Bill Harrison

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Submitted with permission by: Bill Harrison and Lakes Entrance Secondary College. Interview with Bill Harrison at LESC on December 2nd 1998, conducted by Mareeka Mullett and Nina Mullett.

My name is Bill Harrison, and I was born in Orbost on 4th of May 1943. There were eight kids in our family, two sisters are deceased, so there are six surviving children. I belong to the Gunai Kurrnai tribe that is from around the Lakes Entrance area.

We grew up in the Lakes Entrance, Metung, Lake Bunga districts, and attended primary school in those areas. Dad worked picking beans and corn before he got a job with the Country Roads Board, now called Main Roads Department, as a labourer. Harrison’s Track in Lakes Entrance was named after my parents who were well respected in the district by both Koori and white people.

I was the first aboriginal child to attend Bairnsdale Technical School, a trade school, and now the TAFE College. I completed year twelve there, and enjoyed my years at school. I didn’t come across any vicious racism, any name calling was always done more as a friendly gesture, not with malice or spite.

I was an excellent runner, I reckon I was as good as Cathy Freeman, I won quite a few first ribbons in school sports over the years, and earned the name of "the fastest black tracker on the track." I had mates from both races, most of us were in the Police Boys Club together where we learnt how to box. We played basketball, went fishing, to the pictures and to local dances as a group. We had a lot of good times growing up.

Attitudes have changed over the years; the young ones today do not have the same respect for their parents and elders that we had. There was no answering back, we did as we were told straight away, and we were smacked if we spoke out of place. When we were younger we were dropped off and picked up from the pictures and Boy’s Club, we were not allowed to walk home or roam the streets. As we got older we had set times to be home, and you made sure you were home on time.

On completing year twelve I went to Melbourne and worked for the Customs Department in the city. I delivered shipping information to the various wharves regarding what ships were coming into dock. I stayed there for five years, and bought a home in Frankston. I returned to Bairnsdale where I worked for Williams the Shoeman, it was a good job and I met a lot of people. From Bairnsdale I went to Sale to work for a road construction company owned by Jack Legg. I was the surveyor's off-sider, but I worked so well that six months later I was working as a surveyor. We surveyed and built roads mainly between Korrumburra and Inverloch. I also surveyed the site and built the reservoir on Jemmy’s Point, Lakes Entrance.

After another stint as relief manager at Williams the Shoeman, I headed off to Genoa where I worked as the kitchen hand and maintenance man in the hotel there. I worked there for many years and was often the relief manager when needed. Despite having no formal training I ran hotels in and around Melbourne, I did everything from washing dishes, mopping floors, cleaning, and cooking to throwing out drunks. All this I learnt while I was at Genoa. I sold my house in Frankston and moved back to Lakes Entrance when my dad had a heart attack. I moved into the house on Harrison’s Track and have been there ever since. Both my parents are deceased and I now care for my sister who was badly hurt in an accident when she was younger. I spent two years with the Aboriginal Co-op in Bairnsdale but unfortunately funding was cut and my department was closed down.

Ten years ago I did my first painting, I was really just dabbling around, then I saw some paintings done by an aboriginal from the Northern Territory, and they were making money out it. Their paintings looked pretty easy, and as I had always liked to paint I decided to give it ago. I have been painting ever since and I’ve sold most of my paintings locally but I have sold seven overseas as well. I have just sold and sent two paintings to Canada. I teach painting to children at schools in both Lakes Entrance and Bairnsdale, as a volunteer, and I receive a lot of pleasure doing it.

I feel racism will be around for quite a while, as I can see faults and difficulties created by both the Kooris and white people. Unfortunately nothing will improve until people of both colours accept that they have to take responsibility for their own lives and actions, and reconcile with themselves, before they can work towards a better life for all people.