Heritage of onpoint 365
“Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this website contains images and names of people who have since passed”
Our connection is to the Larrakia Nation, located in and around Darwin.
The person at the centre of this photo is Louisa Cubillo – she is our CEO’s great grandmother. Louisa was a twin and was taken by the authorities from her mother because she was a twin. The authorities thought her mother would kill one of the babies because they thought she would never cope with twins. They were sent to Melville Island off Darwin, where family couldn’t reach them and they were raised by the church.
After she turned 18 she returned to Darwin and married John Cubillo. John was a Wharfie and during WWII Darwin evacuated women and children – Louisa and the 9 children were sent to Adelaide by truck. John was called into work on 19 February 1942 and was keen to earn the extra money for the family. That day he worked on resupplying the MV Neptuna, an ammunition vessel for the war effort. The Japanese bombed Darwin that day and the MV Neptuna took a direct hit. John couldn’t swim and so didn’t have much chance, other survivors jumped into the water. Louisa and the kids heard that John had died while in Katherine. This photo was taken in Adelaide, after the evacuation.
Like many other aboriginal families, they were provided temporary accommodation at the Adelaide showground, families camped under the bleachers or anywhere they could find. Louisa and the kids were lucky and got a horse stall because they were such a large family. Unfortunately, families didn’t receive government assistance to return to Darwin so they lived at the showground for four years, whilst they worked and saved to pay for their return. Louisa did cooking and washing for other aboriginal families to earn some money.
The girl in the back row in the middle is our ‘alap’ or grandmother, her name is Mary Cubillo. She went to school until Year 3, Aboriginal kids didn’t stay at school past Year 3 back then, it wasn’t seen as necessary for them. In the photo she would have been 8 or 9 and she worked in Adelaide as a nanny for a white family. She got her first pair of shoes at age 8 whilst in Adelaide.
After returning to Darwin, Mary eventually met Herbert Lee from Aboriginal Wardaman clan and Filipino heritage. They soon married and had a tribe of their own. They had 11 children, Richard died in childhood from a heart condition and they adopted the four Edgar children following the death of their parents. They grew up in a 4 bedroom commission home.
Herbie Lee eventually passed away from his exposure from a nuclear bomb, he was part of the post occupational forces in Hiroshima.
Mary graduated from the University of Canberra in her mid-60s with a Degree in Cultural Heritage Management – she made worldwide media with President Obama during a visit to Australia commemorating the bombing of Darwin. She later sent him beanies and he sent back photos of his family wearing them. Her beanies were famous at the beanie festival. She was key in reviving the Larrakia flag, and was heavily involved in Indigenous issues. This is something that has been passed on in the family.
Her children include Indigenous curators, anthropologists, rangers and Indigenous artists with pieces in the National Museum of Australian and the National Gallery. They have been involved in keeping their culture alive and sharing that with others.
Mary was thrilled to attend the Kenby Land Claim Handing Back ceremony before she passed away in November 2016. Today several family members are heavily involved in a project reviving the Larrakia Language that has nearly been lost.
Ryan’s mum Bilawara has supported countless Indigenous children through university as a liaison officer, is a cultural consultant and has served on the NAIDOC board for 8 years.