ALPA 40 Years On, Our Story So Far..

4
years
The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation
ICN 7137
ALPA
40 YEARS ON, OUR STORY SO FAR...

ALPA- 40 YEARS ON, OUR STORY SO FAR
BY HENRY HARPER
BY HENRY HARPER
- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -
years
The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation
ICN 7137
Mission Statement:
Our mission is to conduct an efficient retail business emphasising
customer service, nutrition, staff development, training and
education.
We strive to enhance the social and economic development of
our members, giving primacy to their cultural heritage, dignity
and desire for equality with their fellow Australians.
ALPA: A brief history and corporate overview 40 years on.

ALPA was established in 1972. We began as a co-operative of community stores
in seven Arnhemland communities. We have come a long way in 40 years, from
small, counter sales stores in tin sheds, to fully self-service, air-conditioned
stores offering a wide range of quality products in remote communities.
How ALPA began

Prior to 1972, the Indigenous people of Arnhemland (Yolu) were under the supervision of
the Methodist Overseas Mission Commission (MOM). The community stores were owned and
operated by the church. ALPA was formed as part of MOMs economic development plan for
Yolu people. ALPAs initial members were seven community stores: Warruwi, Gapuwiyak,
Galiwinku, Milingimbi, Minjilang, Ramingining and Yirrkala. ALPA borrowed almost $1m to
upgrade plant and equipment. The early successful operation of the stores enabled the loan to
be repaid within three years (Ajurumu and Yirrkala stores left ALPA in the 1980s). Since that time
ALPA has been financially independent, with no operational or financial connection to the church.
ALPA, as a retailer, is one of the largest financially independent employers of Aboriginal
people in Australia. Over the years with prudent use of modest surpluses, ALPA has
developed community and vocationally related educational resources and programs,
assisted members with small business ventures and implemented a health and nutrition
strategy. ALPA also sponsors many community events in our member communities.
ALPAs success is based on forty years of experience and successful achievements
and from the continuing development of Aboriginal people within the context
of their own organisation. ALPA works independently but cooperatively with
government agencies and other service providers to enhance the quality of life
and opportunities for our members while reducing dependency and disadvantage.
Working with other communities.

In the early 1980s a community from outside the ALPA group asked for assistance in managing
their store. The store was in financial difficulty and the community lacked the retail expertise
to keep the store financially viable. The community however, still wanted to retain ownership
and have real input into the store. This was the beginning of ALPAs consultancy store service,
which currently manages twelve enterprises owned by other community organisations.
A successful business model

ALPA, has for 40 years,
Balanda (Indigenous and
business model based on
This is a proven model
Australias most remote
developed its successful business model of Yolu and

non-Indigenous) people working together to deliver a
sound commercial principles with a benevolent mission.
developed in a uniquely cross cultural environment in
regions, successful where many others have failed.
A pragmatic approach of working appropriately within the environment in which we operate

has achieved a strong, sustainable enterprise for its Yolngu members within the context of their
own enterprise. ALPAs strength is its strong governance principles represented through its Yolu
Chairperson & Board of Directors and its financial independence. The Board of Directors set
the corporations policy vision and direction for management, like any other corporate entity in
Australia. This is achieved in an often unique, ever changing and at times volatile environment.
The idea of this publication was to collect a few stories that were reflective of ALPA and its
environment over the last 40 years. There is a focus on history. For Yolngu the present and
future are filtered back through history as a way of negotiating meaning. Most of the history
covered can be heard when sitting down with Yolngu, even if the event was several hundred
years ago. We have included a few yarns for a bit of a laugh. They will give readers some idea
of life in remote communities.
Yolngu is the name the indigenous people in Eastern Arnhemland use when referring to
themselves, while in Western Arnhemland, the name used is Bininj. Balanda is use when
referring to non-indigenous people. It is derived from Hollander the Macassan word for the
same group.
Contents
Introducing the Chairman, the Board and Alastair King ALPA CEO
Page 5
Section 1
History and Contact
Page 9
Section 2
From Missions to communities:
the era of self-determination: economics and ALPA
Page 13
Section 3
The birth of ALPA
Page 19
Section 4
ALPA Corporate Activities
Page 22
Nutrition
Australian Retail Technology
Australian Retail Consultants
Australia Retail Trainers
Section 5
Major Initiatives for ALPA
Page 28
North Centre West (NCW) ALPAs wholesale venture

Traditional Credit Union
The Yolngu Family Enterprise ScheNo to plastic bags
Section 6
The profile of the ALPA communities
Page 31
Section 7
Yarns, ideas and maybe a few lies: working with ALPA
Page 43
Getting to know ALPAs Chairman of

the Board:
Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra
Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra of the Golumala clan was
born at Milingimbi in 1945. His father was for many years
a captain of the mission boats. After education at the
Methodist mission school, Djiniyini trained at theology
colleges in Brisbane and in Papua New Guinea. Returning
to Arnhemland he spent seven years as a Minister at
Galiwinku. He lectured at Nungalinya College before
being appointed Moderator of the Uniting Church
northern synod for two years 1984-1986.
For ten years up to 1993 he was Vice President, then
President of the Uniting Aboriginal and Islander Congress.
During the World Council of churches Congress in 1991
he was elected to the central committee. In 1992 he
became Executive Officer of ARDS. In 1993 he became
Chairman of ALPA a position he has held continuously
since then.
In 1995 he was awarded an Order of Australia Medal,
and has been a member of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation since 1997. He holds
a number of Directorships on other Boards and has published widely on issues concerning
indigenous Australians.
He was awarded an honorary Cultural Doctorate in Literature by the World University of
Roundtable, Arizona in 1991.
From his early days at Milingimbi, and then later at Galiwinku, learning from the missionaries,
Djiniyini has had a passion for helping people to bridge the cultural divide that exists between
Indigenous and other Australians. This has been part of his work within the Methodist and
Uniting churches but also as an Australian citizen.
He has long championed the recognition of Aboriginal Traditional Law as a source of law in
Australia. Since his retirement, Djiniyini has been actively involved in the business world and
operates his own consultancy and small family business with cross cultural communication as
his main area of focus and operation.
As well as his personal business interests he maintains an active interest in the day to day
operations of both ARDS and ALPA as their chairman and still lobbies for the recognition of
Aboriginal Traditional Law. In recent years he has travelled nationally and globally with other
Indigenous leaders for the promotion of the documentary Our Generation which provides
information on the impact of the Intervention on the Yolngu at Galiwinku. .
A widower, Djiniyini has five adult children and lives at Galiwinku on Elcho Island in NorthEast Arnhem Land.
Who are the ALPA Board of Directors?

Minjilang: (Croker Island)
Community Member Representative: Steven Nabalmarda
Traditional Landowners Representative: Samuel Yarmirr
Galiwinku: (Elcho Island)
Community Member Representative: Jacky Djawut
Traditional Landowners Representative: Richard Gandhuwuy
Associate Director: Brendan Burpur Garrawurra
Gapuwiyak: (Lake Evella)
Community Member Representative & Deputy Chairman: Mickey Wunungmurra
Traditional Landowners Representative: Jimmy Marrkula
Associate Director: Jason Butjila
Milingimbi:
Community Member Representative: Keith Lapulung
Traditional Landowners Representative: David Marpiwuy
Ramingining:
Community Members Representative: Richard Bandilil
Traditional Landowners Representative: Michael Dawu Gurralpa
Community Liaison Officer and Staff Cultural Mentor: David Djalangi
Mentor Associate Directors: Geoffrey Gurruwanawuy
re-shapes the remote retail environment and the lives of ALPA members.
Introducing Alastair King: Chief Executive Officer of ALPA
Alastair and wife Lina arrived as the ALPA managers at Milingimbi in January 1994. Alastair
followed the advice most people are given ease in, look, listen, and take things slowly, talk
to and trust your supervisors. They worked together with the Supervisors with the Milingimbi
Directors calling in regularly for support.
As the relationships developed they delegated work and sought support and tuition for jobs
they found difficult. Bit by bit Yolngu workers stared teaching them a little language, and
important cultural issues like that of cultural relationships. Not surprisingly the relationships
grew, both parties learnt more, the store looked really good and it became more profitable.
Alastair and Lina left to start a family in 1997 but returned to Darwin in 1999 when Alastair
was offered a position as Operations Manager. In 2000 Alastair became ALPAs sixth General
Manager since its inception in 1972.
Taking a similar slowly, listen a lot approach, Alastair was inducted by the Chairman, the
Board and Stuart McMillan a former General Manager, now Board facilitator/interpreter,
into the world traditional Yolngu economics, law and governance as it applies to running
the corporation in todays business environment. Together hard corporate decisions were
made in reducing overheads to return ALPA to a solid financial position. Funds were used to
significantly upgrade store facilities for the benefit of members.
Other milestones include establishing an external Investment Committee to advise the
Board on diversification and investment strategy. The development of ALPAs FOODcard as a
voluntary budgeting tool was a response to direct community concerns about families running
out of food during the pay cycle. The re-launch and expansion of ALPAs Nutrition Strategy
and the employment of a Nutritionist directly benefitted members. ALPAs response to the
Minjilang store being destroyed in 2006 where goods were available the next day and a new
store opening a year later was impressive.
In more recent times the establishment of Australian Retail Technology which now delivers IT
support to more than 50 stores, the negotiation of 40 year leases, negotiating and building
the East Arm Independent Grocers warehouse and ALPA new office next door as well as the
distribution of a new ALPA members DVD.
Perhaps the most surprising event in Alastairs career was the ALPA Board agreeing to the 12
month secondment as CEO of Outback Stores. It was a fully informed decision with the Yolngu
Directors concerned for the wellbeing of other remote peoples and locations. There are many
challenges ahead of this 40th year of the operations of ALPA as government policy re-shapes
the remote retail environment and the lives of ALPA members.
Section 1 History and Contact

The Last Frontier or Australias Busy Front Gate to Asia being minded by Yolngu for the last 550 years
The last frontier bit of history was in 1824 when Fort Dundas on Melville Island became the
first British settlement in the top end, it lasted for 4 years and failed because Captain Bremer
saw no need to establish good relationships with the Tiwi. Fort Wellington on Coberg (1827)
fell over after two years, while Fort Victoria at Port Essington started in 1838 and lasted
until 1849. It was Goyder who eventually unrolled his swag in Darwin in 1869. He named it
Palmerston.
Yolngu tourism and trade delegations to Indonesia 1550 1880
By the 1700s, Yolngu fluent speakers of Malay had regularly travelled with the Macassans back
to Makassar (now Unjung Pandang province in Sulawesi in Indonesia). References support a
few hitch hiking Yolngu travelling to other Indonesian Islands as far as Singapore (with the
Bugis) and to Macao then a Portuguese colony on the Chinese mainland.
NOT the last frontier: no one was waiting to be discovered the Yolngu society and 40,000
years of land management with only occasional wars
The exact date that the Yolngu came to Australia is unknown, it was more than 40,000 years
ago. While it was tough in the desert, the Yolngu on the north coast were doing very nicely.
There was a relative abundance of food and the mild climate meant there was little need
for clothing or housing. There was no need to lock up your valuables as discipline (and
punishment) was a key feature of this society.
A sophisticated system of relationships, clans, law and trade had developed. Yolngu farmed
their estates with groups coming together in particular estates in times of abundance. There
was no such thing as a free feed and the visitors became obligated to their host, to be paid
out in other goods and services. It was not an idyllic society, sickness, wars and disputes
occurred but with a disciplined and purposeful approach the Yolngu lived sustainably in their
environment.
Contact history before 1824 Fort Dundas: Dominated by the Macassans from 1450 to 1906
The Dutch documented the Macassans coming to Australia to trade (known to them as
Marege) in 1451. It is likely they were here before then. This trade continued until 1906 when
they were barred entry. It is generally accepted that the Chinese visited around the same time,
as well as Arab traders.
Dutch and Portuguese
The Dutch sighted the NT coast in 1606 coming again in 1623 and landing on Tiwi Islands in
1705. The Portuguese also called in around the same time, using maps made by Marco Polo
referring to Australia as Java la Grande. Meanwhile on Chinese maps the area was referred
to as Land of Parrots and Land of Fire. The most prolonged contact with the Portuguese was
when Nelson Tavares started working for ALPA at Pirlangimpi in 2008.
The Methodist Overseas Mission (MOM) gets a big piece of Arnhemland in 1914
Before discussing the long contact between Yolngu and the Macassans we need to note the
arrival of the Methodist church as part of contact history
Following consultation between church groups interested in working with Aboriginal

Australians and a submission to the Federal Government (which then administered Northern
Territory), a notice in the Government Gazette confirmed the area allocated to Methodist
Overseas Mission commencing in 1914. Specifically:
All that portion of the Northern Territory of Australia, commencing at Cape Gray, Caledon Bay,
thence westerly for two hundred and one miles, thence northerly for sixty eight miles, thence
westerly for about seventy miles to the sea coast, Van Diemens Gulf, thence northerly, north
westerly, easterly and southerly along the coast to the point of commencement including
adjacent islands.
In essence the area is every where from Numbulwar to Melville Island. In 1915, Reverend
James Watson, fresh from Papua was nominated to explore the region. Now we can discuss
the Macassans.
The Macassans:
Tamarind trees and evidence of the 500 years trade relationship between Yolngu and the
Macassans
Trepang was Australias first economic resource to result in an export boom.
When Mathew Flinders arrived at Nhulunbuy in 1803, while mapping the Australian coast, he
engaged a fleet of around 30 Macassan praus with more than 1000 fishermen on board. This
was at a time when the population of Sydney (and surrounds) was 7000. There was of course
more than one fleet travelling south each season.
The Macassans travelled from the port Makassar on Celebes with others from Timor, Roti and
Aru, arriving in December with the north-west monsoons at their permanent camps to collect
and process trepang. They traded with Yolngu for other products including pearls, pearl shell,
turtle shell, timber, medicinal herbs, beeswax and the much sought after trocas shell. The
Bugis whose boats had distinctive eyes painted on the bow also travelled south.
They stayed around 4 or 5 months and left with the winds at the beginning of the dry they
would take the trepang and other goods to trade with the Chinese. Their end of season beach
parties fired by arrack and gin were legendry.
Yolngu pearl seeding techniques
Yolngu estate owners would develop strategic relations including intermarriage with individual
prau captains to ensure long term trading relations. They became family. Yolngu provided
much of the labour preparing the trepang as it was collected boiled (in clay vats more than
1 meter wide) dried and smoked. Yolngu oyster farmers had mastered the practice of pearl
seeding both oysters and clams.
Iron goods, tobacco, rice and cloth
In turn the Macassans traded rice, cloth, fish hooks, knives, axes, arrack, gin and tobacco. It
was not just a trading relationship; it included the exchange of high level scientific knowledge
including a detailed explanation on the correct use of tobacco. Yolngu developed song cycles
and laws to govern tobacco use. In that era tobacco was not abused.
The Yolngu developed sea as well improving land based hunting economies with the
introduction of Macassan inspired dug out canoes and shovel nosed spears, which required
the Yolngu to develop cold welding techniques.
10
Yolngu and the resource boom:
unlike Gina they got on well with their families
The trade with the Macassans made the Yolngu and other coastal clans and tribes wealthy
and powerful. Steel tools and tobacco travelled down trade routes through more than 500
language groups into central Australia. Yolngu prized boomerangs used in ceremonies coming
from the centre having been traded through many language groups.
1906 The Catastrophic Economic Meltdown of Yolngu nation: first taxation, cattle stations
and then the banning of the Macassans
In 1906 the Macassan fleet was denied entry into Australian Waters. The South Australian
Government had outlawed the Macassans coming to Australia. This caused devastation for
the Yolngu who were never informed and waited in vain for the return of the traders. Family
members were stranded in Makassar. It caused confusion and chaos right down the trade
routes.
The warning signs had been there: the Government had already set up Customers Officers at
Raffles Bay and on Melville Island in 1883. Macassans were being charged excise on the way
in for the tobacco, gin and arrack. They paid in Dutch Gold. On the way out they were taxed
on the trepang and pearl shell that they had collected. The Yolngu trade routes had already
begun to fracture, especially in the Roper valley where cattle station owners had killed many
people.
The Cattle Station Wars:

Wars the Yolngu won
Unlike the Macassans who fully respected Yolngu land title and law, the cattle station set
arrived with openly hostile attitudes to Yolngu. Florida station (near what is now Ramingining)
settled by Macartney and Mayne in 1885 having secured a 5000 square mile lease on the
Goyder River. Fifteen years later another war occurred at the same location.
In a reprisal for the Yolngu killing and eating of a cow the station killed a group of Yolngu with
gifted poisoned horse meat.
The Yolngu embarked on a guerrilla war, spears and stealth against guns. All station workers
were fully armed. The Yolngu killed the Chinese and Malay workers and systematically drove
off and speared the cattle, using their fire management skills to good effect. In 1893 the
owners abandoned the station driving the remaining cattle south to Auvergne station on the
Baines River.
The Eastern and Africa Cold Storage Company Ltd.

Used a squad of mounted and armed men to perpetrate systematic genocide in the Roper
Valley: but the Yolngu took their empire down
Formed in 1899 with a capital base of half a million pounds the Eastern and Africa Cold
Storage Company had a lease for all animal, mineral and vegetable rights for North Eastern
Arnhemland an area of 51800 square kilometres. It held leases to Elsey, Hodgson Downs,
Wollogorang and the former Florida station now Arafura. It decimated the Roper population
who took refuge at the Roper River mission.
The flashpoint at Arafura was when Yolngu took a small roll of barbed wire to make fish spears
incurring the wrath of the armed mounted patrol. People tried to hide but men, women and
children were shot out of the trees where they tried to hide. The rest is history
11
with Yolngu again embarking on a guerrilla war, honing skills developed ten years previously,
attacking and then vanishing into the swamps. The station was abandoned in 1908 with only
9000 of the 20,000 cattle remaining.
The Lesser of Two Evils
Yolngu and Bininj ally themselves to the missionaries

In a chapter titled the The Lesser of Two Evils in Richard Trudgens 2000 publication Why
Warriors lie down and die he discusses the arrival of Reverend Watson which didnt start well.
He established the Goulburn mission on sacred ground. At this time both Yolngu and Bininj
were troubled by the changing times. Cattle stations, Buffalo and crocodile shooters, pearlers,
timber cutters and tin miners had started to arrive and the place was becoming lawless and
dangerous, women were unsafe, people were being shot, beaten and treated like slaves.
Watson while not understanding cultural law spoke about a creator; he was both a spiritual
person and a fair trader who had very high regard for Yolngu and bininj. After prolonged
discussions the Yolngu and bininj decided to ally themselves with the missionaries to enable
them to defeat other balanda. Strategically they decided to work along side the missionaries
to find out the source of balanda power. It was a valuable alliance. At Yirrkala, missionaries
defused the mounting of a punitive government expedition as retaliation for the death of
some Japanese and a police officer.
Rev James Watson the cyclist and missionary:

rode from Pine Creek to Elsey station and back in1915
Rev. James Watson was appointed to explore the Methodist Overseas Missions new turf: the
piece of Australia between Melville Island and Numbulwar (Rose River). He did this before
setting up at Goulburn Island Mission. He travelled by boat to Melville Island and then with
packhorse to Murganella to stay with Paddy Cahill a buffalo hunter who employed over
100 Bininj. He travelled widely in Western Arnhemland then along the coast. Watson loved
Milingimbi and thought it would make a good mission site.
On his return to Darwin Watson who was 49 years old at the time, decided to explore the
area south of Darwin by bicycle. Hes gone troppo they said as Watson set off in October
1915, caught the train to Pine Creek, got off tied his swag to his bike and set off. He rode down
past Mataranka to Elsey station where it was so hot the patches melted off his tyres and back
again. It is a story of determination and endurance well beyond normal human capacity
Yolngu and the Second World War

Milingimbi had become an RAAF base, with the mission getting a contract to build the airstrip.
Unbeknown to the Yolngu who did the work this made Milingimbi an enemy target. The
Reverend Harold Shepherdson a missionary based at Milingimbi also believing the risk to be
high and relocated everything that was bolted down, including a sawmill to Elcho. On May
9 1943 Milingimbi was bombed wiping out most of the remaining buildings. One Yolngu was
killed and others hurt. It was attacked again the next day but defended by the Spitfires based
at Milingimbi getting into the air and shooting down 4 of the Japanese planes.
12
All along the coast Yolngu expertise was utilized in locating many air crews that had crashed.
Yolngu rescued American aircrew, found two Japanese and took them to Croker. At Elcho they
found 3 American Filipinos in a small boat (who really had to talk fast about not being Japanese)
who had been sent on a mission 3 months earlier from Borneo to try and get information to
Allied Headquarters in Brisbane. The present Chairperson of ALPA, Djiniyini Gondarras father
Wili, as skipper of the Larrapan was active in many war time activities including several rescues
of aircraft crash survivors.
The beheading of the Rev. Len Kentish by the Japanese

Len Kentish a missionary from Goulburn Island and District Chairman was hitch hiking aboard
the HMAS Patricia Cam to visit the missions along the coast. Enroute from Milingimbi to
Elcho it was bombed by a Japanese amphibian plane and sunk near Wessel Islands on the 22
January 1943. The plane circled and machine gunned survivors killing many including Yolngu
from Yirrkala. The plane landed and Len Kentish was taken aboard at gunpoint. The remaining
survivors with the help of Yolngu were rescued a week later. After the war, news came that Len
Kentish was beheaded three months after his capture.
The Northern Territory Special Reconnaissance Unit

(NTSRU) the Yolngu and Donald Thompson
In consultation with the government about the lack of security on the north coast Donald
Thompson an anthropologist who had spent years in Arnhemland (the first person to
document Yolngu economics) and campaigner for Yolngu rights, formed the NTSRU in June
1941. Given a boat, the Aroetta he mounted a gun found on an abandoned aircraft and
headed for Arnhemland. With help from Raiwalla (from near Ramingining) his co- researcher
he gathered a group of about 50 Yolngu all known to him; the role was to gather intelligence,
launch surprise raids, capture small ships and harass larger forces until re-enforcements
arrived. Thompson was in no doubt the Yolngu warriors were up to the task.
Thompson had also proposed using Yolngu who could still speak Malay be used for
reconnaissance and guerrilla warfare on the Malay Peninsular.
Getting convicted Japanese killers out of gaol so they

could kill the Japanese
Members of the NTSRU included three of Wongus sons who had been jailed in an incident
known as the Caledon Bay Massacre. Japanese trepangers had been speared after having shot
at and beaten Yolngu. The incident also involved married Yolngu women. There was a trial
and Wongus three sons were jailed at Fannie Bay. Thompson secured their release to join the
NTSRU so that they could kill more Japanese. Im sure one could imagine Yolngu saying I will
never understand you balanda.
13
The reunion of the NTSRU-
ANZAC Day in Nhulunbuy 1995 plus back pay and medals

In 1995 as a Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation activity, ALPA organized a reunion of the NTSRU.
The surviving members, Raiwallas son, along with the one survivor of the four balanda that
were part of the NTSRU marched on ANZAC day in Nhulunbuy, to the complete surprise of the
mining community and the pride and joy of the several hundred Yolngu who turned up to watch.
The reunion of the NTSRU ANZAC Day in Nhulunbuy 1995 plus back pay and medals
In 1995 as a Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation activity, ALPA organized a reunion of the
NTSRU. The surviving members, Raiwallas son, along with the one survivor of the four
balanda that were part of the NTSRU marched on ANZAC day in Nhulunbuy, to the complete
surprise of the mining community and the pride and joy of the several hundred Yolngu who
turned up to watch.
14
Section 2 From missions to communities

Section 2 From missions to communities
The Post-war period: recovery and stability for rations

The Post-war period: recovery and stability for rations
The period following the war was one of stability and growth for the Yolngu nations. Yolngu
period
following
the trade
war was
one of especially
stability andcrocodile
growth for skins
the Yolngu
nations. and
Yolngu
outsideThe
the
mission
would
goods,
for rations
later on for
outside
the
mission
would
trade
goods,
especially
crocodile
skins
for
rations
and
later
for things.
cash. This was a period of growth at missions who were dependent on Yolngu foronmany
cash. This was a period of growth at missions who were dependent on Yolngu for many
With only periodic transport Yolngu caught much of the food, they worked in the gardens,
things. With only periodic transport Yolngu caught much of the food, they worked in the
knew where
the timber was, worked in the sawmills and built the houses. Mostly they were
gardens, knew where the timber was, worked in the sawmills and built the houses. Mostly
paid inthey
rations
some
The mission
staff were
encouraged to learn
wereand
paid later
in rations
andcash
later was
someincluded.
cash was included.
The mission
staff were
language
and
some
did.
While
the
missions
did
not
recognize
Yolngu
law
and land title, it
encouraged to learn language and some did. While the missions did not recognize Yolngu
andthe
landYolngu
title, it liaised
withan
theelder
Yolnguon
through
an eldercouncil
on the station
council
and with cultural
liaisedlaw
with
through
the station
and with
traditional
traditional
cultural
leaders
on
the
village
council.
They
organised
the
work
groups
to
leaders on the village council. They organised the work groups to maintain harmony. An
maintain harmony. An example is the fishing fleet at Elcho which had 6 small boats one for
example
is the fishing fleet at Elcho which had 6 small boats one for each clan of fisherman.
each clan of fisherman. They would compete against one another to see who could catch the
They would compete against one another to see who could catch the most fish.
most fish.
The church moves to self determination the 1970s

The church moves to self determination the 1970s
The change
government policy
70s heralded
theheralded
era of self the era of self
The change
in in
government
policyin the
in late
the1960s
late and
1960s
and 70s
determination
and
led
to
the
withdrawing
of
direct
funding
to
missions.
The
government
felt
determination and led to the withdrawing of direct funding to missions.
The government
felt
that the missions were impeding the rights of Yolngu to take control of their own future. The
that the missions were impeding the rights of Yolngu to take control of their own future.
mission re-assessed its position in communities. In 1972 the Methodist Mission became a
The mission re-assessed its position in communities. In 1972 the Methodist Mission became
separate agency of the Uniting Church in North Australia. A new agency the churches
a separate
agencyarm
ofwas
thecalled
Uniting
Church
in North
Australia.
A Inc.
new(CEDAR).
agencyIt was
the churches
development
Civic and
Economic
Development
Council
development
arm the
wasAboriginal
called Civic
andand
Economic
Development
Inc.
(CEDAR).
It was
later renamed
Advisory
Development
Service. ALPACouncil
came into
being
at
later renamed
the Aboriginal Advisory and Development Service. ALPA came into being at the
the same time.
same time.
15
Assimilation and the cash economy

The start of dependency
The onset of the training allowance paid in lump sums to the newly formed Community
Councils eroding industries and the strong economic base established by the mission
Traditional Yolngu society is highly accountable. This shift to the missions work for rations and
small wages had been easily understood. The newly formed Councils lacked the infrastructure
and expertise to provide meaningful employment but Yolngu were paid award wages anyway.
Compounding this was that younger people with schooling and literacy were in some locations
paid more than older highly skilled and traditionally powerful Yolngu. The new Council staff
viewed the inefficiency of the 6 small Elcho fishing boats and were able to get one big one. No
it didnt work.
Community Advisors
the coming together of old and new structures
With the demise of the mission and its Superintendants, some of the former mission staff, like
builders, mechanics and essential services transferred across to the Council retaining a similar
job. Others, some of them trained in community development became advisors to the new
Community Councils.
The Community Advisors were employed by the Aboriginal Advisory and Development Services
(AARDS) part of the newly evolved church structure where the Methodist Church became a
separate legal entity from its non religious development wings. AARDS still received direct
government funding. Council administrative staff, including accountants and town clerks were
newly created positions filled by non mission personnel. This in itself produced a level of
tension.
Self Determination:
What the government structure delivered was Self Management

The Chairman of ALPA the Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra explains that Yolngu leaders had
strongly expressed a desire for self determination to the Church led Commission of Inquiry.
They wanted a self paced partnership. What they got through the rapid funding shifts and
Community Council structure was self management. Yolngu leaders were not ready for it.
Over the years Yolngu had worked with the Missions Village Council Structure; while not ideal
it was workable
16
The fading hopes of Community Leaders:
the rise of young pseudo leaders
Some places faired better than others in the transition from mission to Community Council.
With help from the newly created Council Advisors who conveyed clear information to Yolngu.
Milingimbi managed a power transition with Djawa , the main person in the Village Council
becoming Chairperson of the Community Council. In other places and over time the younger
generation, understanding the structure and things like local government elections better
seized the opportunities, sidelining the older and culturally powerful. In most societies the
young do not always listen. Cultural dislocation and isolation destroyed many of these young
leaders.
AARDS to ARDS
From advising to listening, learning and education

Over time this advisory service and the role of Community Advisors ceased to be valued,
funding was slipping and many changes occurred. In 1980s AARDS changed to a Yolngu
(and Bininj only structure including the governing committee and became ARDS. (Aboriginal
Resources and Development Services).
There was a fundamental difference between the two organisations. The first advised
representing Yolngu perspectives: the latter listened and learnt from Yolngu and then carried
information back to them. ARDS is endeavouring to heal the intergenerational gap and link
the younger generations back to its legal and economic roots, thus avoiding displacement and
dependency. On establishing ARDS, Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra the CEO, sought out his first
employee, Richard Trudgen who, inspired by the research of Donald Thompson and his Yolngu
teachers first started economic literacy work in 1982.
Coming together:
ALPA and ARDS through Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra

While ARDS did receive some funding it ran as a fee for service organisation. In 1984 ARDS
commenced Cultural awareness training for non Yolngu people while providing economic
literacy to Yolngu. In 1995 ARDS placed a strong focus on Yolngu education for Yolngu. The CEO
of ARDS the Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra stated if we do not educate people around health,
there will be not be many people left to do legal and economic literacy education with. I
am tired of standing beside a newly opened grave day in, day out. In an important joining
Djiniyini became the Chairperson of ALPA around the same time. Stuart McMillan a General
Manager of ALPA joined ARDS after leaving ALPA. After spending several years working for
ARDS and learning Yolngu matha returned to ALPA as an interpreter with full credibility in
Yolngu eyes. He with Djiniyini did much to bring together and grow two worlds that ALPA sits
in.
17
Contact History:
the Invisible Ships of Law and Economics: using cross cultural law and economics for ALPA
governance
The point of contact history for indigenous peoples often began with the sighting of
ships, big white sails on the horizon. Particularly in the Americas, a story exists of first
peoples not seeing the ships because they were beyond their perceptual framework.
A similar thing happened in Australia. We can understand the convenience of Captain
Cook determining Australia as Terra Nullius an empty land even as the irate owners
were throwing spears at him; but it was our perceptual blindness that prevented
us seeing the legal and economic systems that underpin every society on earth.
Perpetuating our own blindness at our peril

We were really stuck: even after hundreds and thousands of hours by anthropologists,
collecting stories, making maps of tribal boundaries, filming dances and filling museums, not
one person had questioned these extraordinary tribal leaders about the highly sophisticated
systems of law and complex economies of their societies because we did not believe it existed.
Donald Thompson in his book Economic Structures and the Ceremonial Exchange Cycle
in Arnhemland, published in 1949 broke the drought. Richard Trudgen a Community
Development Worker from Ramingining used Thompsons work in the 1980s to start asking
questions from Yolngu. He uncovered a living knowledge treasure that could be used very
successfully to explore and establish shared meaning between traditional and contemporary
business laws and governance. It became a highly empowering process and unlocked
the incredible capacity Yolngu leaders have to offer. Balanda working within the turmoil
of cross cultural sea are still drowning in isolation because they dont know what the life
rafts look like. They go down holding the belief they are right and all others have it wrong.
ALPA:
a foundation of Two Bodies of Law and a team that works at walking together
The two laws, mainstream business and the traditional cultural approach, are used by
ALPA, especially with its Board of Directors, which is driven by Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra,
ALPAs Chairman who runs workshops on Yolngu constitutional law and economics. The
CEO and Accountants as well as other Senior Managers have learnt to slow down and
listen; to proceed slowly and be engaged by the process.
This negotiated approach
grows shared meaning and a way of enhancing accountability and eliminating what
appears to be cultural conflicts with business operations. The two compatible bodies
of law support ALPAs operating domain and this is something truly to be cherished.
18
Section 3 The birth of ALPA on June 20 1972

From the records, it would be fair to say that ALPA was a sickly but determined offspring
from a very big and diverse family who did not always agree: but all held great hopes and
expectations for it. It grew steadily and was known to have an attitude. It always stood its
Section 3 The birth of ALPA on June 20 1972
ground in dealings with ill informed detractors; the just arrived we know betters; and those
the records,
it would
saychurch
that ALPA
a sicklyparents.
but determined offspring
prone toFrom
run their
negativity
onbeit fair
andtoits
andwas
Yolngu
from a very big and diverse family who did not always agree: but all held great hopes and
for it. It grew steadily

to have
an attitude.
It always stood
its
ALPA wasexpectations
officially incorporated
on the and
20thwas
of known
June 1972
under
the Association
Incorporations
ground
in dealings
with Territory
ill informedofdetractors;
thewith
just arrived
weoffice
know betters;
and
Act (1936)
of the
Northern
Australia,
its head
situated
atthose
5 Knuckey
prone
to
run
their
negativity
on
it
and
its
church
and
Yolngu
parents.
Street Darwin. The office was one of a collection of buildings at the rear of the Methodist
church, which
inofficially
later life
became aonmotorcycle
repair
being restored and can
ALPA was
incorporated
the 20th of June
1972shop
under before
the Association
now be seen
in the Botanical
Incorporations
Act (1936)Garden.
of the Northern Territory of Australia, with its head office situated
at 5 Knuckey Street Darwin. The office was one of a collection of buildings at the rear of the
At this stage
ALPAchurch,
consisted
ofinthe
stores
on the
MOM sites;
Island,
Goulburn
Methodist
which
later7 life
became
a motorcycle
repairCroker
shop before
being
restored Island,
Milingimbi,
Nangalala
(later
toBotanical
shift toGarden.
Ramingining) Elcho, Lake Evella and Yirrkala. The
and can
now be seen
in the
warehouse became an ALPA activity a little later; Goulburn Island left the group in 1977 and
At this stage ALPA consisted of the 7 stores on the MOM sites; Croker Island, Goulburn
returnedIsland,
as a Milingimbi,
consultancy
store in the early 1980s. Yirrkala departed from ALPA in January
Nangalala (later to shift to Ramingining) Elcho, Lake Evella and Yirrkala.
1983. The warehouse became an ALPA activity a little later; Goulburn Island left the group in 1977
and returned as a consultancy store in the early 1980s. Yirrkala departed from ALPA in
The first January

accountant
remembers arriving in Darwin to this dusty humid office that had louvers
1983.
and fans. All paperwork needed to be weighted down, but the clincher was the smell of
first from
accountant
remembersbuilding
arriving inthat
Darwin
this dusty
humid
officeon
thatthe
hadmissions and
crocodileThe
skins
the adjoining
hadtotraded
with
Yolngu
louvers and fans. All paperwork needed to be weighted down, but the clincher was the smell
were awaiting sale.
of crocodile skins from the adjoining building that had traded with Yolngu on the missions
and were awaiting sale.
19
Numbers of indigenous employees

In 1978 ALPA had 25 Yolngu employees. Today there are more than 350 at ALPA owned and
managed stores.
The Quiet Beginning:
debt and the not so quiet Cyclone Tracy

ALPA started with use of a small warehouse in Darwin and the 7 stores of mission
communities. None were making any money; mostly small and ill equipped; they
were poorly stocked for the growing cash economy and managed by people who had
little or no retail experience. Additionally ALPA had the burden of its purchase debt
and a short time later the substantial costs of the interactions with Cyclone Tracy.
What changes did Yolngu notice:

none really
In doing research for ALPAs 40 year anniversary many community Yolngu were queried
about what did they notice about change over from mission stores to ALPA? Most
said that in the short term there was little change. Some Yolngu remembered early
discussions and in two communities Yolngu remember being lined up to sign on as
members. The first change Yolngu remembered was an increase in the range of goods
with lots of new foods, cigarettes and previously forbidden things like chewing gum.
No telephones just the once a week radio

David Harrison the second General Manager of ALPA had come from a Woolworths
background and knew the importance of good communications between the team so he
arranged for the ALPA managers to have their own time on the church two way radio network.
The radio was the domain of Joyce Deering a missionary from Croker who could kick start a
jumbo jet, none of the managers would dare get on her wrong side. During lunchtime once
a week the managers would gather on the airwaves, taking turns to place their special needs
and to receive instructions. If the weather made reception bad, the Milingimbi manager who
had access to a telephone at the Council Office, would collect the messages and relay them.
Managers reports of the day reflect their appreciation of these few minutes per week of
contact. Telephones for most stores came in the early 1980s, with Gapuwiyak waiting until 1985.
After the Beginning:
When did the logo arrive and when did our name change?
Our logo was inspired by the appearance of Halleys Comet in 1986.The comet symbol has
become synonymous with ALPA. The colours are symbolic of the comet and our people. The
black is the nucleus, the spirit of our indigenous shareholders. The red is the fire, our life
force, and the yellow is the light we must show for the future generations. It appears about
every 75 years with Yolngu recording its regular appearance in cultural stories and song.
ALPA was incorporated under The Northern Territory of Australia Association Incorporation
Ordinance 1963 on 20th June 1972. In 2008, ALPA moved from the NT Association Act to the Federal
Corporation (Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander) Act (CATSI Act). As a corporation, ALPA defines
its own powers, membership eligibility, organisation, voting rights and meeting requirements.
20
In 40Inyears
40 years
ALPA
ALPA
has has
employed
employed
6 General
6 General
Managers.
Managers.
FourFour
of the
of the
six held
six held
other
other
positions
positions
withwith
ALPA
ALPA
priorprior
to taking
to taking
overover
the the
top top
job,job,
reflecting
reflecting
the the
importance
importance
Yolngu
Yolngu
place
place
on mutually
on mutually
respectful
respectful
relationships.
relationships.
Alastair
Alastair
KingKing
our our
present
present
CEO,CEO,
tooktook
overover
fromfrom
Frank
Frank
Mannix
Mannix
in in
Who
were the
General
Managers of ALPA:
(one name for GM
EOs
and CEOs)
Who
were
the
General
Managers
of
ALPA:
2000.
2000.
Before
Before
himhim
waswas
Stuart
Stuart
McMillan
McMillan
(1988-1992),
(1988-1992),
whowho
tooktook
overover
fromfrom
JohnJohn
FordFord
(1978(1978(one name
for
GM
EOs
CEOs)6 General Managers. Four of the six held other positions with
In 40David
years
ALPA
hasand
employed
1988).
1988).
David
Harrisons
Harrisons
reign
reign
waswas
19761976
to 1978
to 1978
andand
Graham
Graham
White
White
waswas
the the
firstfirst
fromfrom
19721972
ALPA prior to taking over the top job, reflecting the importance Yolngu place on mutually
to
1976.
toyears
1976.
In 40
ALPA has employed 6 General Managers. Four of the six held other positions with
respectful relationships. Alastair King our present CEO, took over from Frank Mannix in
ALPA prior
taking
the top
job, reflecting
Yolngu
place
on mutually
2000.to
Before
himover
was Stuart
McMillan
(1988-1992),the
whoimportance
took over from
John Ford
(1978respectful
relationships.
Alastair
King
our
present
CEO,
took
over
from
Frank
Mannix
1988). David Harrisons reign was 1976 to 1978 and Graham White was the first from 1972 in 2000.
1976.
Before to
him
was Stuart McMillan (1988-1992), who took over from John Ford (1978-1988).
David Harrisons reign was 1976 to 1978 and Graham White was the first from 1972 to 1976.
21
Section 4 ALPA Corporate Activities

ALPAs Health and Nutrition Strategy: guided by 5 key directives:

Improve the health and nutrition of the elderly and children
Assist in the prevention and management of diabetes and heart and kidney disease
Action to break down dependency
Develop a range of Yolngu traditional foods
Create non subsidized employment
In 2006 ALPA employed its first Nutritionist, Adam Barnes. He was exactly the right person for
the job, mature, worldly and culturally diverse, but still down to earth with a Nutrition degree,
retail experience and food science experience in bakeries. He was also the only candidate
to apply for the job. The previous year the Board had elevated the priority of Health and
Nutrition with significant budget allocation and had launched the program with long time
allies the NT Department of Health and Menzies School of Health and Research. The managers
conference the same year rolled out the project and how it would work for the stores.
In 2009 Adam Barnes departed ALPA to work for Menzies (in Thailand could you believe)
He handed the Nutrition mantle to Clare Brown a recently graduated Nutritionist who
had undertaken project work with Adam. Clare had long connections with ALPA. Back in
1988 she had joined her mother Shirley who provided tuition to a Darwin office Executive
Training project for senior Yolngu. Clare attended each of the tuitions sessions, was keen,
had started building relationships, but didnt learn much. But to be fair she was only
three months old and spent a lot of time sleeping in a woven basket under the desk.
Combi steam ovens:
deep fryers consigned to history; 1+1 meals

By 2005, the combi steam oven had been installed in the takeaways, consigning the last
of the deep fryers to history. An expanded range included more traditional foods like
prawns, oysters and whole reef fish as well as the 1+1s. They are a range of healthy
prepared meals, deigned for use in hospitals in different bags, frozen and ready to be
dropped into a pot of water heated and served. They enabled stores to get healthy meals
out without the time consuming preparation from scratch. In 2005 Milingimbi store
started operating ALPAs first bakery. The Yolngu staff were trained by Coles in Palmerston.
When did the Health and Nutrition Policy really

start?
Concern over the health and wellbeing of members has always been there; in 1976 and
carrying a huge debt the mark ups on fruit and vegies remained low. In 1982 the internal
freight subsidy on vegies was implemented. In 1989 a project on Croker Island conducted
jointly between Menzies and ALPA had delivered outstanding results. Part of the project
was Menzies accessing store sales data, with NT Health also as a player. Collaboration has
continued since then. The Board also suggested the creation of a Yolngu nutrition worker.
This would go on to become the Good Food Person. In 1992 the ALPA Board as Yolngu gender
demarcation required, created a Womens Committee. This group along with ALPA staff
conducted good food workshops focussed on mothers and babies in the NT and the Kimberleys.
22
Soft White and healthy:

the bread that ALPA developed
Multigrain and wholemeal breads barely sold while white bread sold by the pallet, a reality
difficult to change. In 2002 ALPA submitted a project in the Prime Ministers Excellence awards.
In conjunction with Darwin Bakery bread was developed with added fibre, folates, niacin, iron
and magnesium. This enriched bread sells well in the stores.
In 2008 when published research highlighted the serious problem of lack of iodine in foetal
development, the ALPA Nutritionist was able to negotiate with suppliers to add iodised salt
(instead of regular salt) to the bread. Initiated by ALPA it is now a national requirement. Iodised
salt is a must stock item in the stores.
QUIT smoking Initiative with James Cook University

In 2009 another collaborative project with James Cook University, Menzies and NT Health
used a culturally appropriate response to tackle tobacco addiction, resulting in a reduction
of cigarette sales at Galiwinku. In 2010 the Good Food and Food Safety Checklists were
revamped and the subsidies increased to cover the entire range of fruit and vegies, as well as
milk, cheese and yoghurt. This year the Food Safety checklist has gone digital and can now be
completed on an I-Pad.
Once soft drinks did actually get banned:

In the late 1970s an incoming manager after lots of conversations with Yolngu expanded the
range to include a small range of soft drinks. The event created great controversy with the
remnant mission population that included clinic staff. When confronted the manager advised
that he took his direction for range from the local Council. A few days later the clinic staff
arrived with a letter signed by the Council advising the withdrawal of soft drink from the range.
What followed was amazing: cans and bottles of soft drink became a fly in black market item.
The school had movie nights that sold soft drinks as a fund raiser. Before the frenzy became
institutionalized, Councilors approached the manager to drop the ban. The manager ran the
letter story which came about 5 minutes later. Next barge the drinks re-appeared. Shortly
after the clinic staff arrived demanding an explanation. Again the manager gave the letter
story. The next letter never ever came. Yolngu will make collective decisions but prohibition
does not work.
23
Australian Retail Technology:
the IT experts at ALPA
Australian Retail Technology (ART) commenced in 2010 and provided a whole of

business retail support system from initial consultation through installation, training,
stock file maintenance and an IT support desk. ART had developed partnerships
and became the NT agent for Worldsmart Retail and Worldsmart Technology and a
number of other retail software and hardware providers. So far it has 41 client stores.
ALPA started to take control of its IT in the early 2000s. Scanning registers had arrived in 1992 and
in 1997 the first e-mail system was rolled out. Then there were the dooms day predictions of the
Y2K bug but the introduction of GST really was a drama and forced the upgrade of a lot of systems.
1981 Pre-priced invoices for food

Pre-priced invoices (on food) started to arrive in 1981. Groceries came from QIW (Queensland
Independent Wholesalers) in Brisbane. For most stores orders were lodged 6 weeks ahead
of delivery date, longer for stores with monthly barges when two orders could be in transit.
Technology
Breakthroughs
Australian Retail Technology: the IT experts at ALPA
The First PDE 1990
Retail
Technology
(ART)
in 2010
provided
a whole
of business
PDE: In Australian
1990 ALPA
trialed
the use
ofcommenced
house brick
sizedand
PDE
in some
of the
ALPA stores. The
retail
support
system
from
initial
consultation
through
installation,
training,
stock
file transmission
trial had limited success as the quality of the phone lines made the electronic
an IT support
desk. ART had
partnerships
and became
NT
of datamaintenance
unreliable.and
Additional
challenges
(indeveloped
those days)
including
a few the
mangers
who
agent for
Worldsmart Retail
andaWorldsmart
Technology
andsaw
a number
other retail
were serious
technophobes
and
smaller number
who
littleofvalue
on stock control.
software and hardware providers. So far it has 41 client stores.
Still waiting for phone lines:
EFTPOSALPA
in 1999
and ATMs 5 years later in 2004
started to take control of its IT in the early 2000s. Scanning registers had arrived in
1992 and
the firstavailable
e-mail system
was rolled
Then there
were
the dooms with
day Belyuen
As phone
linesin 1997
became
stand
aloneout.EPTPOS
was
installed,
of the
bug but
the introduction
GST really
was aand
drama
and forced
the as lines
headingpredictions
the pack
in Y2K
1999.
ALPA
installed of
both
EFTPOS
ATM
machines
of a lot
of systems.
becameupgrade
available,
with
Ramingining and Milingimbi both getting ATMs installed in 2004.
1981 Pre-priced
food
The early
IT invoices
helpfordesk:
first switch
the fax
line over
to modem
Pre-priced
invoices
(on food)
started to arrive in 1981. Groceries came from QIW
(Queensland Independent Wholesalers) in Brisbane. For most stores orders were lodged 6
Darwin office by late 2006 was able to support the stores. They used PC Anywhere through the
weeks ahead of delivery date, longer for stores with monthly barges when two orders could
store modem to log into and to control the stores computer: the manager on the phone was able to
in transit.
providebe
information
or participate in the induction. The store could not receive faxes at that time
because they both used the same line. Stock files and other upgrades came out in the red mail tins.
24
Technology Breakthroughs
The Land
First PDE
1990Aboriginal Corporation - The Arnhem
Progress
FOODcard arrives at ALPA in 2007:

a voluntary budgeting tool
The idea behind FOODcard came from a group of women at Gapuwiyak in 2005. In essence they
advised that the very active Health and Nutrition strategy was of little use if they had no money
because they had been humbugged by relatives. The solution developed over a few years was
to create a voluntary budgeting tool. People would put money on a card that was linked to the
POS system with photo identification of the owner or a nominated relative. Using a touchscreen
the person at the register was identified. The card could only be used to purchase healthy foods
and other essentials. Other items like cigarettes, toys and full sugar carbonated drinks were
blocked by the POS from being deducted from the card. Consultation with local Yolngu decided
on the items to be excluded, including full sugar carbonated drinks. It became very popular.
Income Management drafts the FOODcard for the

Quarantined portion of benefits
In 2008 the FOODcard was used as the first income management tool. As a consequence
and the need for security it became substantially more sophisticated than originally planned.
Satellites allowed the development of Virtual Private Networks to allow for the rapid and secure
transfer of Centrelink data. Kiosks were installed to allow cards to be read or uploaded prior to
going to the register. When the Basic Card was introduced there was a dramatic reduction in
FOODcard users. The women had lost their battle; Basic Card not linked to EFTPOS was reliant
on the register operator saying no and with security only as a pin anyone could use the card.
IT diagnostics
Are the fans on?
The IT helpdesk received a call one morning. Bleeding extreme frustration the
manager explained that the entire POS was down, dead, stuffed and finished! After
trying their best diagnostic shots, the novice IT consultant felt the urge to panic, but
in a lightbulb moment they asked the manager are the lights and fans working The
manager answered with a blunt no, IT replied Im guessing your power is off then.
Australian Retail Consultants (ARC):

running other peoples stores in the bush
Australian Retail Consultants commenced operations in 2000. The consulting store arm of ALPA
started in 1981 when ALPA took over the operation of Belyuen Store on the Cox Peninsular opposite
Darwin. By this time ALPA had developed and refined effective retail systems and procedures.
The centralized accounting and operations which recruited and trained managers and regularly
monitored store performance had enabled ALPA to trade out of its inception debt of over
$1million and was able to begin to accumulate reserves and to do a critical upgrading of facilities.
As one of the clan leaders stated; ALPA is more than a business it is people who have
aspirations. ALPA had a strong policy of employing local indigenous people and had already
implemented lower mark up on fruit and vegies and meat as well as other essentials. ALPA
had a package to offer. After Belyuen, then Umbakumba and Warruwi contracted ALPA to run
their stores. By 1984 ALPA had contracted to manage 7 stores in the NT and Western Australia.
25
Australian Retail Consultants now operate 12 businesses all in the NT. As a Registered Training
Organisation it offers nationally accredited retail training, supported by computer, literacy and
numeracy training. Australian Retail Technology also offers a total IT installation and support
service. Nutritional support is also available for stores and their community residents. Things
have moved a long way since ALPA purchased a caravan for the Belyuen manager to live in.
Delissaville Social Club:

ALPAs first consulting store
ALPA contracted its first consulting store: Delissaville Social Club (Belyuen). The first job was
to buy a caravan for the manager to live in. Some of the residents used the name Singh after
the first settlers to the area, two Indian brothers who grew sugarcane.
Umbakumba a consultancy store since 1983

Umbakumba Community on Groote became a consulting store in 1983 and remains as a client
to this day. ALPAs first job was to build them a new store. This was accomplished quickly as
they acquired the same type of building as Ramingining. Umbakumba was never a mission and
was established by a trepanger and pearler Fred Gray. In 1838 Fred became the contractor to
establish a flying boat refuelling depot for Qantas Empire Airways for flights from Sydney to
London. For a short time Umbakumba was known as Princess Elizabeth Bay.
Ajurumu Self Service Store the new name for the former ALPA store at Warruwi (Goulburn
Island) also became a consultancy in 1983.
Australian Retail Trainers

The ALPA Aboriginal Store Training School 1981 at Galiwinku
In 1981 Senator Bernie Kilgariff opened the ALPA Aboriginal Store Training School on Elcho
Island in February 1981. It was the first of many projects undertaken by John Ford in response
to Yolngu aspirations. The training school was a refurbished contractors camp and offered
a classroom, live in accommodation and realistic work experience at the Galiwinku Store.
Students travelled to Elcho from all over north Australia with the majority coming from other
ALPA communities. The ALPA Board of Directors had personally experienced the short comings
of travelling to capital cities for training.
Cultural safety and work experience

The training school first and foremost offered a culturally safe and relevant learning and work
environment. The school started with two balanda and three Yolngu trainers. The Yolngu
trainers were selected for both their retail experience and their cultural authority.
Courses for stockkeepers, Storepersons as well as supervisors were offered. These courses
closely match Certificate 2 and 3 in Retailing and provided sufficient skills to enable a graduate
to function effectively as a retail employee.
ALPA initially started with resources produced by the Food Industry Training Institute of
Queensland but quickly realized their lack of relevance and started producing their own
resources to match the low literacy NESB profile of students.
26
The termites ate the old school so the Trainer built

a new one
By 1983 the ALPA Training School moved to a new building as termites had all but eaten
the old one. This new building became a training activity in itself. Richard Frampton the
Training Manager of the day and a team of Yolngu with varying degrees of building experience
constructed the building, with the exception of plumbing and electricity. One of the really
successful training projects was to build tables and checkouts out of form board for both
Galiwinku and Gapuwiyak Stores. That sleek black look with natural edges was way ahead of
its time.
As the number of graduates increased the need for a centrally located school declined. The
school was used for a Trainee Manager program where the students, all employed as Trainee
Managers in ALPA stores would come together for theory and other training that was not
available in-store.
The Training Centre built by Richard and his team is still functioning as a meeting room often
where the ALPA Board meetings are held.
ALPA becomes an RTO

ALPA now has large numbers of Yolngu employees in all of their Arnhemland stores. Training
is now conducted on the job, supported by itinerant Yolngu and balanda trainers based
at Galiwinku. A Darwin based training division commenced which led to ALPA gaining
accreditation for course development. Not long after ALPA became an accredited registered
training organisation (RTO) and started to customize and use national recognized courses.
Yolngu qualified in both retail and training and

assessment
It has been an aim that has taken 10 years to achieve. Yolngu student workers can now
be assessed in their own language. In the three large Arnhemland stores a total of 6 staff
gained their Certificate 4 in Training and Assessment (TAE40104) in2011. They already have
either Certificate 3 or 4 in Retail and have been working as Supervisors or Section Managers.
Yolngu and their amazing memory:

the old ladies and the computer; playing cards and remembering the 15,000 combinations.
Many believed the sky would fall in for Yolngu with the introduction of computer and
other technologies. Not so. IT passwords and pins, barcodes and account number
could all be well ordered and retrieved. Store workers routinely recall 13 digit bar
codes, but the best story was of a couple of older women who had logged on at the
Council Office. Only limited by their keyboard dexterity the women scrolled their way
through more than 20 bank accounts; recalling account numbers and pins shifting
money here and there in a way that would impress both Alan Bond and John Elliot.
27
Section 5 Major initiatives of ALPA

North Centre West (NCW) An expansion of ALPAs wholesale activities and the two year
frenzy.
The warehouse started out as a distribution centre for the missions. From 1976 it acted as a
separate entity, developing its profile as a competitive wholesaler to the public and reducing
its focus as a buying agent. The turnover of the warehouse grew steadily and developed its
role as a buying negotiator for the stores and other customers. Customers came from the top
half of Australia as far away as Mornington Island and stores in Western Australia.
Trying to create a buying group

In 1985 another of the Yolngu dreams embraced by John ford came into existence. North
Centre West (NCW) began to operate. ALPA had created a food division by buying out a local
wholesaler and now offered a total range of goods. A dramatic increase in sales occurred. The
plan was for NCW to become a buying group where shares would be offered to participating
customers. After a five year period the shareholders would become equal partners with ALPA.
ALPA endeavoured to explain to potential members about the rapid rationalisation that was
already occurring interstate dramatically reducing competition in the wholesale market.
Within 12 months NCW had captured more than half the top end wholesale market and was
attracting attention of manufacturers who wanted their products to be stocked.
Great Sales and serious cash flow problems

ALPA was unable to convince independent remote store managers to buy into the group.
They were satisfied with the present arrangement and viewed ALPA as scaremongering. At the
same time the dramatic increase in sales, now almost double again gave ALPA/NCW serious
cash flow problems.
ALPA sells NCW

Things came to a head when Southern Farmers sold to Independent grocers ($700 million
turnover) and planned a move to the NT. In August 1986 NCW was sold to Independent
Grocers. The ALPA accountant heaved a sight of relief as he banked the cheque.
The Traditional Credit Union (TCU)

1995 First branch of the Traditional Credit Union Creating History
The single most important decision, with profound implications for ALPA members occurred in
1992, ALPAs 20th year, when the ALPA Board of Directors directed the administration team to
facilitate the development of a credit union for remote communities. And so began the birth
of Traditional Credit Union. Frank Mannix is remembered by all Yolngu for bringing to fruition
this cornerstone of Yolngu wellbeing.
Lack of banking infrastructure causes real problems

The gradual closure of local bank agencies over the previous 10 years had left community
residents seriously disadvantaged by a lack of financial infrastructure. A feast and famine
cycle evolved around cheque days, forcing people to fly to Nhulunbuy and Darwin to do their
banking.
28
The 1992-3 AGM reports states As it is impossible to have economic development without
financial services, a credit union will allow members to begin solving their economic problems
at the local level. It does this by offering banking facilities, mobilising local financial resources
and generating local employment. The report went on to explain about the strict legal and
regulatory framework which could still be responsive to its Yolngu owners. It spoke of the
need for development education of members, the demystification of consumer finance and
financial and budgeting skills that would empower members.
Milingimbi opening of TCU December 1994

After an extremely challenging process by an amazingly committed group of people both
balanda and Yolngu, and their many government an organisational allies TCU was incorporated
on the 5th December 1994. The first branch opened at Milingimbi on April 1 1995. One of the
elders a Director on both ALPA and TCU Boards advised things never happen quickly, it has
been rewarding process that was never easy.
There was an immediate impact on stores sales at Milingimbi, greater foods sales and a spread
of sales across the whole fortnightly pay period. The choice-less and highly destructive feast
and famine cycle that had so impaired community wellbeing was over.
Retail life before TCU:
feast and famine
The doctors and nurses called it the feast and famine cycle which directly impacted on the
health of children. Health indicators gradually became worse the longer that bank agencies
remained closed. Pay week and hungry week. Store sales spiked dramatically on cheque
days. There was pensioners day, UB day and childrens pay day, and if for any reason the
plane couldnt land with the mail bag with the cheques there was deep trouble. The wages of
workers being paid by ALPA, the Council, School or Resource centre and the odd Art Centre
cheque (which was likely to bounce) would moderate highly polarized buying pattern.
Few people had cards, but there were no EFTPOS or ATMs. The Directors introduced a rule
that one third of the cheque amount needed be spent. This was to avoid stores running out of
cash and to limit family pressure leading to large amounts of cash heading to Darwin leaving
behind hungry families.
Getting ready for cheque day

Well organised managers would stock their stores to the roof ready for cheque day. Yolngu
would steadily build up around the Council office postal agency. Air services mostly arrived
around lunch time so after lunch the cheques would get handed out and everyone would
head over to the store. There would be unbelievable noise and heaps of kids climbing over
everything. With less than standing room, queues would snake down to the back of the store.
By 5 to 5.30 pm it would be over, the store completely smashed and the workers would want
to have a cup of tea and a quiet smoke before balancing up. With scanning registers still a
long way around the corner and back office systems years away, all staff and especially the
manager would join in the tally up to find out the sales figures.
Groups of people would be waiting outside, surrounded by their flock of boxes, drums and
bags waiting for a ride, while other women walked up the road carrying children and balancing
bags of groceries on their heads. Generally next morning the homeland centre people would
arrive and trade would decline to basics for the rest of the week.
29
ALPAs Yolngu Family Enterprise Scheme:

1987- 2000
After discussions over a number of years ALPA started a family enterprise scheme. While
there was a progressive increase in employment at the stores, a need was also identified for
the development of other goods and services. These would be complimentary to the store,
provided by family businesses owned and operated by Yolngu families.
ALPA commenced the Family Enterprise Scheme. The scheme involved lending start up
capital for Yolngu family based enterprises, providing relevant retail and other skills training
while providing ongoing administrative and accounting support (as required).
The project continued into the mid 1990s. Some examples included a fishing company that
sold fresh fish to the community as well as to a second enterprise fish and chip shop, a bus
service for Galiwinku and a small barge service for outstations. ALPA training staff were now
coaching Yolngu through coxswains certificate as well as normal retail training. Later enterprises
included an after hours grocery shop at Galiwinku, several homeland centre shops, a fuel
outlet at Gapuwiyak and tucker van at Milingimbi that operated for almost 5 years and a
number of coin operated pool tables. In 2000 the Family Enterprise Scheme evolved. While
the training and support continued, loans for new businesses ceased.
No Plastic bags
The ALPA Board of Directors in 1992 ratified a no plastic bag policy that had been in practice
for several years. Sales of frozen food had risen dramatically raising the possibility of a place
for plastic bags. The Board rejected this suggestion on environmental and the highly visible
rubbish problems they had observed in other locations. As well as covering the ground getting
in waterways they proved ideal for kids to make little parachutes that hung in trees and power
lines. NT legislation banning the distribution of plastic bags came in to effect territory wide on
1 September 2011
The paper bag and the crocodile

An ALPA Director of the day explained the value of brown paper bags. In addition to providing
a clean surface to make damper in the bush, he recalled fishing one day on the Glyde River.
The tide had gone out and while the boat was in the water, the anchor was on the bank. In
between was a large crocodile. The solution was to blow up the paper bag that the bait had
been in and put it in the water. It floated downstream followed by the crocodile.
More on plastic bags

In 2006 ALPA was announced as the NT winner of the Keep Australia Beautiful Award plastic bag
reduction award. Titled Dont choke the turtles or in Yolngu matha Yaka wangu-gulk thurr
miyapunymala the award recognized ALPAs commitment to stock only paper bags. Turtles
confuse plastic bags with jellyfish one of their food sources and starve as a consequence.
30
Section 6 ALPA Communities: histories and profiles

Milingimbi Community: An emerald set in a sapphire sea or lots of mud and tamarind trees
Milingimbi was the second choice after mining interests on Elcho forced the mission to relocate
to Milingimbi in 1923. Watson had described Milingimbi as the an emerald set in a sapphire
sea. To get this perspective it needs to be approached by boat. The green are the tamarind
trees, evidence of the long relationship the Macassans had with this island. The sapphire, well
that is the colour of the sea coloured by grey mud. Milingimbi is low and flat, 40% larger at low
tide with the highest land just 5 meters above sea level. Its early morning and evening sand
fly attacks legendary.
Watson starts Milingimbi and leaves 3 years later

Rev. James Watson again started the mission but after 3 years, in 1926 aged 60 he retired
because of poor health. He was followed by TT Webb who arrived on the Malabar and left
on the Larrpan in 1939. The mission luggers were the lifeline to these very remote outposts.
On his departure Webb was described as outlasting four luggers the James McBride, the
Maree the St Nicholas which was originally Donald Thompsons boat and the present
Larrpan.
T.T. Webb an enlightened person of his day

Webb a former blacksmith was a profound thinker of his time; he spoke clearly of the lack of
understanding missions and Australian society in general had about indigenous culture. He
spoke of;
the unconscious violation of the most sacred and basic principles of Aboriginal life and
social organisation. Behind the tragedy lies the almost absolute failure to recognize the
fundamental rights of these people as human beings, and the absence of any real attempts
to understand their social organisation, spiritual beliefs, tribal laws, and sacred sentiments.
The mission routine

A basic settlement and routine mission life was established. The day started with morning
prayers at 6 am, followed by a communal breakfast before the kids were sent to school and
the adult allocated duties. There were gardens and the men would work with the cattle.
Milingimbi would eventually have both a bakery and a dairy. Horticulture took a giant leap
forward with the arrival of Fijian missionaries in 1929. In a few years there was an export of
produce for sale in Darwin. An early photo of the day shows a small boat overloaded with bags
of peanuts making its way out for transhipping to Darwin. The reality that Milingimbi had poor
soil and not a lot of water was already being discussed. Elcho was considered a viable option.
The idea was shelved as the Great Depression in 1929 the MOM was left too broke to do
anything much.
The arrival of the Shepherdsons, peddle radios and a

home built aeroplane.
Harold and Ella Shepherdson arrived in Darwin in 1928 and caught dengue fever. Fortunately
for the missions they promptly recovered. The Shepherdsons would stay in Arnhemland 50
years, moving to Elcho in 1943. Sheppy with an engineering background was a hugely gifted
and practical person who could do almost anything. His first job was to re-build the engine of
the James McBride so they could travel to Milingimbi.
31
Shortly after his arrival he upgraded the sawmill. In 1931 on returning from leave he arrived
with Traeger pedal radios. On August 7 Milingimbi received its first radio signal and picked out
a radio broadcast out of Melbourne. Having learnt Morse code they sent their first telegram
through VJY and communication with Darwin and Goulburn Island. Sheppy went on to build a
boat the George Urquhart, installed a large water bore at Milingimbi and most famously built
his first aeroplane in 1934.
Milingimbi as a RAAF base

Milingimbi became an RAAF air force base during the Second World War. In 1940 tons of steel
mesh plant and equipment arrived with the mission getting a contract to build the airstrips.
The women and children were evacuated in 1942, with the exception of Ella Shepherdson who
lived with Yolngu on the mainland until Sheppy relocated to Elcho. Milingimbi has bombed on
May 9 and 10 1943.
Milingimbi gets a new store that keeps on expanding.

The existing store was built in 1991. Since then it has more than doubled in size as additional
floor and storage space, upgraded cooking and takeaway facilities occurred. The installation of
display chillers and freezer with rear forklift access has dramatically improved stock handling
and maintenance of the cold chain. Over the years trading hours and range have been extended
with all stores now having EFTPOS and ATMs.
Milingimbi Store has 8 employees that have worked more than 5 years. Florence Marraykama
the Retail Section Supervisor has been there 28 years. Dora Manganbar the office supervisor
has 23 years of service, while Ruth Malingur comes in with 13 years, Ray Wulumarr and
Priscilla Gundjakapuy with 6 years. Betty Garangarri, Jocelyn Gayman, Eric Gulurrmiwuy and
Roseanne Lewis have 5 years of service each.
ALPA Milingimbi and other Managers Envy

Milingimbi had for many years been viewed as the easy store. Milingimbi had telephone
years ahead of other places that were reliant on two way radios. Ramingining and Gapuwiyak
managers were especially envious of the barge landing less than 100 meters away, when they
had a 54 and 30 kilometre round trip on poor roads. To really rub in the salt Milingimbi store
is visible from the Dhabala barge landing that Ramingining uses.
1980: Milingimbi telephone

January 1980 Milingimbi store was the first store in the group to get the phone. Store
renovations gave the store an office and a security section. There had been a free phone at
the Council office since 1972 negotiated as a condition of locating the repeater station of
the Darwin to Gove micro link there. It was of course essential for the new mining town of
Nhulunbuy to have a world class phone system.
The new Milingimbi toilet

In 1980, the same year as the installation of the telephone, the Milingimbi manager installed
his own toilet up stairs in the bathroom. For some reason he had got an ultimatum from his
wife as the downstairs toilet continual water supply attracted frogs. As endearing as they are,
those clammy little suction caps landing in the wrong place at the wrong time was not a PR
winner. The icing on the cake was that the frogs in turn attracted snakes.
32
Milingimbi before the barge:

unloading boats in the middle of the night
The Milingimbi plumber and his wife knew about tiredness, but it got to a whole new level
once they arrived at Milingimbi. The Betty Joan a boat owned by the Haritos brothers arrived
with much needed supplies in the middle of the night and needed to be unloaded on the tide.
Drums of flour were passed up one by one out of the hold and loaded onto a steel barge. Once
ashore, the goods were then unloaded onto a tractor and trailer which in turn drove up the
beach before being unloaded and stacked in the store. The cycle continued until the boat was
unloaded. The plumber had to finish in time for the 6am prayers before doing a full days work
as a plumber. They remember a Sunday sermon by the Minister based on the sin of working
on Sabbath; to unload the stores from the boats.
The Bomb
Robin Ashcroft, the first Darwin Warehouse manager and his wife Lorna, had been called on
to do an emergency relief at Nangalala in 1975. Getting there entailed a milk run to Milingimbi
on the DC3, a dingy ride to the mainland and 20 kilometers of bumps across the black soil to
the store. On the return leg there was time to look over the plane wrecks from the Second
World War. The tour came to an abrupt halt when the son of the guide presented them with
a live bomb. Ever present Roger Sigston the guide, told his son put that down gently son and
come over here. The bomb was later exploded.
Elcho Island (Galiwinku)

Is there oil there on Elcho?
Elcho Island became a mission site when Rev JC Jennison landed on May 1 1922. There had
been considerable debate between Milingimbi and Elcho as the next mission locality after
Goulburn Island was established in 1916. Chance discoveries of asphaltum (an indicator of oil)
lead to formation of the Naphtha Petroleum Company Ltd. which took out a mining lease on
Elcho Island. Drilling commenced along with a great deal of tension and ill will between the
miners and the Yolngu. With the prospect of a white town nearby the mission relocated to
Milingimbi in 1923. By 1926 the oil exploration company had gone into receivership.
A second start for Elcho because of WW2

Elcho didnt get its next chance until 1943 when Milingimbi became an RAAF base during the
war. The risk to a mission there was determined as untenable, so on August 3 1943 Sheppy
loaded the Larrapan to the gunnels with the dismantled sawmill and towing a punt with the
mission tractor relocated mission assets to Elcho. He then returned to an outstation called
Wuralngura on the Wulun River on the mainland to collect wife Ella where she had hidden
because of the war. They built the first school in 1949, which by 1970 was catering for 400
students with a population in the community of over a 1000. Yolngu on the mainland were
sending their children to Galiwinku to be educated. A homeland movement was established
on the mainland, aided by Sheppy and his aeroplanes. Yolngu would make very basic landing
strips to allow for fly in visits bringing supplies, trade and medical visits.
Elcho had good water, soil and timber lots of fish

too
Unlike Goulburn and Milingimbi Islands, Elcho had good land and plenty of water. The Fijian
missionaries along with the Yolngu grew large amounts of produce. Elcho also had a profitable
fishing and mud crab industry.
33
With 6 boats the crews could return after two days with as much as 1500 kilos of fish. Fish and
crabs were transported to Darwin fresh on MMA (McRobertson Miller Airlines). Later Connair
would take over the operations of MMA. The sawmill was busy for years and closed with the
introduction of building materials from Darwin and the missions inability to pay wages once
Councils were established.
Boats and Barges

Because of the large volume of supplies Elcho received deliveries out of Brisbane on the Cora.
This ship would stand off with goods unloaded into small barges and boats, taken ashore
loaded onto trailers and then delivered. In the late 1960s Perkins barges started to deliver
freight out of Darwin. Mining activities at Gove and Groote created a viable business The
Fourcroy and Warrander would land on the beach to be unloaded by loaders and other
equipment. Barge Express appeared a little later with the Trisha Kate. These names would be
become institutional right along the coast.
The ALPA Training School

Like in other mission stations along the coast a new store was built in the late 1960s at Elcho
to deal with the increasing inflow of cash. In 1981 ALPA opened The Aboriginal Store Training
School, a residential facility to provide retail training for Yolngu.
Students had classrooms but the store also provided essential work experience in a safe
cultural environment. A new Training Centre as well as the existing store building was opened
in 1983.
The new ALPA store at Galiwinku trades 7 days with 60 Yolngu workers
Like other locations Galiwinku store has greatly expanded and now provide a mainstream
retail environment and range of goods. Yolngu staff have increased from 8 in the late 1970s,
the store now has more than 60 Yolngu employees on their payroll. Around 2000 Galiwinku
was first to expand its trading hours. Today most ALPA stores trade 7 days a week.
ALPA Galiwinku has 14 Yolngu employees that have worked longer than 5 years. David Djalangi
ALPAs Cultural Liaison Officer started working with John Ford in 1978. Margaret Dipulpuy the
Assistant Manager there has 28 years. Evelyn Djotja who departed recently had worked for 26
years. Jennifer Batumbil a Retail Supervisor has worked for 16 years, with Takeaway Supervisor
Pam Gawura at 14 years. Lloyd Malalung the Bulk Store Supervisor managed 10 years, Judy
Lurrthaypuyunu 9 years. Rita Yipirrmbirr has worked between Galiwinku and Warruwi for
at least 12 years. On 5 years are Sonya Bidingal, Dorothy Wamidit, Derek Landhuna, Donna
banabirra and Lucy Atu.
Margaret Dipulpuy
There are many stories about the Yolngu employees at the ALPA owned stores. We have
included just one.
Dipulpuy who is the Assistant Manager at Galiwinku started work at the time of the shift
from the old store to the new store. Shelving and pricing were the first jobs, followed by work
on the register. In those days everyone would sit in a circle on the floor and balance up the
money. In that way new operators would learn from others. In 1985 Dipulpuy spent time at
the Training School and learnt about ordering and stock control and started doing the clothing
and variety ordering. It was an exciting time when lots of new things came in. After that she
learnt office work including banking and goods inwards.
34
There are two very friendly cows at Galiwinku who have over the years endeavoured to
build close relationships with the Manager and the Nutritionist. The relationship is complex
From that time the store started to get much larger and Dipulpuy shifted into a supervisory
as the cows
only charge
people
reallysettle
like. in
Given
the
opportunity
are
and mentoring
role, and
whilebutt
helping
newthey
managers
to the
store.
Her advicethey
to new
managers;
take
it
slowly,
listen
and
find
out
what
the
Yolngu
workers
know
already.
frequent visitors and can be heard chewing quietly through the night. In another life their
Those
cows
Galiwinku
grandparents
were
part at
of the
Milingimbi dairy herd, providing the mission with daily fresh
milk. These
were
from
and have
givenover
a ride
on the
Wurrapanto(abuild
barge
Therecows
are two
veryreleased
friendly cows
at servitude
Galiwinku who
the years
endeavoured
close
relationships
with
the
Manager
and
the
Nutritionist.
The
relationship
is
complex
as
that was built at Milingimbi) to the mainland and to Howard Island. With food, waterthe
and a
cows only charge and butt people they really like. Given the opportunity they are frequent
couple visitors
of handsome
bulls
they
did what
cows
do. The
Galiwinku
pairlifeare
boat
calves, they
and can be
heard
chewing
quietly
through
the night.
In another
their
grandparents
were
part
of
the
Milingimbi
dairy
herd,
providing
the
mission
with
daily
fresh
milk.
These
travelled to be with their Yolngu family with Langarra connections who live opposite
the
cows were released from servitude and given a ride on the Wurrapan (a barge that was
trainingbuilt
centre.
at Milingimbi) to the mainland and to Howard Island. With food, water and a couple of
handsome bulls they did what cows do. The Galiwinku pair are boat calves, they travelled to
withfrom
their Yolngu
family withbarge
Langarra
connections
who
live
opposite
theatraining
centre.
Comingbeback
the Galiwinku
landing
at night
the
Toyota
gets
flat tyre.
Dark
Coming
Galiwinku
at matches.
night the Toyota
a flathe
tyre.
Dark
night, no
torchback
butfrom
one the
of the
Yolngubarge
has landing
a box of
Get gets
ready
says
to night,
the
no torch but one of the Yolngu has a box of matches. Get ready he says to the manager,
manager,
you
are going
to to
have
workThe
fast.
The manager,
brace
you
are going
to have
worktofast.
manager,
wheel bracewheel
in hand
next in
to hand
the flatnext
tyre to
almost
enveloped
in a fire ball
the when
workerthe
setsworker
fire to asets
closefire
by to
pandanas
the flatistyre
is almost
enveloped
in awhen
fire ball
a closebush
by to
provide light.
pandanas bush to provide light.
Ramingining Community
The store that started out 10 kilometers away
Ramingining Community
Ramingining Store started out as a tin shed build in the 1960s by mission staff and Yolngu near
the that
Glydestarted
River atout
Nangalala,
now an outstation
10 kilometers north east of Ramingining.
The store
10 kilometers
away
Water shortages on Milingimbi were one of the main drivers of the expansion to the
mainland. The shed provided very basic accommodation, a clinic, a small shop and workshop.
Ramingining Store started out as a tin shed build in the 1960s by mission staff and Yolngu
Customer
service
deliverednow
through
two windows10with
metal flaps,
one east
for women
near the
Glyde River
atwas
Nangalala,
an outstation
kilometers
north
of and
one for men. Early on, crocodile skins, craft as well as cash could be exchanged for groceries.
Ramingining. Water shortages on Milingimbi were one of the main drivers of the expansion
to the mainland. The shed provided very basic accommodation, a clinic, a small shop and
- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation 35
workshop.
The ALPA era heralded cash only trading and after a couple of years a big increase in range
was made possible by the new monthly barge service. Initially staffed from Milingimbi, a small
community grew around this facility and included an abattoir. A nurse of the era remembered
having to share the accommodation with a live crocodile. People and goods travelled in boats
and barges up the river until a road was build from the present day landing at Dhabala
The town shifted but not the store

By the 1970s a decision had been made to shift the town to the place which is now Ramingining.
The town moved over a number of years with the new (existing) Ramingining store not opening
until 1983. Managers at Ramingining have what looks like their own small transport company
at the back of the store to enable them to meet the barge.
For Ramingining, ALPA became an owner builder. All sorts of delays meant that by the time
the contract went to tender there were insufficient funds to cover even the cheapest quote.
The construction process gave significant and entrepreneurial opportunities to Yolngu, with
the project being completed under budget. One of many local contractors was a resourceful
school principal securing painting and landscaping contracts for post primary school students.
Ramingining store had more than doubled in size from the original completed in 1983. The
store has around 30 employees on the books of which 5 have worked 5 years or more. Elaine
Wunungmurra has 9 years, Lena Yangamiyawuy who was working for this store more than 20
years ago has 6 years this time. Joy rupu, Roy Maparrku (another seasoned campaigner) Peter
Gurrburkill and Jeffrey Danydjati are on 5 years.
The Nangalala Toilet

Over on the mainland the Nangalala Manager not yet the Ramingining manager, living in a
ground level house was not to be outdone by the Milingimbi managers flash dunny. He was
forced to lay a course of bricks across the entrance to the shower to stop raw sewerage flowing
up from the septic and into the house during the middle of the wet.
Ramingining first for mobiles phones

In 2003 Ramingining well ahead of everywhere else had access to mobile phones. (Suck
eggs Milingimbi) A community development worker living out at Murwangi Cattle station
saw a Telstra advertisement in the NT news and applied. In an amazing piece of planning he
arranged for the tower to be located on high ground on the edge of the Glyde River flood
plain. The footprint of this tower enabled mobile phone usage over a very large area including
on the beach at Milingimbi and almost to Gapuwiyak. ALPA staff enroute to Galiwinku and
Gapuwiyak by light aircraft would upload and download e-mails and texts as they overflew
this region. Its too noisy to make phone calls.
Ramingining barge road

There are many stories from the Ramingining barge road which was built up over many years
with gravel over a black soil plain. Each wet season the community would experience varying
degrees of impassibility as trucks broke through the gravel and the road remained under
water for long periods.
36
A new manager gets instructions to drive to the barge landing: just stay in the water, dont
go near the grass.
A group of contractors in a hurry to get the job done had their own stuff and a couple of
pallets for the store. The truck became badly bogged. To the shaking heads of the locals they
attached chains from to the truck to a bulldozer. They didnt pull the truck out but they did
pull the front end off the truck.
One manager got some really good photos of a family of Burdekin ducks (Radjah Shelduck)
that were diving for food in the middle of the road.
Another manager unable to get trucks through loaded everything by hand into Land cruisers.
Once the Toyotas started getting bogged Yolngu expertise came into play. Two of the older
Toyotas were chained together using tyres as a buffer to create an 8 wheel drive which made
the last few trips.
No transport for Ramingining

The old days were tough. What about the time when both the barge road as well as the road
to the airport was impassable for several weeks? The grader and all the trucks were bogged.
Most roads were littered with vehicles bogged to the axles. The store had almost run out
of food, shelves were bare, and the power house was hours away from running out of fuel,
forcing the use of a big helicopter to bring in a 1000 litre container. Things became so critical
the crisis became a political headache with heavy media coverage. All this happened back in
2010 and it can still be viewed on U Tube.
The bus driver

Before the store shifted from Nangalala ALPA ran a bus to bring customers to the store from
Ramingining. The manager was able to get a contract with Education to carry kids the other
way and so turning a cost to an income stream. One day the bus was well overdue, the manager
looked up the road to see the driver walking followed by his passengers. On arrival the driver
explained something fell out from under the bus and handed the manager a piston.
The Yolngu freight contractors

A while back in the early 1980s Ramingining suffered a mechanics drought. Not able to recruit
a local mechanic, one by one the local vehicles died and in particular the old trucks that did
the barge run that required constant maintenance. As most people had well body or tray back
Toyotas the ALPA manager contracted anyone with a vehicle to carry goods from the landing.
It was a big hit. The manager would pay out his fleet of contractors as soon as the unloading
was done, usually late at night.
These carriers would take advantage of the situation and spend their freight dollars on
stock. Attracted by the lights other residents came to shop. They were refused. The manager
explained that this was for freight contractors only but they would be welcome as contractors
on the next barge day.
37
Minjilang Community Croker Island
Minjilang Community Croker Island
Building at Minjilang including the old store commenced in the 1940s using cypress pine
Building
at Minjilang including the old store commenced in the 1940s using cypress pine
milled at Elcho Island. Croker mission was to provide cottage style accommodation (one
milled at Elcho Island. Croker mission was to provide cottage style accommodation (one
became the managers house) for some of the 96 indigenous children that were taken
laterlater
became
the managers house) for some of the 96 indigenous children that were taken
into
care
(a governmentinitiative
initiative known
Stolen
Generation)
and moved
there bythere
the by the
into care (a government
knownasasthethe
Stolen
Generation)
and moved
Methodist
Overseas
Mission,arriving
arriving in
1941
on the
Mission
luggerlugger
Larrapan
Methodist
Overseas
Mission,
inNovember
November
1941
on the
Mission
Larrapan
Thelong
long journey:
the evacuationthe
of children
from Croker to Sydney
The
journey:
evacuation
of children from
Croker
tostayed
Sydney
The children
less than a year and were evacuated from Croker to Sydney for the
duration of the Second World War, commencing with a walk across country from Oenpellie
The children stayed less than a year and were evacuated from Croker to Sydney for the
to Murganella. They returned in 1946. The mission for half caste children was closed in
duration
of the Second World War, commencing with a walk across country from Oenpellie
1967 with the
children
moving
Somerville
homes infor
Darwin.
Minjilang
becamewas
an closed in 1967
to Murganella.
They
returned
into1946.
The mission
half caste
children
Aboriginal
community
administered
by
an
Aboriginal
Town
Council.
with the children moving to Somerville homes in Darwin. Minjilang became an Aboriginal
community administered by an Aboriginal Town Council.
ALPA Minjilang: the corporate flagship:
ALPA
Minjilang:
corporate
flagship:
The arrival
of Graham White the
in the late
1960s delivered great
changes to the store with a
dramatic increase in the range of goods, display shelving and the introduction of self service
The arrival of Graham White in the late 1960s delivered great changes to the store with a
instead of over the counter or window service. This approach which planned to offer a town
dramatic
increase in the range of goods, display shelving and the introduction of self service
like of
range
of the
goods
including
drinks,service.
biscuits and
was surrounded
by to offer a town
instead
over
counter
orsoft
window
Thistobacco
approach
which planned
controversy
which
is
still
alive
and
well
40
years
on:
should
a
store
stock
a
mainstream
like range of goods including soft drinks, biscuits and tobacco was surrounded byrange
controversy
of is
goods
should
thingson:
be should
banned?a store stock a mainstream range of goods or
which
still or
alive
andunhealthy
well 40 years
should unhealthy things be banned?
In ALPAs early years Minjilang store was the corporate flagship, well stocked with a big
In ALPAs
years
Minjilang
store
wasshelving
the corporate
flagship,
stocked
with
a big range
range early
and the
first store
to have
display
and self service.
Thewell
stored
stocked
bread
and the
first
store
to
have
display
shelving
and
self
service.
The
stored
stocked
bread
cooked daily at the local bakery and a range of fresh local meat. Fish and oysters were also cooked
dailyavailable.
at the local bakery and a range of fresh local meat. Fish and oysters were also available.
Cyclone
Ingrid 2006: what store:
Cyclone Ingrid 2006: what store:
Minjilang
store
withthe
the addition
addition ofof
anan
adjoining
prefabricated
shed remained
the supply the supply
Minjilang
store
with
adjoining
prefabricated
shed remained
focusfocus
of Minjilang
untilMarch
March
2005
when
thekilometer
260 kilometer
of Minjilangcommunity
community until
2005
when
the 260
winds of winds
Cycloneof Cyclone
Ingrid
conveyed
it
into
history.
Within
24
hours
ALPA
was
back
in
business
using
a generator,
Ingrid conveyed it into history. Within 24 hours ALPA was back in business using a generator,
the remnants
of
the
shed,
tarps
and
a
variety
of
chiller,
freezer
and
storage
containers.
The
the remnants of the shed, tarps and a variety of chiller, freezer and storage containers. The
manager
lived
in
a
caravan.
ALPA
operated
in
this
camp
like
conditions
until
the
new
(existing)
manager lived in a caravan. ALPA operated in this camp like conditions until the new
store opened 12 months later in April 2006. Minjilang has only one employee with more than
(existing) store opened 12 months later in April 2006. Minjilang has only one employee with
5 years service, Emery Tapara.
more than 5 years service, Emery Tapara.
38
Croker
Island
Malay
speakers
in 1989:
Dr Amanda
TheThe
Croker
Island
Malay
speakers
in 1989:
Dr Amanda
Lee Lee
The Croker Island Malay speakers in 1989: Dr Amanda Lee

When
Mandy
doing
Nutrition
research
at Croker
Goulburn
in the
early
When
Mandy
Lee Lee
waswas
doing
her her
Nutrition
research
at Croker
andand
Goulburn
in the
early
1990s
she
found
she
could
people
using
her
Bahasa
Indonesian.
When Mandy
was
hercommunicate
Nutrition
research
at
Croker
and
Goulburn
in the early 1990s
1990s
sheLee
found
shedoing
could
communicate
withwith
the the
old old
people
using
her
Bahasa
Indonesian.
Of
course
old
people
called
it Malay,
leant
it using
from
parents
had
regular Of course
she found
she
could
with
theand
oldhad
people
her
Bahasa
Indonesian.
Of course
the the
oldcommunicate
people
called
it Malay,
and
had
leant
it from
theirtheir
parents
whowho
had
regular
contact
with
the oldcontact
people
called
itMacassans.
Malay, and had leant it from their parents who had regular contact
with
the the
Macassans.
with the Macassans.
Gapuwiyak
Community
near
an airstrip
by hand
Gapuwiyak
Community
near
the the
lakelake
andand
withwith
an airstrip
builtbuilt
by hand
Gapuwiyak
Community
Gapuwiyak, (Lake Evella) was selected as the location for a mainland community work
Gapuwiyak, (Lake Evella) was selected as the location for a mainland community work
commenced
in 1969.
Some
years
before
Reverend
Harold
Shepherdson
(Sheppy)
commenced
1969.
Some
years
before
the
Reverend
Harold
Shepherdson
(Sheppy)
afterafter
near the
lake
andinwith
an
airstrip
built
bythe
hand
having
his own
aircraft
overflew
area.
He and
Reverend
Webb
spent
three
weeks
having
builtbuilt
his own
aircraft
overflew
the the
area.
He and
Reverend
Webb
spent
three
weeks
Gapuwiyak,
(Lake
Evella)
was
selected
asIt was
the
location
for toa harvest
mainland
community work
walking
Milingimbi
to have
a good
It was
a sawmill
location
to
harvest
cypress
walking
fromfrom
Milingimbi
to
have
a good
look.look.
a sawmill
location
cypress
commenced
in
1969.
Some
years
before
the
Reverend
Harold
Shepherdson
(Sheppy) after
pine,
and
had
access
to
water
without
being
waterlogged
during
the
wet.
The
first
buildings
pine, and had access to water without being waterlogged during the wet. The first buildings
having were
built
his
own
aircraft
overflew
the
area.
He
and
Reverend
Webb
spent
three weeks
were
at
wharf
camp
right
on
the
edge
of
the
lake.
The
termite
resistant
cypress
was
used
at wharf camp right on the edge of the lake. The termite resistant cypress was used for for
walkingthe
from
Milingimbi
to
have
a
good
look.
It
was
a
sawmill
location
to
harvest
cypress
pine,
the
construction
of
houses
and
other
mission
buildings.
construction of houses and other mission buildings.
and had access to water without being waterlogged during the wet. The first buildings were
Yolngu
in this
area
would
build
a small
airstrip
enabling
Sheppy
to land,
bring
supplies,
Yolngu
in this
areaon
would
build
a small
airstrip
enabling
Sheppy
to
land,
bring
supplies,
a a used for the
at wharf
camp
right
the
edge
of
the
lake.
The
termite
resistant
cypress
was
visiting
nurse,
and
to
trade.
This
airstrip
was
mostly
built
by
hand
when
the
old
Ferguson
visiting of
nurse,
and toand
trade.other
This airstrip
was mostly
built by hand when the old Ferguson
construction
houses
mission
buildings.
tractor
broke
down
three
project.
tractor
broke
down
afterafter
three
daysdays
intointo
the the
project.
Yolngu in this area would build a small airstrip enabling Sheppy to land, bring supplies, a
The
ALPA
shop
bolts
in the
from
its powerhouse
ALPA
shop
still
hadhad
bolts
in the
floorfloor
from
its powerhouse
daysdays
visiting The
nurse,
and
to still
trade.
This
airstrip
was
mostly built
by hand when the old Ferguson
Yolngu
from
the
area
explained
that
the
first
shop
was
actually
a trailer
which
towed
Yolngu
from
the
area
explained
that
the
first
shop
was
actually
a
trailer
which
waswas
towed
tractor broke down after three days into the project.
around.
By the
ALPA
came
existence
powerhouse
been
designated
around.
By the
timetime
ALPA
came
intointo
existence
the the
old old
powerhouse
hadhad
been
designated
as as
shop.
To the
observant
shopper
mounting
for the
motor
could
the the
shop.
To the
observant
shopper
the the
mounting
boltsbolts
for the
motor
andand
generator
could
The ALPA
shop
still
had
bolts
in
the
floor
from
itsgenerator
powerhouse
days
be seen
under
shelving
renovations
in the
1970s
when
a veranda
small
be seen
under
the the
shelving
untiluntil
renovations
in the
latelate
1970s
when
a veranda
andand
small
Yolngu compound
from
thewas
area
explained
that
first
shop was
actually
aa two
trailer
which
compound
was
added
to the
of the
the
store.
Refrigeration
consisted
drink was towed
added
to the
rearrear
of the
store.
Refrigeration
consisted
of aof
two
doordoor
drink
around.fridges
Byfridges
the
ALPA
came
existence
the
old
powerhouse
hadthe
designated as
and
chest
freezers.
A small
walk
in chiller
added
by taking
offbeen
the
andtime
twotwo
chest
freezers.
A into
small
walk
in chiller
waswas
laterlater
added
by taking
off
roofroof
the shop.
To
the
observant
shopper
the
mounting
forthethe
motor
and
could
dropping
in. The
(existing)
store
was
inbolts
1986
across
the
road
the
old
andand
dropping
it in.itThe
newnew
(existing)
store
was
builtbuilt
in 1986
across
road
fromfrom
the
old generator
be seenone.
under
shelving
until
in the
late
1970s
when
a asveranda
one.
all other
ALPA
shops
it has
more
doubled
in size
looks
as good
as any and small
LikeLike
allthe
other
the the
ALPA
shops
itrenovations
has
more
thanthan
doubled
in
size
andand
looks
as good
any
compound
was added
to the rear of the store. Refrigeration consisted of a two door drink
mainstream
supermarket.
mainstream
supermarket.
fridges and two chest freezers. A small walk in chiller was later added by taking off the roof
Gapuwiyak
13 new
Yolngu
employees
more
5 years
service.
Rose
Wunungmurra,
has from the old
Gapuwiyak
13
Yolngu
employees
more
thanthan
5was
years
service.
Wunungmurra,
and dropping
it has
in. has
The
(existing)
store
built
in Rose
1986
across
thehas
road
worked
for
18
years,
Kathy
Marrawungu
has
worked
for
17
years
while
Jason
Wanambi
worked
for
18
years,
Kathy
Marrawungu
has
worked
for
17
years
while
Jason
Wanambi
has
one. Like all other the ALPA shops it has more than doubled in size and looks has
as good as any
mainstream supermarket.
Gapuwiyak has 13 Yolngu employees more than 5 years service. Rose Wunungmurra, has
worked for 18 years, Kathy Marrawungu has worked for 17 years while Jason Wanambi has
13 years.
39
13 years. Sylvia Guyiyiwuy and Dorothy Yarrmirr have worked for 8 years. Dorothy was
employed at the Training School at Galiwinku in 1983. Neil Salee who manages transport
Sylvia Guyiyiwuy and Dorothy Yarrmirr have worked for 8 years. Dorothy was employed at
has worked for 7 years; while 5 employees sit on the 6 year mark. They are Jessica
the Training
School at Galiwinku in 1983. Neil Salee who manages transport has worked
Gurruwiwi,
James
Guyula,Leanne
Ngurruwuthun,
and Peter James
for 7 years;
while
5 employees
sitGuyula,
on theMayiyi
6 year
mark. TheyMorris
are RRaywala
Jessica Gurruwiwi,
Wunungmurra.
Guyula,Leanne Guyula, Mayiyi Ngurruwuthun, Morris RRaywala and Peter Wunungmurra.
Gapuwiyak Transport
from the barge from the barge
Gapuwiyak
Transport
Transport to Gapuwiyak was a challenge. Goods were loaded by boat or barge from
Transport
to Gapuwiyak
was
a challenge.
were
boat
orand
barge
from
Galiwinku
transported
to Raymangirr
onGoods
the coast,
thenloaded
loaded by
onto
trucks
trailers
forGaliwinku
transported
to
Raymangirr
on
the
coast,
then
loaded
onto
trucks
and
trailers
the 20 kilometer many creek crossings road to the community. Timber travelled the other for the 20
kilometer
many creek crossings road to the community. Timber travelled the other way. Later
way. Later in the 1970s a road was made to the current barge landing on the Buckingham
in the 1970s a road was made to the current barge landing on the Buckingham River.
River.
The first day for a new manager and the first night at the Gapuwiyak barge landing
The first day for a new manager and the first night at the Gapuwiyak barge landing
It was the managers first barge, in the wet, at night in the middle of a thunder storm with
It was lightning
the managers
first
barge,
in the
wet,soat
night
thestood
middle
of and
a thunder
that turned
night
into day
and was
close
yourinhair
on end
you couldstorm with
lightning
that
night
dayinand
close
your
on end
and you could
smell
the turned
ozone burn.
Theinto
vehicle
thosewas
daysso
was
an old
Hiluxhair
verystood
accustomed
to be
smell the
ozone usually
burn. with
Theavehicle
in those
days and
wasa trailer
an old
Hilux
to be
overloaded,
ton of freezer
and chiller
that
if youvery
were accustomed
good could
overloaded,
usually
with a ton of freezer and chiller and a trailer that if you were good could
hold around
4 ton.
hold around 4 ton.
The barge landing on the Buckingham River was grey mud, lots of it, churned up by the
The barge
landing on the Buckingham River was grey mud, lots of it, churned up by the barge
barge loader. The other bit was the half a dozen Yolngu helpers. The Yolngu knew that you
loader. The other bit was the half a dozen Yolngu helpers. The Yolngu knew that you had
had to overload the Hilux to give it enough traction to pull the overloaded trailer. So off
to overload the Hilux to give it enough traction to pull the overloaded trailer. So off home
home they headed; the Hilux, the trailer and a sprinkling of soggy Yolngu hanging off
they headed;
the Hilux, the trailer and a sprinkling of soggy Yolngu hanging off wherever they
theycreeks
could. There
and itbut
wasthe
slippery
the newknew
manager
as the trailer
could. wherever
There were
and itwere
wascreeks
slippery
newbut
manager
as knew
long as
long
as
the
trailer
did
not
pass
the
truck
in
a
slide
they
would
make
it.
did not pass the truck in a slide they would make it.
SouthGoulburn
Goulburn Island (Warruwi)
South
Island (Warruwi)
Goulburn
Island
or SouthGoulburn
Goulburn Island
(Warruwi)
to beto
precise
first became
mission in a mission
Goulburn
Island
or South
Island
(Warruwi)
be precise
firsta became
1916
afterbeing
being surveyed
surveyed in in
1915
by the
James Watson.
havingAfter
a look having a look
in 1916
after
1915
byReverend
the Reverend
JamesAfter
Watson.
aroundaround
including
the the
Catholic
Mission
BathurstIsland
Island
he travelled
to Oenpelli
including
Catholic
Mission on Bathurst
he travelled
to Oenpelli
with thewith
NT the NT
Administrator
Dr Gilruth.
Paddy
alreadyestablished
established
a buffalo
shooter,
Administrator
Dr Gilruth.
PaddyCahill
Cahill already
as a as
buffalo
shooter,
lent himlent
four him four
horseshorses
and two
men
asasguides.
and Bininj
two Bininj
men
guides.
40
Watson had two murderers as guides

Watson was in good hands: the two Bininj spoke some English they had learnt in gaol, where
they spent time over the pay-back killing of a white trepanger Paddy McPherson. Paddy was a
violent drunk and had killed a number of Maung who worked for him at his Wigu Point camp
including throwing one person into the boiling vat used for trepang. The Maung who took him
the rest of the way in dugouts, had been advised by the Macassans that white men with books
are better than white men with guns.
Water shortages but really good oysters

With help Watson built houses and a school and using a work for flour, tea, sugar and
cloth policy he attracted people from the mainland. Gardens, fishing and trepanging were
encouraged. Isolation, cyclones, storms and the oppressive build up made Warruwi a difficult
place for these early missionaries to live. Over the years water shortages inhibited any large
scale agriculture, although cattle, a dairy, goats fishing and oyster farming were all tried, with
oyster farming the only project that enjoys larger scale success. As cash started to flow in a
supermarket was built in the late 1960s.
In 1977 the Warrawi Community Council took the store from ALPA creating the Ajurumu Self
Service Supermarket. As staffing levels dropped at Warruwi the community sought assistance
from ALPA and became an ALPA managed consulting store in 1983.
Yirrkala: the mission sorting out government fears of

an Aboriginal uprising
Yirrkala was established as a mission in 1935 by the Reverend Wilbur Chaseling. It was
established out of concern for an Aboriginal uprising in the area after the murder of the
Japanese at Caledon Bay and the death of Police Officer McColl. A punitive expedition was
proposed and organised. Missionaries from Groote and Webb from Milingimbi proposed a
peace expedition and would locate the killers of the Japanese and McColl. They did this and
avoided the punitive expedition.
The discovery of bauxite and the establishment of the

ABTF
Yirrkala took centre stage in 1952 when bauxite was discovered. The government determined
it a matter of national interest and levied mining royalties. They were to be paid to the
Aborigines Benefits Trust Fund which was used to fund projects in communities. In 1963
the MOM agreed to the excision of 225 square kilometres of the Yirrkala Aboriginal Reserve
for conversion to mining leases to which the Yolngu at Yirrkala vehemently opposed. Local
mission staff allied themselves to the Yolngu.
Yirrkala Bark petition to Federal Parliament

In 1963 the Bark Petition was lodged in Federal Parliament. The Minister for Territories Paul
Hasluck moved for the petition to be rejected. A Second one was presented to Governor General
Casey a few months later. A select Committee was appointed to examine the grievances. In
1969 a group of elders sued Nabalco. It was the first legal challenge for Aboriginal title to land
in Australias history. Milirrpum v Nabalco went to the Supreme Court with Justice Blackburn
presiding. Blackburn returned a verdict in favour of Nabalaco. The Yolngu would wait until the
1976 Land Rights Act (NT).
41
Nhulunbuy
hasbadWoollies:
Nhulunbuy has Woollies:
news for ALPAbad
Yirrkalanews for ALPA Yirrkala
Meanwhile the mining town of Nhulunbuy had been established around 10 kilometres away
Meanwhile
the mining town of Nhulunbuy had been established around 10 kilometres away
from Yirrkala
Yirrkala and
and included
included aa Woolworths
with subsidized
from
Woolworths store
store with
subsidized freight
freight by
by Nabalco.
Nabalco. This
This would
would
make
life
tough
for
the
ALPA
store
at
Yirrkala
(with
no
freight
subsidy).
The
Yirrkala
make life tough for the ALPA store at Yirrkala (with no freight subsidy). The Yirrkala store
store struggled
for much
its existence
eventually
taken
over
theYirrkala
YirrkalaDhanbul
struggled
for much
of itsofexistence
andand
waswas
eventually
taken
over
byby
the
DhanbulinCouncil
in April 1983.
Council
April 1983.
Roseanne
Lewis
Priscilla
Gundjakpuy
TAE40110
Roseanne
Lewis
and and
Priscilla
Gundjakpuy
TAE40110
Certificate IV in Training and Education graduation
Certificate IV in Training and Education graduation ceremony
ceremony Milingimbi 2011.
Milingimbi 2011.
42
Section 7 Yarns, ideas and maybe a few tall stories of working with ALPA
The ALPA side of a phone recruitment conversation dream
So you have retail management experience with one of the chains and youve run your own
business, well go on you have my attention: A heavy combination truck license and forklift,
yes thats something that is appreciated; You know how to do electrical and fridge repairs
if directed over the phone and you have built your own house, thats bound to get you
shortlisted; What! Your wife is a computer technician, mechanic and a short order cook who
also knows how to weld and change split rims, thats really good; Cross cultural skills, thats
fantastic, when would you like to start.
Communications Breakthroughs E-mail in 1997
1997 - ALPA established its first e-mail network with Milingimbi being the trial store.
Over the Phone IT Systems analysis
The bizzo is making a bit of noise, the grey one with all the wires is quiet, but the black box
with the blue lights is still blinking
My register is on fire, what should I do and how can I keep the other lane open?
IT diagnoses the Biscuit
Do you have kids there: We fixed CD drive by removing a chocolate biscuit and pieces of
bubble gum?
IT Problem Solving Facts:
40% of all IT queries are solved by plugging the computer in or switching on the power
Re-Booting a system often works but not when it has been underwater.
Travel Stories - The moon and back
There is a current employee at ALPA Darwin, a former Relieving Manager who in 6 years has
made around 650 work flights, travelling the equivalent distance as a return flight to the moon
(356,000 km@ 2) Are you up to making a return flight to the moon in a Cessna 210?
The Ambulance
At one time ALPA looked after two stores that were relatively close together in W.A. One
place had an old ambulance as a store vehicle complete with lights and sirens. The managers
arranged a visit at the second place. After a pleasant afternoon and just after dark the
ambulance noisily set out homeward. They could find the switch to the siren and the red
flashing lights but the headlights took much longer to figure out.
Hazards for IT support people
Camels are probably the biggest hazard for IT support. That is hitting them when driving to a
job, along with getting bogged and driving to one job when the road was underwater for 40
kilometers.
43
Amazing and less than ordinary cooking stories

Camp Fire Pizza
Frozen pizzas were one of the earlier popular prepared foods, especially for the younger men
that had spent time in Darwin. With ovens in short supply these guys would take the pizza out
of the plastic put it back in the box and cook it under the coals like damper. The tricky bit was
the timing so that the cheese did not stick to the box.
The Roast dinner
Asking what they would like to eat, the IT team was well pleased when the manager offered a
roast dinner. After working late and very hungry, they arrived back at the house to be greeted
with microwaved McCains roast dinners. The same manager suggested fish and chips to
another group. They got microwaved fish fingers. The story tellers in the company reckon the
same bloke failed a 28 week TAFE course on preparing 2 minute noodles.
The Christmas Turkey
Close to Christmas one year a Yolngu asked one of the managers if he would like a turkey for
Christmas dinner. The manager struck a deal, swapped the more or less dressed bird for a
carton of smokes. The meat was tasty, although a little dark but cooked up well taking pride of
place on the table. The manager was recounting the turkey story to both Yolngu and Balanda
down at the barge where the other party to the deal was present. After some time the trader
gently corrected well like a turkey, hmmm, really a brolga.
The Hamburger Queen
There is one quietly amazing long term store worker who makes a burger at least to ISO 9001
standards. She sets herself apart by cracking all the eggs in a bowl then uses a mug to tip the
eggs onto the hotplate. The fact that all the eggs reclaim their individual shapes seems pretty
cool for those from non catering backgrounds. Working in a large store she would normally
cook a first batch of around 30 burgers. In that way the workers all get at least one leaving a
few over for the customers. Family obligations saw her working in one of the smaller stores.
Being a legend she was requested to do her thing, so out came 30 burgers, about 20 more
than that little store could sell.
More hazards - Creek Crossings
Then theres the creek crossing with the instructions to phone from the other side when you
get there (on a satellite phone). Its only up to 400 mil that should be OK to cross Reply
No dont cross although it says 400mil its actually out by 450 mil so theres about a meter
running across there.
How Many Passengers
One of the managers travelling from Derby to Noonkanbah was stopped by locals they knew
driving a Toyota tray back with two 200litre drums in the back, three really big people in the
front, two on the roof and 27 in the back with the drums.
A troopy with a roof rack stopping to shop before going to a ceremony at an outstation near
the Blyth set a personal and regional best of 48 people.
During the wet season the 910 loader could reliably get hungry homeland people into the
shop and back: it carried 5 people and their groceries in the bucket, a driver, two on the
mudguards and two more standing.
44
Interpreting for the Accountant

At one time ALPA had an accountant who came from the north of England. He was a great
character totally committed to his task and really interested in helping Yolngu. On becoming
an Australian citizen his co-workers presented him with a bar of soap and a towel (from the
warehouse) and explained that he now had to buy beer. At one of the Board meetings he was
doing his financial presentation when one of the Yolngu sitting next to the trainer who was on
next said what language does he speak, can you interpret for me.
Occupation Health & Safety
The Manager of the old store at Nangalala encountered a previously unidentified OHS risk. A
grass fire at the back of the store set fire to a couple of cardboard boxes through the rusty tin
of the rear wall setting off a box of .22 rifle ammunition. As the ammunition hissed and pinged
around the bulkstore, an evacuation seemed the best option. The manager and staff bolted,
closely followed by a 2 meter King Brown who had made the same strategic decision.
The Pet Horse
There is an ALPA manager who has the biggest pet dog in the world. What makes this creature
especially endearing apart from its outstanding if not somewhat subdued personality is the
viscosity of its saliva. Gob can hang from its mouth almost a meter to the ground. More than
one visitor thought there was an earth tremor but it was only the dog climbing the stairs. Not
satisfied with near horse size dog, the manager once found a horse in need of care and nursed
it back to health, finding a ready mouth for written off fruit and veges. This Timor pony lived in
the yard and was good at greeting visitors. Whether they were pleased or not is another story.
The story ends well with the horse catching the barge and shifting interstate.
The goat that fell in love with the store manager
Back in 2008, there once was a manger of a small store in an even smaller community. In
this community lived a very large billy goat with an even larger set of horns. Setting aside the
managers great personality, sense of humour, compassion and the fact that he was a great
mechanic, for reason unknown the goat fell in love with him. It followed him around, waiting
outside the house and then outside the store. It was a relationship destined to fail. Tired of
waiting the goat attempted to knock down the front door of the shop one evening when the
manager was working back. It managed to damage the front door. A short time later it moved
in to its next existence evidenced by large amounts of goat stew.
How many bar-codes can you remember? Yolngu and their prodigious memories
When scanning was introduced in 1992-3 there was any number of products that had no
labels, wrong labels or dodgy printing so that they would not scan. One new Yolngu register
operator would hold the products in the air, and other workers would call out the bar code for
them to key in. Recently in a goods write off exercise one of the senior Yolngu workers wrote
off the goods; by writing down from memory each of the 13 digit bar code for the 9 items.
45
Uniforms
Asking long term Yolngu employees what were some of the big events in their time with ALPA,
a good number suggested the arrival of uniforms. They advised it gave them a sense of pride
and purpose and provided team unity.
Smoking Ceremonies: still very important
The fact that ALPA still does Smoking Ceremonies was seen as one of the most important things
that ALPA does. This feedback came from a number of Yolngu. Increasingly other workplaces,
businesses and organisations dont bother to do this ceremony any longer. The ceremony (in
brief) is one where after a Yolngu dies, the relevant clan group will light a small fire of leaves
and then dance through the building with the smoking leaves. The purpose is to remove the
footprints (the presence) of the deceased person from the building.
VJY -The Radio Telephone Service: life without privacy
It took until the early 1980s for all ALPA stores to get telephones, except for Milingimbi which
had access to a single community phone from the early 1970s. To make a phone call, managers
would book a time. The VJY operator would dial the number and get the other party on line,
the community caller would then start talking on the radio with the VJY operating manually
switching back and forth allowing one direction of conversation at a time.
The danger in all this was the person on the phone end would often forget that every person
in North Australia could hear their conversation. This peril occurred for one ALPA manager
when his wife went south for family business. It was during the wet season and the manager
was the not so proud owner of a rash that saw little daylight. When phoning, the wife of
course asked about the rash, the manager mumbled a reply. The wife thinking that she had
not been heard, and out of loving concern, loudly expanded her query. The husband pushed
aside humiliation and explained that it was almost better and added that everyone should
be happy for him. The world of listeners were of course not allowed to comment, but what
people did do on such occasions was to click the speak button on their handsets which could
be heard by the callers. Over the year, sackings, love talk and relationship break-ups were all
subjected to the same clicks.
Cuddling the Stocktake Pilot
One afternoon after a long days stocktaking, a Darwin office worker, on the charter home was
seated right up the front next to the pilot. After struggling to stay awake with a bad case of
noddy head, she finally went out to it. On waking up she had snuggled up to the pilot, one arm
wrapped around his waist and her face pressed up against his arm. Mild embarrassment was
laughed off until she noticed a massive dribble patch on his shirt sleeve. For some reason she
doesnt sit up with the pilot anymore.
46
The sunshine clad saviours

The same Darwin worker was walking from the managers house to the store only to find
themselves gradually surrounded by snarling, barking, possibly salivating dogs. Just when the
onset of knocking knees, hair standing on-end and abject fear started to kick in, a cluster
of 4 and 5 year olds clad only in sunshine, rocked in and rescued the damsel in distress and
provided a safe escort all the way to the store.
Fishing Legends
One Ramingining Manager keen to make his down south relatives envious with the elusive 1
meter barra photo, managed after a lot of advice, great expense and a lot of practice landed his
first decent size fish at the crossing. Wanting to share his big moment he tracked off towards
some locals who were fishing a run-off gutter. His joy faded as they had already landed more
than 20 fish, mostly bigger than his. The pain really started when he saw they were using a
piece of hand line with silver paper out of a cigarette packet for a lure. Another story ends
similarly only the lure was a piece of plastic bag around the hook.
Still at the crossing, the yarn spun to down south relatives goes: that after a really big day they
get bogged climbing the jump up and have to throw fish under the wheels to get out.
At Minjilang, fishing addicted visitors always carried a rod, barra were easily caught at a culvert
on the road to the airport, the same one where a 4 meter crocodile was often seen sunning
itself on the road.
At Milingimbi, a manager offered to tow one of the workers tinny a few hundred meters to
the barge landing so it could be launched. On the way he heard a bit of a bump and turned
round to see the boat complete with waving kids on board pass the tow vehicle and veer off
into the salt pan.
A bloke who was raised at Milingimbi now has a house on a river outside Darwin. He sent his
relatives down for a fish and they came back less than 5 minutes later with a 75cm barra. It
seems a freshy (fresh water crocodile) was chasing this barra and it jumped out of the water
onto the bank. The visitors with impeccable timing arrived at that moment scaring the croc
away.
Yolngu understatement & know how
Even motorcars need relationships
Motorcars need a relationship with the road, especially in the bush. The old Landrover was a
quiet one, but poked along nice and steady. He was a smart car. Now the V8 my brother had, it
was a flash one. As young blokes we used to do Darwin Katherine in under 3 hours. But when
it hit the sand, he roared like a bloody bull, spun its wheels and got nowhere fast in a cloud of
dust. Mechanics are like that too. [This was a piece of mayali dhawu (a story with meaning)
between a long term Yolngu mechanic and the newly arrived balanda mechanic]
What about the Manager proudly showing off their photos of their visit to London and the
changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. Asking Yolngu store workers if they knew about
the Queen one replied yes we danced and had dinner with her in Adelaide.
47
Feel sorry for the Galiwinku manager giving one of the Yolngu storemen a career pep talk,
recent poor attendance and the need to make a stand to make something of himself. It would
have been good if someone had explained that the worker had been on a recent world tour
with his band.
Picked up the Yolngu bloke on the Maningrida road who said he had a water problem with his
vehicle. The offer of help lead the Good Samaritan to a creek crossing where the roof of the
vehicle could be seen sticking out of the water.
One old Yolngu man at Ramingining was a renowned hunter. This time he was away for several
days. One evening all the kids became really excited as the hunter came home. He had found
a buffalo some 20 kilometres away and had steadily driven it on foot all the way home before
killing on the edge of the camp. He was one of the few people who could get close enough to
kill buffalos with a shotgun loaded with solid slugs. He said it was easy as long as you knew
how to could climb trees (if you missed).
The missing tobacco
One freight contractor, a regular who had access to a small truck, arrived during the wet
soaked through, with his load soggy and collapsed. He explained that enroute a carton of log
cabin amongst other things had fallen off. They had recovered everything except one sleeve
of log cabin tins. The manager, keeping this private view of what really happened to himself
said not to worry, quietly glad it was only one roll. The seasons moved, the dry came along
with the fires and one day in came the contractor with a slightly singed roll of log cabin, once
the grass burned they had found it. Keeping his sense he who has little faith to himself he
advised the contractor to keep it.
The Trailer
There is one ALPA story claimed as fact in several places that has moved into current folklore,
the story of the trailer. Most stores have a rubbish trailer at the rear of the store. One manager
directed one of the storemen to take the rubbish trailer to the tip, and burn it. They did trailer
and all.
The Bread
On a busy day the manager expecting high bread sales directed a worker to watch the bread.
On his return to that section some time later he noticed the worker sitting on a chair directly
in front of an empty bread rack, she advised the bread has all gone. She had watched the
bread.
Flying stories
The crash landing in the spinifex
Some of ALPAs first consulting stores were in the desert in the Kimberleys. While flying back
home one of the managers and a relative experienced an engine failure (in a single). Manual
out, the young pilot tried everything but to no avail. Emergency radio calls were made and
preparation was made for a crash landing in an area of rocky ridges and desert. The husband
of the team received the dreaded phone call about the crash. The area was described and
identified by the locals. The manager set out across country staking two tyres to get there.
48
On arrival they found everyone was fine. The area had experienced a couple of good wets and
the spinifex was a meter high. The plane had bounced across the top of the spinifex for a soft
landing. Not even the eggs on board were broken.
The fire and the eye of the buffalo
After getting a phone call that the Ramingining truck had rolled over and caught fire and the
manager and one of the workers had serious burns, an Operations Manager made an all out
effort to fly in straight away. It was the wet season. Flying from Gove the plane almost turned
around two or three times, but with such urgency it flew on, through heavy showers around
and under heavy black storm clouds. At one point they were flying so low they could see the
eyes of a buffalo in a wallow.
Over the Glyde the sky cleared and the truck could be seen standing upright, not burned to
the ground but looking more than a little singed. The victims fortunately only had minor burns
caused by burning plastic. The hazard: loading the truck from the barge in the dark, so that
pallets were too near the trucks exhaust. Could this happen again?
Emergency landings
The most traumatic thing about emergency landing especially in small aircraft is not that you
have to burn off fuel, its how long you have to wait to go to the toilet, especially if you have
had a good cup off coffee or two for breakfast.
No MOU with Coles flying in light aircraft
When ALPA was establishing the long standing MOU they now have with Coles one of the
Coles people involved did a look and see travelling around Arnhemland. At night the ALPA
guys told stories of hardship and adventure with more than a sprinkling of aeroplane stories.
Next morning with more than a little trepidation our Coles ally joined a charter to visit some
stores. His worst fears were quickly realized when the door next to him flew open just after
take off. The pilot not noticing his near catatonic state, just half turned and asked him to shut
the door.
The cross dressers
At one island store, during the wet, it rained so hard that 10 centimetres of water would
regularly run through the shop. This day a group visiting from Darwin were stranded after the
plane became bogged. Soaked to the skin after trying to move the plane they went back to the
house to shower and change for the night. The manager was a really big bloke, so only clothes
available were those belonging to the wife.
Who put these stories together?
Henry Harper started work with ALPA in 1978. He was asked to drive from Perth to save ALPA
air fare money when the bitumen finished just out of Port Hedland. On his arrival in Darwin
he was advised youre a fine young lad but you dont have what it takes to last. Last year
Henry resigned as Training manager so he could get back to work in the bush,34 years into
his two year contract he reflects: what matters most is building respectful relationships and
being prepared to learn. An old Yolngu told him on his arrival some people have 20 years
experience, others have just the one years experience twenty times over.
49
people have 20 years experience, others have just the one years experience twenty times
over.
The ALPA group today: ALPA member stores represented in red, consulting stores in blue
The ALPA group today: ALPA member stores represented in red, consulting
stores in blue
50
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52

ALPA 40 Years On, Our Story So Far..

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ALPA 40 Years On, Our Story So Far..

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4

The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation

40 YEARS ON, OUR STORY SO FAR...

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

ALPA: A brief history and corporate overview 40 years on.

How ALPA began

Working with other communities.

A successful business model

developed its successful business model of Yolu and

A pragmatic approach of working appropriately within the environment in which we operate

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

North Centre West (NCW) ALPAs wholesale venture

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Getting to know ALPAs Chairman of

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Who are the ALPA Board of Directors?

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Introducing Alastair King: Chief Executive Officer of ALPA

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Section 1 History and Contact

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Following consultation between church groups interested in working with Aboriginal

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Yolngu and the resource boom:

unlike Gina they got on well with their families

The Cattle Station Wars:

The Eastern and Africa Cold Storage Company Ltd.

The Lesser of Two Evils

Yolngu and Bininj ally themselves to the missionaries

Rev James Watson the cyclist and missionary:

Yolngu and the Second World War

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

The beheading of the Rev. Len Kentish by the Japanese

The Northern Territory Special Reconnaissance Unit

Getting convicted Japanese killers out of gaol so they

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

The reunion of the NTSRU-

ANZAC Day in Nhulunbuy 1995 plus back pay and medals

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Section 2 From missions to communities

The Post-war period: recovery and stability for rations

The church moves to self determination the 1970s

Assimilation and the cash economy

the coming together of old and new structures

What the government structure delivered was Self Management

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

The fading hopes of Community Leaders:

the rise of young pseudo leaders

From advising to listening, learning and education

ALPA and ARDS through Rev. Dr. Djiniyini Gondarra

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Perpetuating our own blindness at our peril

This negotiated approach

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Section 3 The birth of ALPA on June 20 1972

for it. It grew steadily

The first January

- The Arnhem Land Progress Aboriginal Corporation -

Numbers of indigenous employees

The Quiet Beginning:

debt and the not so quiet Cyclone Tracy