HEROIC WOMAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 11, 14 January 1929, Page 9

HEROIC WOMAN.

IN CENTRAL AUSTRALIA. LIFE IN LONELY OUTPOST. DANGER FROM ABORIGINALS. (From Our Own Correspondent.)' SYDNEY, January 10. Members of the Commonwealth Board of Inquiry, which is investigating the murders of aborigines in Central Australia, are receiving some "eye openers" as they travel through the dry heart of the Commonwealth.

One of their most interesting experiences occurred this week, when, in a dry and most arid spot, about 120 miles from Alice Springs, they came upon a brave woman settler fighting continuously against the most adverse circumstances and terrific odds.

.She is Mrs. Isabel Price, and she is her own musterer, overseer, goat milker, and killer, her only companion being a child of 14 years; her only protection, a gun and a revolver. And her only reason for remaining in possibly the worst spot in Australia for a woman is the dving wish of her husband. He had always made the claim that a good living could be made in Central Australia, and his dying wish was that she should carry on and show the world that even a woman could survive the rigours of such a life. Nearly Murdered By Black. At first, Mrs. Price told the Commission, it was a terrifying experience. But nowadays, the hands of Time having mellowed the recollections of earlier disasters, she would not ask to live anywhere else in the world.

She told them one hair-raising story of how, eighteen months ago, her daughter saved her from an attack by a half savage station black. He had been getting "above himself" for some weeks, and when she asked him where her goats were he pretended not to understand. She brushed past him as he sulked, and would have been knocked down and killed for certain only that her young daughter rode upon the scene in time to fire low, and caused him to-hesitate. He ran away then.

That night she saw him sharpening an implement in the yard, and her daughter, creeping to his "mia mia," found a knife pointed and sharpened to razoredge, under his blanket. Next day her daughter rode out to eee if the- black was doing his work. After a brief talk to him ehe wheeled her horse to leave, but looked back suddenly to see him raising his spear to throw at her. The girl drew her revolver again and he cried for mercy. They were forced to drive him away from the property.

Reason for Arrogance. The general arrogance of the blacks wae due, Mre. Price claimed, to the lenient treatment they received, when they were supposed to be punishd. That was why they had attacked so many whites in the past few years. On one occasion when she threatened a black that she would tell a police officer of his behaviour, he eaid, "I don't care. He give me plenty tucker—fill my belly—and I have big feller spell." j The Commisioner wae much im-' pressed. Some idea of the difficulties of the area has been gleaned by the Commission by two recent incidents. Mounted Constable Johnson, who is seeking Willaberta Jack, the murderer of Harry Henty, a returned eoldier settler of Hatche'e Creek, has not been heard of for weeks. It may be many more weeks before he can get into touch with headquarters again. Tracker's Head Split.

The second incident illustrative of the care necessary in handling the blacks occurred on Christmas Eve, when, in the district of Arltunga, 65 miles from Alice Springs, an aboriginal and hie lubra attacked a black tracker, split open hies skull with a tomahawk, and left him for dead.

Constable Walsh, of Arltunga, had arrested the aboriginal, and left him in

the hands of two trackers. One of them left his companion momentarily, and the other took the prisoner, accompanied by the lubra, to the police camp with the object of chaining him to a tree. The tracker was carrying a tomahawk, which he put down in order to fasten the chain and handcuffs. While his back was turned the lubra grabbed the tomahawk and cut open his head with one blow. Then her companion took the weapon and completed the job. the tracker being so terribly injured that he is not expected to recover.

Both aboriginal and lubra escaped into the bn&h with the tracket'e firearm* and Handcuffs, ' ■>