In short:
Birdsville's historical courthouse has officially reopened to the public as a museum after two decades of planning.
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courthouse → reopen → planning
Current and former residents gathered in town for the opening ceremony.
What's next?
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What → gather → ceremony
One local family hopes it can spark a conversation about the town's history, particularly its treatment of Indigenous Australians.
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it → hop → Australians
Built from local materials on the edge of the Munga-Thirri–Simpson Desert National Park, Birdsville's original courthouse has stood the test of time, through dust storms and droughts, across its century in operation.
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courthouse → build → operation
The complex was the home of police stationed in the remote outback until it was abandoned in 1988.
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it → station → 1988
Among those helping push for the museum to be created was Maria Sammon Wheeler, who lived in the building as a child when her father was the town officer in the 1960s.
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father → help → 1960s
"I really wanted the stories to be told of how life was in those days and to keep them true to form," she said.
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she → want → form
"I'm 77 now and [there are] fewer of us to remember accurately.
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I → be → us
"It was very harsh on families and wives to live out here under the conditions, but they were amazing conditions for children to grow up in.
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children → live → conditions
However, for other residents, the building also represented a challenging era in town when the government controlled the lives of local Indigenous people.
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government → represent → people
Sparking a conversation
Wangkangurru man and retiring park ranger Don Rowlands, who has lived in Birdsville all his life, said the building brought up difficult memories for him.
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building → spark → him
"Growing up … our job was to yard the goats for the police at night and milk them … and deliver the milk to his back door, and more than one time he'd come running out and beat the crap out of us," Mr Rowlands said.
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Rowlands → grow → us
As a child, Mr Rowlands was a ward of the state, which meant local authorities had a significant hand in directing his early years.
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authorities → mean → years
"If you wanted your endowment, you had to go to the copper; he was the protector of Aborigines, and he ran all those programs," Mr Rowlands said.
"Sometimes, he'd say yes and sometimes he wouldn't … we just had no control."
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we → want → control
Mr Rowlands said he hoped the museum would provide a broader understanding of Birdsville's past.
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museum → say → past
"It opens a conversation, I guess, for tourists who go through it and come out the other end and then maybe talk to people like myself about the other side of the story," he said.
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he → open → story
"It might give it another perspective like we've always been under the thumb."
Elders return to town
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Elders → give → town
Several Indigenous elders also returned for the opening ceremony, some of whom had not been back in almost 30 years.
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some → return → years
Mr Rowland's daughter, Peta Rowlands, organised for the elders to come together to celebrate Indigenous history while in town.
"
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elders → organise → town
They're all really interested in seeing the school because they've all gone through the state school there," Ms Rowlands said.
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Rowlands → see → school
"I think there are six kids at the school at the moment and there's only one that's non-Indigenous … it's just another way that we can get the kids to connect with culture and with each other and learn about where they come from.
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they → think → where
I feel like it's a celebration of family coming home; there's always been a want or a desire to come home."
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family → feel → ?
Ms Rowland also believed the museum would allow for further storytelling and reflection.
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museum → believe → storytelling
"Birdsville has changed even in my lifetime; it's changed a lot," she said.
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she → change → lifetime
"[Dad] always said to me, 'You've got to make people comfortable to ask the uncomfortable questions.'
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people → say → questions
"I honestly believe that the more that we talk about it, the more that we acknowledge what happened, whether it was good or bad …
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it → believe → it
I guess that's healing for us as a community to move forward."
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us → guess → community
Diamantina Shire Mayor Francis Murray said the opening celebrations allowed for everyone to share their views on Birdsville's history.
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everyone → say → history
"I think we've got different versions [of the past], but today, we walked through that door together," Cr Murray said.
"
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Murray → think → door
It's an opportunity for everyone to tell their stories."
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everyone → tell → stories
The Aporia