Menzies, WA have some impressive, metal 2D sculptures as part of the Heritage Walk along the Main Street.

My favourite is ‘Taking tucker to the train’.  I love the energy and urgency the sculptor has captured.  I was also taken by the words on the accompanying plaque.  They read:

“Well the train used to come through from Leonora or Laverton, going to Kalgoorlie – used to arrive here about lunchtime. Or the train could be coming from Kalgoorlie, going to Leonora and it still arrived here about lunchtime.  My mother would be watching to see if there were any Wongi – they start waving from over there, then she would get me and Margie to take some food over to them.

Didn’t matter who it was- and sometimes we were running with a billy can of tea too, usually black tea, with a bit of sugar in it.  Like I said, damper or tins of meat – or cold meat, usually wrapped up in a bit of cloth. You would take it up there to the train and give it to them.  That’s their lunch.

Usually people didn’t have any money to buy food…. If you didn’t have any money…you’d miss out on something to eat, so our job was to run and take tucker to the train.”

Wongi people look out for each other – the culture dictates that they share resources, especially food.

Taking Tucker to the Train – #Inktober2016

I was delighted to see some of the history of the Wongi people acknowledged.

😊

Helen