Free Follow the Rabbit-Proof Fence - Doris Pilkington Page A

climbed in the back and sat on the stretcher beds and waited.
    The drive from Fremantle to Perth was comfortable andinteresting. The moment they left the wharf they changed from shy, confused girls to curious, young tourists, interested and amazed at everything they saw, which was all new and different to them.
    From their seat in the back of the ambulance, they had a view of the choppy, murky, brown Swan River. Then, as they cruised down Mounts Bay Road, along Riverside Drive, and turned into the bright, lively city, the girls saw hundreds of men wearing suits of brown, grey and navy blue, and each of them wearing hats or caps. There weren’t too many women strolling or shopping around town. The few they saw were escorted by men.
    It was over a century since the foundation of Western Australia and Perth was now a bustling, thriving capital. There were industrial and commercial buildings everywhere and two and even three-storey department stores and offices. While the girls were staring up at the buildings, a tram trundled noisily past them. It caught them unawares and they jumped back with fright.
    “That’s a tram. People pay to ride on them,” the Matron explained, bemused at the startled looks on her charges’ faces.
    There were so many cars and trucks coming and going in this big place. It was too mad for the girls. They knew that they could easily get lost in this man-made environment with so few trees and only small patches of bush. To them the city was a noisy and unfriendly place, they didn’t like it one bit so they were glad to arrive at the East Perth Girls Home. The Matron led them through the gate and knocked on the front door. It was opened immediately by the cook.
    “Eh, come in,” she beamed cheerfully. “You are just in time for morning tea,” she added as she ushered them into the dining room.
    “I am Mrs McKay,” said a tall, neat, slim lady. “Come and sit down and tell me your names.” Her friendly mannerhelped the girls to relax while they waited for the tea. The delicious smell of baked fruit scones filled the air.
    “You’ll join us, won’t you Miss Campbell?” Mrs McKay asked the officer.
    “Yes, thank you. I have time for a quick cuppa,” she replied, sitting down at the large dining table. She couldn’t resist the tempting aroma of the scones.
    The girls from the remote outback of Western Australia sat nervously as the tea and scones were served. They had never shared a meal with a white woman before so they waited until Mrs McKay coaxed them to join in.
    “Come on, don’t be shy, eat up, then you can freshen up and have a rest,” she said warmly.
    Miss Campbell stood and thanked Mrs McKay for the morning tea. Before she left she turned to the girls, there were four of them now, a girl from Moora named Rosie had joined them.
    “I’ll be picking you up in the morning to take you all to Moore River, so be ready,” she said.
    The girls began to clear the table when two very attractive sixteen or seventeen-year-old girls came giggling into the room and dumped large paper bags of groceries on the table.
    “I am Nora Graham from Sandstone, a mining town in the Murchinson, up near Mt Magnet way,” said a short, plump girl with short dark brown curly hair. “I am waiting for a job on a station anywhere around there.”
    “And I’m Eva Jones from Halls Creek. My father is a prospector there. He was the one who sent me down here to go to school,” she said proudly. “He’s coming to pick me up soon to take me home,” she added. Her eyes sparkled as she thought of him and all the other members of her family in the Kimberley waiting for her return. The four youngsters introduced themselves.
    “We only come down to go to school at the settlementtoo, then they will send us back to Jigalong,” said Molly convincingly.
    But what none of these girls realised was that their fate had already been decided by their new guardians, the Commissioners of the Native Affairs Department.