Seven Little Australians - 1894 Edition: Tettawonga's Lost Story

1894 Edition: Tettawonga's Lost Story

There is an aboriginal narrative of significant interest in the original edition that was omitted in all editions from it's first republication in 1897 until its centenary edition in 1994.

The Woolcot children, while holidaying at the cattle station, listen to Mr Gillet telling an Aboriginal story he "got at second-hand" from Tettawonga, the stations Aboriginal stockman.

"'Once upon a time' (Judy sniffed at the old-fashioned beginning), 'once upon a time,' said Mr. Gillet, 'when this young land was still younger, and incomparably more beatiful, when Tettawonga's ancestors were brave and strong and happy as careless children, when their worst nightmare had never shown them so evil a time as the white man would bring their race, when--' 'Oh, get on! muttered Pip impatiently. 'Well,' said Mr Gillet, 'when, in short, an early Golden Age wrapped the land in its sunshine, a young kukuburra and its mate spread their wings and set off towards the purple mountains beyond the gum trees..."

Clare Bradford suggested in her book Reading Race "The main effect of the omission of Tettawonga's story is... to achieve a less problematic version of the Australian past than the one which prevails in the book's first edition."