Justice All Their Own: The Caledon Bay and Woodah Island Killings, 1932-1933

(Paperback)

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Vivid account of a series of murders and subsequent trials in the 1930s in Arnhem Land. As punishment for murder, Aboriginal justice often calls for a ceremonial spear-thrust through the thigh. In Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory of Australia, the ceremony is called Makarrta. The white justice system demands imprisonment for life. Which justice should prevail What is fair Which is right Ted Egan, well-known bushman, folklorist and media personality, is uniquely place to write this book. His close association with Aboriginal people enabled him to interview participants in the events-he 'sat down' in the country where the incidents took place. The product of forty years' research, this account of the killings, the protests and the subsequent trials in Darwin in 1934 presents a thorough analysis of the motives and behaviour of the various participants. It shows the disturbing and distressing consequences of the imposition of the British system of justice on people accustomed to their own predictable, consistent legal system, which itself is the product of a complex culture developed over thousands of years.

Author Bio

Ted Egan, who describes himself as 'singer, songwriter, author and professional vagabond'. For the last 40 years he has been writing and recording songs, filming and writing about the Australian people who represent the real ethos of this country. He has just completed his 30th album of songs. He is "the presenter" of 13 x 1 hour documentary films titled This Land Australia, and has written ten books.