Mary Pappin [interview, part 1]

Mary Pappin - recorded on 17 April 2018 in Mildura, VIC.

In this interview, Mary Pappin talks about being a Muthi Muthi woman from the Willandra Lakes Region. She talks about growing up at Balranald NSW, and her mother Alice, a passionate and outspoken community leader who put pressure on the government to return the remains of Mungo Lady and Mungo Man back to Mungo National Park. Mary talks about her meaningful work on the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage Area Aboriginal Advisory Committee to protect the land for future generations, and along with her siblings, husband Joe Pappin and their children, campaigning for many years to bring Mungo Man home. Mary also speaks about her extended family, and recounts a story of her Grandfather Pearce who travelling across the country with three message sticks, showing them to other Aboriginal tribes giving him right of way across their country.

This interview was part of a collaboration between Louise Darmody and the State Library of New South Wales. The interviews were conducted by Louise Darmody, journalist, oral historian, producer, and founder of Sound Memories an oral history and documentary-making firm established in 2003.

These oral history recordings document the personal stories behind the Mungo Man historic repatriation process which took place on the 16-19th November 2017. After 43 years the Traditional Custodians brought Mungo Man and other internationally significant ancestral remains home to Mungo National Park within the Willandra Lakes Region World Heritage area in New South Wales.

The full catalogue record is online at http://archival.sl.nsw.gov.au/Details/archive/110616129 

Part of this interview has been transcribed and is available on Amplify at:
https://amplify.gov.au/transcripts/Mary_Pappin_1_interview_20180417

https://amplify.gov.au/transcripts/Mary_Pappin_2_interview_20180417

https://amplify.gov.au/transcripts/Mary_Pappin_3_interview_180417-mo