'The legendary Indigenous activist ‘Tracker’ Tilmouth died in Darwin in 2015. Taken from his family as a child and brought up on a mission on Croker Island, he returned home to transform the world of Aboriginal politics. He worked tirelessly for Aboriginal self-determination, creating opportunities for land use and economic development in his many roles, including Director of the Central Land Council. He was a visionary and a projector of ideas, renowned for his irreverent humour and his colourful anecdotes. The memoir was composed by Wright from interviews with Tracker before he died, as well as with his family, friends and colleagues, weaving his and their stories together into a book that is as much a tribute to the role played by storytelling in contemporary Aboriginal life as it is to the legacy of a remarkable man.' (Publication summary)
'In one of his first works as Artistic Director of Australian Dance Theatre, Wiradjuri director-choreographer Daniel Riley evokes an immensely powerful and personal story of his Great-Great Uncle, Alec “Tracker” Riley.
'Alec, a Wiradjuri Elder and tracker, served the New South Wales Police Force for forty years, leading numerous high-profile cases. As an Elder of his community he forged a path between the enforced colonial system in which he worked and his Wiradjuri lore. Tracker takes inspiration from his legacy and examines the battles First Nations people have shared for generations.
'Weaving together dance, music and text, Tracker is brought to life in association with ILBIJERRI Theatre Company and by a team of celebrated First Nations creatives, including award-winning playwright Ursula Yovich (Man With the Iron Neck, SF2019), co-director Rachael Maza AM (Black Ties, SF2020), composers James Henry and Gary Watling, visual artist Jonathan Jones, lighting designer Chloe Ogilvie and an all-First Nations cast.
'Culturally rich and ambitiously original, this multidisciplinary work rethinks how we engage with and experience First Nations storytelling.' (Production summary)
A memoir in story form.
Dedication: For the Tilmouth family.
'Biography is one of the most potent arts of democracy because it links the individual to the body politic and to history. It stands in parallel with independent long-form journalism. Whereas independent journalism is under threat, biography is currently one of the most popular and productive genres of publishing, breaking down the stratification of readership associated with almost every other category of writing. In the academy, the status of biography has transformed over the last few decades, with historians embracing the genre, literary studies scholars experimenting with form, and a wealth of new infrastructure embedding biographical inquiry in Australia. The biographical turn in Australia has brought the two disciplines of history and literary studies closer together and enriched their scholarship. David Marr’s Patrick White, Fiona Capp’s My Blood’s Country, Mark McKenna’s Return to Uluru and Alexis Wright’s Tracker are just some examples of the field over the last 30 years. This article considers the principles underpinning contemporary biography and its practice. It reflects on the particular challenges of writing about living subjects, negotiating intimacy and privacy, and the uses of empathic listening in biographical interviews. It also explores the value of collective biography as a genre of current significance.' (Publication abstract)
'A chorus of voices about one of the country’s most prominent Indigenous activists is a glorious kaleidoscope of testimony.'
'Leigh Bruce “Tracker” Tilmouth was one of those figures so larger-than-life that only the vast spaces of the Top End could contain him. His early story was drearily, tragically, common for its era. It should have done him in — left him broken in spirit or else killed him, just as it killed many of his generation — but he exceeded his circumstances and used them as rocket fuel, powering a can-do activism that was equal parts bush politics and serial entrepreneurship.' (Introduction)
'A chorus of voices about one of the country’s most prominent Indigenous activists is a glorious kaleidoscope of testimony.'
'Award-winning writer Alexis Wright launched her latest book in Melbourne recently at an event where it was also announced that she would be the new Boisbouvier Chair in Australian Literature.'
'Biography of Indigenous activist Tracker Tilmouth from the Miles Franklin award-winning novelist is a testament to the power of collective storytelling.'
'In Alexis Wright’s novel Carpentaria (2006), Girlie claims, ‘If you ever want to find out about anything in your vicinity, you have to talk to the mad people.’ There are a lot of mad people in Wright’s biography of Aboriginal activist, thinker, and provocateur ‘Tracker’ Tilmouth. He is probably the maddest of all, in the Kerouacian sense of ‘mad to live, mad to talk’, but, according to his mate Doug Turner, his ‘madness gave him sanity’'. (Introduction)
'A literary criticism of the book "Tracker Tilmouth: The Vision Splendid" by Alexis Wright is presented. It explores Tilmouth's political view on Australian Prime Minister John Howard's government as well as concerns and issues linking the Labor Party. It also provides an overview of Tilmouth, who belonged to the generation of Aboriginal leaders in the country.' (Publication abstract)
'Alexis Wright is shortlisted for the 2018 Stella Prize for Tracker, the collective memoir of Aboriginal leader and visionary Tracker Tilmouth. In this special Stella interview, Alexis shares insights into how the book came about, the importance of Tracker Tilmouth’s legacy and what she’s working on next.' (Introduction)
