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Hand in Hand
John Vander Wal, Stem
Publications, 1999, pb. 206p
Review by Rev. John Westendorp
How can we do anything but give a glowing review of a book that includes
a quote from Dr. Noel Weeks in Trowel and Sword? Seriously, I enjoyed
reading Hand in Hand with its anecdotal overview of five years of work
amongst Australia’s aborigines at a crucial time when momentous changes
were taking place in the whole approach to our indigenous population.
After a brief introduction, in which the author tells of his migration
from post-war Holland, his marriage to his Aussie wife and his brief
stint at business life, this book takes us on a fascinating tour of
mission work among the Aboriginals of Darwin and Arnhem Land.
John Vander Wal spent some five years working with the Methodist
Overseas Mission (MOM) in Australia’s top end. As the Mission’s chief
accountant the author had an influential position that took him far and
wide and involved him closely in day by day decision-making and policy
settings. The book is informative - as it tells of local customs and
practices, challenging – as it confronts us with the need of all people
to hear the gospel, and entertaining – as we are given interesting
glimpses of daily life at the top end in the seventies.
The title of the book reflects the original position of the mission to
work hand in hand with the indigenous people. Sadly, the book ends with
the so-called enlightened modern era that forced the top end communities
into self-determination before many of them were ready for that step.
The book is helpful for coming to an understanding of an important part
of Australia’s history – life among tribal Aborigines and the role
played by at least one mission body. (See advertisement elsewhere in
this issue).
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