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 Jack Harrigan Jack Harrigan was a legend in the
Cape. Throughout his life he was respected for his work as a tribal
doctor, stockman, and pioneer of Aboriginal knowledge and
wellbeing. His reputation as a traditional healer was recognised
throughout the country. Indeed doctors around the area used to
refer patients who had incurable or mystifying ailments to his
doorstep. Some Western doctors would even seek his services for
their own health concerns.Jack was born in 1901 in Guugu Yimithirr country at the Normanby escarpment famously known as Battle Camp. Here was the site of one of Australia's most infamous pioneer conflicts with the country's indigenous people. Fearless and unaccustomed to firearms, many of the tribe's people perished from the clash with the white settlers. Jack's mother was one of the very few survivors of her tribe to come out of Battle Camp. When he was a young boy, Jack was separated from his mother and siblings like so many other children under the Queensland government's policy at the time. He was sent to Palm Island. Later on he started working in a cattle station at Old Laura Homestead. He became a skilful and talented horseman and later on led many other men to drive cattle on the long stretch down the Cape to Mareeba. He was widely respected by many station owners who entrusted Jack to take their livestock to the market.  His son Ronnie, who
also worked in cattle stations says, "When my father was young, he
grew up in a cattle station. Those days it was hard yakka. They
used to work from the early hours to ten at night. They went
through a hard life. They'd just run cattle, muster them, they
would take them to Mareeba by road with pack horses. He was a
drover and leader."Married twice, Jack outlived both wives. He had four children with his first wife, Dora. She died on Palm Island after being "evacuated" from Cape York in World War II. Cape York became entrenched in the Pacific Campaign and the Battle of the Coral Seas. During this time, Jack worked as a volunteer aircraft reloader. He then assisted an American airborne team based in Lockhart River. After the war, Jack went back to work with cattle in the Kalpowar Lakefield area. He then moved his family to Daintree and worked in cattle stations there. He also worked seasonal jobs such as cutting cane and butchering around Mossman. He then moved the family to Bloomfield where he worked at the local sawmill. Here he met his second wife, Queenie, a Kuku Yalangi woman. Jack and Queenie had four children together. Queenie later died in the 50's of heart disease. A remnant of those days is a place along the Bloomfield track near between Wujal Wujal and Ayton called Harrigan's Landing where Jack cleared the area and kept a couple of boats. Others have kept boats there to this day. Jack then also moved and worked in Cooktown for the Endeavour Butchering Company working in the slaughter yards and as a butcher. He worked there for many years and retired in the 70's. Retiring was not for Jack, however, he then focused his attention on the wellbeing of his people especially for the families living on the old Cooktown Aboriginal Reserve. After the missionary was abandoned in the Bloomfield area, many people were scattered around the Cooktown area and there was ongoing concern for their welfare.  Jack then founded the
Gungarde Aboriginal Corporation along with Don Davidson. In his
vision to help the indigenous people around Cooktown, he pushed for
this organisation to be established to represent indigenous issues
and interests for the area. Jack served as chairman of Gungarde for
a number of years. With his determination and diligence, Aboriginal
people in the district were allowed to project a more unified voice
through a representative body. The Gungarde office is situated in
the main street of Cooktown.Jack was also involved in initiating and teaching at the Cairns College of TAFE's Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander ranger training program. Jack's main aspiration for the preservation and passing on of Aboriginal culture and knowledge and his commitment to reconciliation were vital forces in the formation of Aboriginal studies in schools. Jack was also able to see one of his dreams come true on the occasion of Normanby cattle station being purchased on the behalf of the Harrigan family. He was able to return to his land and birthplace and have the chance to bestow this legacy to his family. He also imparted to his family, his vast skills and knowledge. He was a man of many talents such as bush skills and loved to do leatherwork, gardening and go fishing. He passed on many of his interests and knowledge to his children and grandchildren. These days, his medicine has been taken up by his son, Ronnie, who himself has developed a reputation true to his father's.  His grandchildren tell of
memories of going bush with Jack, being taught bush survival by him
and learning stories from him relating to the spirit of the land
and their ancestors. They always mention happy days camping with
their grandfather, going fishing and just "following him
around".Friends and those who have met him recall a man of small proportion but of powerful spirit. Many recall a most extraordinary individual of great kindness, compassion and life experience. It seems at times words cannot be enough to describe the impact he has had on some people. |
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