Dear Friends from There (and Back Again),

When Slim and I bought back his old Nulla Nulla Creek farm, one of the things that touched me deeply was to find a little cement block with a small brass plaque marking a baby’s grave.  It lay on a ridge looking out to the mountainside of the steep valley, and was easily hidden in the long grass.  It upset me to think of baby Florence Rebecca there for over a hundred years, her grave so unremarked just as so many other little graves must be.

With the help and research of Slim’s niece Noeline Kyle, (Professor Noeline Kyle AM) I was able to have the grave protected by a fence, and the grave itself marked by a little tombstone, plus a plaque telling the baby’s history and the story of her burial there. Slim’s father Dave Kirkpatrick, was one who helped make the little coffin.

A couple of years ago, Anne and I were at the farm with my niece Dianne Lindsay and her husband Peter Simpson visiting us. Dianne, too, was deeply touched by Florence Rebecca’s story and  somehow, I found myself promising to write it into a song one day.

It took me two years to get it done, there has been so much happening.  Di has recorded “Graveyard Hill” and below is a link to Dianne’s video of the song, which includes a photo of the actual grave (taken by Noeline).

Graveyard Hill:

Thanks everyone, for the letters and cards and stories about seeing the film.  It is going out all over the regional and outback areas now, and has had a special screening at Peppimenarti too. 

Till we meet again,

Joy.