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Acknowledgements

I loved researching and writing this book. It came out of a vison I had in Peru. My parents and I came to Adelaide in 1950, escaping war torn Europe. It was such a healing process to intertwine my Adelaide story with that of the Kaurna who had lived there for 40 thousand years. They are a beautiful people and I am so happy to have made their acquaintance; especially Kaurna elder, Uncle Lewis Yelopurka and his son Michael O’Brien. I loved all our chats. What generous and beautiful people they are.

People in the 19th century were great diary keepers and prolific writers of letters, which shed so much light on early Adelaide. I am especially indebted to Teichelmann and Schurmann, the Lutheran missionaries who did so much to document their time in Adelaide between 1838 and 1842 (Lutheran Archives, North Adelaide.) Not only did they write a comprehensive Kaurna grammar book (1840), but recorded many observations and priceless conversations with the main Kaurna people of the time especially their elder, Murlawirrapurka (also spelt Mullawirraburka in the history books). I want to acknowledge Rob Amery, a gifted linguist who has done so much to bring forth the Kaurna language, as well as a history of the early days, in Warraparna- Kaurna Reclaiming an Australia Language, Adelaide Press 2016. I drew heavily on many letters written at the time, for example between Governor Hindmarsh and the first Aboriginal Protector, Bromley, as well as the newspapers The Colonial Register and The South Australian Register. A wealth of excellent information was found in History in Portraits. Biographies of South Australian Aboriginal people, editors Jane Simpson & Luise Hercus, 1998.

William Cawthorne who befriended Murlawirrapurka, wrote diaries between 1842-1846 Cawthorne Papers ed. RKG Foster 1991. Cawthorne also sketched the scene in 1844, capturing the last Kaurna battle ‘Shields & spears of the Natives on the Battlefield’, which hangs in the Lounge Gallery of the Kaurna Building in the University of South Australia.

I really wanted to have an Adelaide publisher for this book and was delighted to find Dr. Scott Zarcinas of DoctorZed Publishing, who has done such a good job in helping to bring out this fascinating local Adelaide history and whose team produced an arresting cover.

Thanks to my husband, Professor Jake Chapman, who supported all my trips to Adelaide to research this book and was a great critical reader, as was my daughter Sophi Bruce, sister-in-law, Wendy Bruce and ex-husband, Peter Bruce. Thanks to Sonya Rankine and Nungga Wangga Radio in Adelaide for supporting me.

My greatest acknowledgement is to Murlawirrapurka, a great and wonderful Kaurna elder in the early days of Adelaide. I am trusting that this book will give credit to his magnificence.