Mt. Isa

After 10 years of researching Mt. Isa and the Kalkadoon people, I felt a need to see it with my own eyes. I didn't think I could feel Kalkadoon until I actually walked the land and visited some sacred areas. I needed to speak with the Elders and most importantly I importantly I wanted to stand at Battle Mountain.

MY JOURNAL

Day 1 - 11/12/2006

I had read many books on Mt. Isa and the Kalkdoons and painted scenes and landscapes of the area and people, but was about to make my first trip to the Isa.

The flight from Brisbane was a real eye opener, The closer we got to the Isa, the lush greens of the east coast turned to reds and browns. A real indicator of the heat and humidity of the area. Another thing that stood out from my plane window was the hilly terrain.

I'd read many books about the Kalkadoon mountain warriors and how they used their environment to assist them during battles. The Kalkadoons were described to have a physical dominance over their enemies, after witnessing the environment they lived in, it's no wonder they had great physiques.

I arrived in Mt. Isa on the 11/12/2006 and the following are pictures and descriptions of my journey.

Day 2 - 12/12/2006

It was a great day with a full activity sheet. We drove towards Cloncurry for about 70 kms where we visited the Kalkadoon monument. This is a remembrance monument and also the border marker between Kalkadoon and Mitakoodi territories.

We then travelled to Sunrock where we looked at some cave paintings. It is a beautiful area, dry at this time but I can imagine how beautiful it would be after the wet season.

Later in my trip I would find out from one of the elders that Sunrock is a mens sacred initiation place.

Leaving Sunrock, we travelled to the Worrigal water-hole which again was such a beautiful area. The water-hole is also know as Painted Rock. Like an oasis in a dry rugged terrain, there are deep dried water-holes and a huge rock wall which would become a ten metre high waterfall during the wet season.

There are some great paintings on the rock walls and I believe this site would have been the most relaxing place to work at. A perfect camp site.

Also, got some good photos, one of a kangaroo hiding in a cave and another of a snake resting in the shade.

Day 3 - 13/12/2006

Sonny Condren arrived early to take me for my first trip to Battlemountain. I had waited for this experience since the very first moment I had read about Battlemountain and the conflict that took place there. Sonny Condren is a well respected person around the Mt Isa area and a Kalkadoon elder.

It was to be a long trip from Mt Isa to our destination but the conversation with Sonny totally blew me away. As we travelled, he pointed out different landmarks which he had stories for; on one occasion Sonny pointed to a dry creek bad and told me how his father was born on the bankside. Later in the trip he showed me where his aunty was born under a tree. We drove past a rocky hill where he explained an old Kalkadoon man who had passed away was wrapped in kangaroo hides and place in a cave with his weapons. When Sonny was a young boy his father had taken him to where the old man was left to lay.

Our first stop was at a place called White Gorge. This was a dried creek bed surrounded on both sides by walls of rock. It looked to be a great campsite and there was evidence of this with rock paintings spread all over the rocks. I can only imagine how beautiful this area would be when the creek was full of running water.

Sid Domic Art
103 Walker Street
Bundaberg West, QLD. 4670
......AUSTRALIA......
Phone: 07 4154 3359
Email: siddomic@siddomicart.com

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