Nganang Badimaya Wangga: Yarns with Gami Ollie George

Ollie George is one of the last speakers of the Badimaya language. He’s a natural storyteller, a passionate language advocate, and has led a fascinating and varied life. A book collating his stories and memories is long-overdue.

These stories recount moments of Ollie’s life, spanning from when he was a baby of less than one year old (1935), up until the 1980s, when he was in his 50s. Ollie wanted to focus his book on this first section of his life, as this was the time when he was surrounded by the inspirational old people he learnt so much from, and it was during this period that he was so immersed in his Badimaya culture. It was during these years that he grew up speaking Badimaya as his first language with his family; that he partook in traditional cultural activities such as hunting, collecting bush tucker, and corroborees; that he
listened to songs and stories, and learnt Badimaya cultural knowledge from the old people. Ollie felt it important that these memories were documented and recorded, since there are very few other people who can still remember the old customs and traditions.

These yarns provide the reader with a unique glimpse into Ollie’s life experiences, as well as the drastic and rapid change of lifestyle that all Badimaya people have had to undergo over the last century. Ollie reflects on his and his family’s life on regional out-stations, on particular events and anecdotes that stand out in his memory, and on Badimaya cultural traditions and activities that took place over this time.