My Homeland was written in collaboration with Fiona Blair and The Old Van theatre company and the Latje Latje and Barkindji communities in the Mildura and Wentworth regions about the effects of white settlement in that area in 1850.

‘…when i started writing this piece, australian white black relations were in a pretty bad state we had john howard as the prime minister and aboriginal people were not really being given a fair go. i wanted to understand my role as a white person in the history of aboriginal european relations an so i did some research about settlement and about babies being taken and that’s where the piece has come from.’ Tracy Bourne

The facts of the Tintinder story referenced in the script represent the many versions on record. To hear the story as a tourist in the 60s was to hear a heavily doctored white-washed story, subsequent histories pointed to inconsistencies in the evidence and a miscarriage of justice. Cast members told of the kidnap of a 12 year old indigenous girl. The final version, wherein several very young girls were taken from their people, one to be found chained to the bedstead of the man responsible, was told to us by Police Aboriginal Liaison Officer Sergeant Greg Chandler. 

We see the story twice, once from the perspective of a newly arrived german woman, once from the indigenous inhabitants.

Thus, the piece is a collaboration between all the Artists involved in the performance. Participants have contributed cultural insights and personal stories that are devastating to listen to, humbling to be trusted with and inspiring to work with. These stories are true, they happened over and over. We’ve heard it said that this country has two histories, a black one and a white one: we made this piece in the hope that the future will be a shared one.

We dedicate this piece to all the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that were stolen and taken from their mother’s arms, we hope your spirit takes you back to your Homeland one day. (written by Fiona Blair, Artistic Director, The Old Van)