Wiradyuri author Anita Heiss’s new book, Dirrayawadha (Rise Up), tells the truth in the form of fiction – a story of love and resilience in times of war.
She wanted to write a historical novel covering events in Bathurst and the surrounding area 200 years ago to show readers the extent of the violence on the frontier.
“It would help them to understand that they can no longer or no longer want to forget the bloodshed and the war here, because we commemorate the Anzacs every year, but not the border wars,” Dr Heiss told NITV.
On 14 August 1842, the Governor of New South Wales, Thomas Brisbane, declared martial law after two years of conflict or “Gudyarra” (war) between Wiradyuri and colonists and their convict slaves in the Bathurst region.
This year, Bathurst’s local Wiradyuri community has welcomed people from across the country to celebrate the 200th anniversary, and Charles Sturt University is hosting a two-day conference entitled Dhuluny (truth, righteousness, that which is direct, sincere, living or gospel) on 15 and 16 August.
On Tuesday, Dr. Heiss was accompanied by Dinawan Dyirribang Uncle Bill Allen Jr. to officially open Dirrayawadha at the Bathurst Library.
Dirrayawadha is a historical novel about resistance, resilience and love during the Frontier Wars and tells the story of the famous Wiradyuri warrior Windradyne.
The book is told from four perspectives: Ngurambang (the land), Windradyne and two fictional characters, Miinaa (Windradyne’s sister) and the Irish convict Daniel O’Dwyer.
“The story is essentially told through a love story between the Irish convict and Miinaa because I wanted to show that living together is possible if you respect another person’s culture and try to get to know and understand it,” said Dr. Heiss.
“But I also wanted to show that we have an incredible connection with the Irish people…
“The term ‘deadly’ – we got that from the Irish… there were hundreds of political prisoners who were sent here because they had taken part in uprisings back home against British rule, against the fact that the Irish had become part of the British Parliament.”
“And their story of rebellion and resistance and their desire to resist British rule is our story. So I really wanted to include the Irish in our story as well and hope that Irish readers will get a better understanding of what our connections are.”
Dr Heiss recalls reading the book Windradyne, a Wiradjuri Koori by the late Mary Coe during her studies.
“I read for the first time about this incredible legend, this leader, this resistance fighter, this warrior with a strong spirit and a strong mindset who led his people in resistance and fought against the death of our sovereignty,” she said.
“And then he led our people over the mountain ranges to Parramatta to try to find peace after years of bloodshed, unspeakable violence against our women and the ongoing displacement of our people…
I wrote this book because I want Australians to know their history.
Dr. Heiss believes that in order to move forward as a nation, we must understand what happened in the past.
“We cannot live together peacefully without respecting, confronting and understanding what happened in the past, particularly here in Bathurst. Because the declaration of martial law here led to what then happened across the country,” she said.
She also wants to make it clear to Australians that Aboriginal people have been either misrepresented or not represented at all throughout history.
“I can’t remember us ever being portrayed as loving people by non-Indigenous writers,” she said.
“And we have loved this country for thousands of years.
“We loved as parents, we loved as children.
“We have loved as siblings, as extended family. We have loved as companions, made love, experienced passion, but we never see that in the way we are portrayed.”
Dr. Anita Heiss is an internationally published, award-winning author and editor of 23 books: nonfiction, historical novels, commercial women’s fiction, children’s novels and anthologies.
Her novel, Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray, about the Great Gundagai Flood, won the 2022 NSW Premier’s Indigenous Writers’ Prize.
Anita’s first children’s picture book is Bidhi Galing (Big Rain), also about the great flood of Gundagai.
