I Saw a Strange Land - Journeys in Central Australia

Arthur Groom was an Australian writer, conservationist, journalist and photographer who wrote travel articles as well as books. This one, published in 1950 covers his visits to Central Australia and the Hermannsburg Mission in 1946 and 1947. Arthur Groom died in 1953, aged just under 49.

This book, like any number of books from this era cover the wild centre of Australia, largely the province of the Aboriginals, a few hardy pioneering cattle farmers, and missionaries. The first half of this book was fairly missionary heavy, and wasn't shaping up so well for me, although his solo walking through the MacDonnell Ranges was good.

However the book really came to life when the author commenced his journey by foot and camel train from Intulkuna-iwara Gap to Angas Downs, via Levi Range, George Gill Range, Reedy Creek, Alatoota Hills, Oolra and Kattatuta (Uluru (Ayers Rock) and Kata Tjuta (The Olga's)), Mt Conner Station. (Spelling and naming all as per the book, not necessarily as recognised today).

Groom, with his guide Tiger, assistant Tamalji and unhelpful hanger-on Njunowa travelled a long way, through some tough country. This was a time before there was ever a vehicle track to Uluru, and when they climbed to its peak Groom opened a bottle in a cairn to find the names of various parties who had visited from 1931 to 1946 (which I was amused to notice contained a F Clune, who I presume to be the prolific author I have read so many books from).

Groom shows a clear respect for the Aboriginals, the station owners and the missionaries, and re writes what comes across as an accurate and truthful account of his journey.

Groom makes some observations which to me seem ahead of his time: P34/35

The native needed vast space in his own domain, freedom, unlimited movement, and time to gather his own bush food and water so necessary to provide a diet that was instinctive to him, and as definite as the centuries. The country was far too poor to support large community groups, and thus most of the time they must hunt and collect bush foods in small groups or families. Every advance of the white settler interfered with known supplies of food and water. Gradually the bewildered remnants of once strong tribal units either moved into the nearest white settlements and lost their tribal beliefs in beggary, or turned to the Mission for help; but unhygienic congregation about the Mission soon eliminated natural greens and roots; and there was no immediate compensation.It set up and appalling problem in humanity that has been understood by very few people.

Thousands of years of wandering stripped the Central Australian aboriginal of independent ability to plan a future, and made him master only of the moment. His dwellings always have been temporary crude things of sticks and leaves and grass, built in a few hours and abandoned at the mystic call of far-away food, water, or tribal ceremony. He gorged himself today, starved tomorrow, and shared his temporary possessions. He believed in his descent from spirit and dream forms of totemic ancestors in an amazingly intricate and ceremonial network, which still baffles many of the world's foremost anthropologists. A curiously talented race, with the minds of designing mathematicians yet little ability to count; whose great strength and past lay back in the ages of legend and ceremony; whose future was never their own concern, but the pawn of circumstance; a people who could not think ahead, but feverishly worshiped the traditions of the past.

For me it is a 3.5 star book, rounded down. 3 Stars.