I'm the One that Know this Country!

I'm the One that Know this Country! is the captivating story of Matutjara woman, Jessie Lennon, who was born on a sheep station near Kingoonya in the 1920s. At the tender age of six, she embarked on a ceremonial journey with her father and the Old People, travelling as far west as Ooldea during the time of Daisy Bates, and north to Coober Pedy, then just emerging as an opal-mining settlement.

Jessie's early life was defined by travel with her family: by foot, on camels, and occasionally by ‘jumping the train’. They later sought work in towns on sheep and cattle stations, often returning to Coober Pedy, where Jessie lived in camps, underground dugouts, and on the mine dumps.

In the 1950s, Jessie and her family were 'caught by the bomb' when fallout from the British nuclear tests at Emu, north of Maralinga, affected them. Despite being neither evacuated nor advised to take precautions, they fled eastward, yet could not avoid the long-term impacts on their health. Decades later, Jessie, along with Senior Elders in the community, fought in vain for compensation.

A natural storyteller, Jessie Lennon shares her experiences in Aboriginal English and language, allowing readers to gain an Anangu perspective on extraordinary adaptation during the first encounters with Europeans. Her narrative also presents another viewpoint: that of settler history, highlighting the growth of pastoral and mining industries, as well as the construction of railway lines and highways.

This book juxtaposes Jessie's stories with historical photographs and contextual information about the times, places, and people in her life. Through her life filled with journeys and homecomings, a vivid picture emerges of family life and the significance of 'home'.