Territory tales

HILLS residents Pat O’Meara and Rosemary Hogan will on Thursday share their experiences in the Northern Territory’s largest Aboriginal community.
The pair will speak at the Dandenong Ranges Oxfam Australia meeting on changes they experienced in Wadeye, or Port Keats.
Ms O”Meara and Ms Hogan were teachers at the Wadeye Catholic Mission in the 1970s. It was established following a request from Northern Territory police, who were finding people from the area drifting aimlessly into Darwin.
Ms O’Meara and Ms Hogan were surprised on a recent return to find many families and former students remembered them.
They were drawn into the life and concerns of Wadeye and have returned several times.
The duo have organised a student exchange between the local school and Belgrave’s Mater Christi College, documented some of the community’s unwritten genealogy and last year attended the 75th anniversary of the catholic mission.
Ms O’Meara and Ms Hogan will present the changes they have observed throughout their 30 year connection to Wadeye at the Belgrave Library, Reynolds Lane, between 8pm and 9pm.
Call Judy on 9754 7090 for more information.