Ayaiga was an Alawa man whose people were being displaced by the establishment of stations in the Northern Territory. Hunting and gathering enough food were becoming more difficult so when the opportunity arose to take a bag of flour from a hut and kill a bullock, he did.

Constable William Johns was sent to investigate. After arresting Ayaiga, Johns was taking him to the police station in chains and on foot while the policeman rode. While attempting to cross a flooded river, Johns’ horse kicked him in the head, rendering him unconscious. Ayaiga ploughed into the floodwaters and rescued his captor. In turn, he was discharged and awarded the Albert Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life on Land by King George V, the only Indigenous recipient of this British award.

Thomas Higgs is a Northern Territory teacher and artist who first heard this story on the radio. Colin Hall is an Alawa man who assisted with Alawa vocabulary scattered throughout the book. Wally Wilfred is an Indigenous artist who lives in the Roper River region.

There are a couple of factual discrepancies: The text states that Ayaiga ‘became one of only eight Australian recipients … of the Albert Medal for Gallantry in Saving Life’. This is true of the Saving Life on Land Medal but not of the overall Albert Medal, of which there were 27 Australian recipients. Also, the original newspaper report of the rescue in the Northern Territory Times and Gazette on 24 February 1911 says that Johns was moving four prisoners.

Ayaiga: Neighbour and Hero is a story that deserves to be read far and wide. It tells a remarkable story of bravery and also puts it in the historical context of life for Indigenous Australians over a century ago.

Reviewed by Lynne Babbage
Age Guide 10+

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Thomas Higgs is a teacher and award-winning portrait artist living in Darwin. He enjoys painting, gardening and visiting friends in remote communities across the Northern Territory. He would like to see all Australians learning about our rich First Nations history and culture and regards collaboration like this book as an act of reconciliation.

Colin Hall is an Alawa man from the Roper River region. He works at the Ngukurr Language Centre supporting the delivery of Kriol language courses and is also working to revive the endangered Alawa language of his ancestors. He assisted Higgs in the writing of Ayaiga’s story through the inclusion of many Alawa and Kriol words.

Read more about Ayaiga: Neighbour and Hero

Visit the National Library of Australia’s website

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Wally Wilfred is a Wägilak man and artist living and working in the Roper River region, who works with the Ngukurr Art Centre. Wally brings together traditional techniques with bold and contemporary use of colour. Wally’s work explores traditional and present-day culture with history and storytelling.