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Donydji
Field trip Notes
July 2006
Donydji Champion
Joanne
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Lorna's notes
Camped at Mainoru for the night, then left shortly after breakfast and drove on to Donydji. The Arnhem highway although dirt was in good condition, though just before Bulmun a brand new hire car had recently flipped, after checking that there were no dazed people in the bush, we continued on our way. Arrived in Donydji at midday and went to see the elder, Tom or ‘Wäŋa Donydji’ (Country Donydji) as he is known locally. He welcomed us with a big smile and after catching up on news and discussing the project he sent us to see Joanne.
Champion: Joanne, the Donydji Champion was with her mum and other siblings at their home when we arrived. They were all smiles when she saw us, after introductions she led us the school building. Joanne told us she enjoys working as the Teacher in Charge at the school. Joanne is highly regarded for her knowledge of English and Western Maths.
Joanne set up the iBook and showed Bryce where she plugs in the laptop computer to access the internet. She does this through the school phone. She then explained that she uses the computer to check bank balances and emails. Bryce, John and Joanne spoke about other equipment including finding out if the satellite was working.
Joanne and Lorna at Doyndji
Building: The school building comprises of two small single rooms side by side and a school classroom opposite the single rooms. One of the small rooms is used as the storeroom and the shop, the other is used as an office. Joanne had recently opened a small shop that operates from the storeroom so her families and relatives can buy food locally. The school office was very dusty with filing cabinets, desk, chair and a desktop computer with keyboard. Joanne hasn’t used the desktop computer for over a year because of a software problem, so she uses an iBook g3 from Shepherdson College which she keeps in a computer bag. The Eftpos machine for the store is where Joanne’s office is set up, on Joanne’s advice John made access points in the floor to move the eftpos machine into the shop storeroom.
People
Background: Donydji is on the land of the Maḏarrpa nation. The town is located on a site of ancestral significance. The landowners were supported to stay at Donydji by the missionaries. All Donydji residents have strong ancestral connections to this site.
Though there were at about twenty five children at Donydji it was not until 2001 that an Assistant Teacher in Charge position was funded by NT DEET. At the time of our visit there were about twenty children, the others had gone to Gapuwiyak (Lake Evella) for the school holidays.
There are currently 17 CDEP participants at Donydji. Every resident receiving CDEP we spoke with was on ‘rubbish duty’, and likewise all but one volunteered that they were eager to develop new and useful skills.
 Lorna, Sandy, Rena, Helen, Linda, Joanne Ideas such as clothing business, or an art business were suggested and the topic turned to Arnhem Weavers at Mäpuru and how their business developed from making baskets and selling them, to hosting weaving workshops for non-Indigenous clients. This was a good example and they became interested in finding out how this could be done. They wanted more detail about this industry so I asked John Greatorex to come and talk to them about it.
Everyone expressed eagerness to be involved in the project. Every resident at Donydji spoke of learning to use a computer and the internet to obtain bank balances, all residents spoke of the need to control their finances without having to travel to Gapuwiyak (a two hour drive away) or pay $405 for one way charter to Elcho Island.
There was a very high degree of interest in skills development. Ronybum stated, “We (Yolngu) must not let Balanda be the only ones to continue learning, we want to learn and we must learn it here on our own land.” Ronybum continued saying that while he did not receive any income, he wanted to work as a mechanic. He was confident that being able to internet bank at Donydji would help him order parts so that he could repair cars in the Donydji workshop building.
Everyone spoken with expressed their aspirations. Some of these are noted here. Joanne wants to become a trained teacher, to use a computer for lesson programming, to develop letter writing skills, use accounting programs and to manage the store. Martin was interested to further develop his mechanical skills to repair vehicles, including part names. Mark to manage store supplies and stock. Linda to become a trained health worker or nurse, and to learn to type faster and more efficiently. Sandy to assist CDEP workers complete time sheets and use a fax machine. Mary to run weaving workshops for interested non-Indigenous people, sell baskets and bags woven with natural dyes.
Skills: Joanne explained that she is the only one of the 60 residents that is currently using a computer for internet access. This made sense to us after she told us that the school building was only built in 2003, the same year that the first computer arrived. In part this is due to there only being one functional computer at Donydji, and that this has been placed in Joanne’s care by the Shepherdson College.
While there is limited literacy amongst the adults everyone is very keen to develop functional literacy.
Business:
Craft: Tom’s sisters and nieces talked about the baskets and string bags they, and the other women (both young and old) make for sale. They sell their products to several places, including Buku-Larrnggay Art Centre at Yirrkala. They have heard about the internet as a way of selling their products and are interested to find out more about this option.
Store: Joanne showed us the store located in the schools storeroom. She said she had operated the not for profit store for the past six months. At the shop residents pay for food through an eftpos facility.
Aircraft: Dhunumbu last week returned to Mareeba in Cairns to continue work and training towards what he hopes will lead to a commercial pilots licence.
Technology:
Telephones: There are only two phones in Donydji, the public phone and the school phone. The phone only accepts phone cards. The closest place to buy phone cards is either a 2 hour drive to Gapuwiyak or a $405 one way charter flight to Galiwin’ku. The school phone offers limited outgoing call access through the use of Call Control and Abbreviated Dialling.
Business Equipment: There were no fax machines, photocopiers or other office machines at the school.
Bryce's Notes
Computers: In the Donydji school building the ACER computer with Windows XP and standard windows software that had been installed in September 2003 by Telstra as part of the HIBIS scheme had not been working since at mid 2005. The fault was due to a minor software problem. There is no functioning UPS for the school computer which is an issue of concern as power fluctuations lead to software and hardware problems.
 Donydji School and satellite dish
To keep it short, the problems with the old double Decker modems can only be overcome by getting new modems which run their own software and support routers or Ethernet. The double Decker modems are only able to be connected to a single PC running windows through a USB port. They were bought through a scheme about five years ago which included the Acer computer with very basic hardware and software. It would be possible to link through to another computer and then onto a router but it all starts being a bit cumbersome, and due to the power problems it seems to be much more logical to use laptop computers which have their own battery and can be charged when the power is on, not only for internet but to do other computer work. The older style Telstra double Decker modems (supplied by direct x in America) use software installed on the computer to run. We eventually got them going again after trying for over an hour to download the software over the phone line on our computer and then transfer it to the pc, the Telstra contractors we were meeting up with, turned up and happened to have the disk with them. So it was all working by the time we left by reinstalling the software to the modems. However, this system simply isn’t reliable enough, even though while working it should be able to access enough bandwidth to run web conferencing software I found out later that software to reinstall the software was already installed on the computer however I didn’t look in the right place, which begs the question who knows what’s going on and is able to keep things running.
Indigenous Champion current technology:
Joanne currently uses the iBook g3 with Microsoft word and mac OSX software in her care for internet banking and for checking her emails. Joanne has been accessing the internet over the phone line as the satellite system has been down for about a year due to the same reasons as in Mäpuru. This iBook can only be operated at this stage through the telephone line using Abbreviated Dialling.  Donydji School computer Suggestion to improve internet access:
Install a wireless internet connection to run 24 hours per day 365 days a year. How? Replace the current double decker sat modems (with modems with ethernet input), add on a router and wireless capability, to be isolated and placed in a secure cabinet, power supplied by a single panel with sufficient backup battery power to supply the unit for three days. New modem costs around $1,000, however with the extension of the HIBIS scheme, now called broadband connect, subsidies are available which incorporate new modems, however, even though the existing satellite receivers and sender units are exactly the same as the new ones, Telstra require and entirely new system to be put in place, including professional installation through sub contractors and a new 18 month contract. By the time the extra costs involved with remote delivery and installation, and the frustration of seeing wasted resources and duplication are taken into account, it may work out to cost about the same as just buy a new modem privately, however Telstra support may then be unavailable if this is worth anything, which it is maybe.
We need to think about, and get more advice about ways to connect to the internet, does it have to be satellite, can we use the old radio towers but have it go faster, is there anyone other than Telstra who have satellites etc.
Collaborations:
Marthakal Homeland Resource Centre (MHRC)
Late afternoon on the Thursday we arrived at Galiwin’ku. The next day after a good nights sleep drove to MHRC. Oscar, John and Graham were enthusiastic about the project. An immediate priority for MHRC was for CDEP participants to accurately complete and submit timesheets. We were able to positively contribute and expect to begin working with Joanne and Sandy at Donydji, and Graham (MHRC) on this. Bryce detailed the proposal outlined above in the technology above. Wireless output on the school roof, so residents can use computers in classrooms and homes.
Shepherdson College
Kaye Thurlow the Principal is eager for the hub school to be involved in the project. Shepherdson College currently provides the phone and internet services to the Donydji School. The school with the last lot of funding recently bought faxes and printers and metal boxes to store equipment in for Donydji and Mapuru.
Achievements:
Joanne was not able to set bookmarks for internet use. During the visit she set important banking, web browsing, and email bookmarks.
Agreement with MHRC for Merrill Dhu?umbu to remain on CDEP while receiving undertaking training to at an aviation workshop in Mareeba, Queensland. Merrill has access to his own computer.
Agreement with MHRC to financially support the installation of wireless internet hardware.
Agreement with Shepherdson College to continue supporting the enhanced internet connections to Donydji.
Actions:
1. Fax machine: organise for Marthakal Homeland Resource Centre (MHRC) to order a fax machine
2. organise with Shepherdson College for the MHRC fax number to be installed on the Abbreviated Dialing for the Donydji school phone.
3. costings for an isolated system that includes wireless internet hardware with 3 days backup power.
4. ask Graham to ensure MHRC and Shepherdson are kept informed about progress.
e-learning:
John with his decades of experience as a teacher feels that computers will assist Donydji residents develop IT and literacy skills. Internet banking will be an ideal medium through which to develop sound-symbol correspondences.
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