Debra Haseldine - NAIDOC 2018

Article | Updated 6 years ago

Debra Haseldine Assistant Curator Anthropology and Archaeology

I acknowledge the traditional owners of this land, the Whadjuk people. I pay my respects to the Elders of this land. I pay my respects to the past, present and future generations of the Whadjuk people.

My name is Debra Haseldine, I was raised in South Australia on a farm near Penong, which is situated just off the Nullarbor. I belong to the Mirning group through my mother. The Mirning land is situated along the coast of the Nullarbor and covers areas across South Australia and Western Australia.

As a child I grew up on a farm near Penong. I would collect small rocks, pennies and old bottles and questioned where they may have come from. Naturally, my rock collection increased in size as I grew into my teenage years. I remember being introduced to a geologist and his wife by my mother, who were staying briefly in Ceduna during their travels. I showed them my rock collection, as I was extremely proud it and much to my surprise they handed me large and colourful rocks in return to keep. I can still remember to this day how I felt!

My mother knew that I had an immense interest in rocks all my life. Mum is small in stature but strong in what she believes. One day, mum said, “you need to leave Ceduna and go and do something with your mind”. I understood this as undertaking study. Naturally I listened and made my way to Western Australia. Coming to live in Perth, I attended Curtin University for four years, I now work at the Western Australian Museum as an Assistant Curator and get to look after some of the oldest rocks in the world. All of what I was passionate about in the first place.

In reflection, my mum was an inspiration to me. As a project, we decided to capture her stories. By completing my thesis on mum it was only then that I realised that she refused to allow barriers to stop or limit her in achieving whatever she set her mind to. Mum was the first Aboriginal person to become an Ambulance Officer and Justice of the Peace in the District. She became an Aboriginal Health Worker to help her people, and bought her own home, which overlooks the areas where she spent her childhood days. Additionally, mum was also an artist and a keen sports person, in particular, tennis.

I have chosen stones to be photographed with; the first are dimpled grindstones from Australia and secondly, a stone axe from the United Kingdom, which is dated at approximately 300,000 years old.

My message to the younger generation is, pursue any question they have through education and they will reach their destinations and goals.

Thanks Mum for all your encouragement.

For me, it’s a dream come true.

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