Exile 2

After a brief return to what was left of her community on Flinders Island, Mathinna spent several more years at the orphanage before being relocated to the group of Aboriginal people who were living at Oyster Cove. Mathinna was confronted by the truth of her cultural identity but at the same time she was estranged and emotionally isolated from her community after having spent time with the Franklins and in the orphanage, engaging in ‘white ways’. Mathinna’s life was that of two worlds and she was faced with negotiating this difference and surviving the personal impact of the clash of cultures, which also involved the death of family and community members.

The images within this gallery were captured by photographers Jeff Busby (Main Stage Season, 2008) and Greg Barrett (Regional Tour, Cairns, 2010).