunday Islands. From there I'll be able to access the great barrier reef. Hey ho. I wont have time to visit the great Aussie tourist, and sacred Aboriginal, sites of Uluru (Ayres rock), the Olgas or the Valley of Winds. Not this time anyway.