Under the wintamarra tree
Doris Pilkington2002

"Doris begins with the historic migration of her Mardu ancestors from the West Australian desert to the cattle stations and settlements on its fringes." "Generations later, living in the workers' camp with her family on Balfour Downs Station, three-year-old Doris' life is forever changed when she is removed by the authorities to Moore River Native Settlement. This institution, for children judged as identifiably of mixed race, was the place Molly had so famously escaped from a decade before." The life of an institutional orphan, as seen through the eyes of a child, is movingly revealed. In contrast are lighthearted incidents when young Doris' vitality and independence test the patience of the staff. Leaving behind the regimentation of assigned routines and endless regulations, Doris goes to Perth to train as a nurse's aide but the racist culture of an institutional upbringing leaves an indelible mistrust of her own people. This is the obstacle she has to overcome when as a wife and mother she makes the courageous but difficult choice to find her mother and father, and to begin the journey to reclaim her Mardu heritage.

Titre original : Under the wintamarra tree (2002)