Reunion Story: Juanita Johnson
It has been a 115 year long wait for three generations of our family to reconnect with our maternal great grandfather Thomas McGrath’s country of Normanton in the Gulf Country.
With the support of Link-Up (Qld), in September 2021 my older brother Hedley Johnson, daughter Jade Johnson and I returned and connected with Country and family.
Our Great Granddad Thomas McGrath was born in Normanton c1870 to parents Tom McGrath and Rosie, he partnered with a lady named Venus with the surnames of Alford, Croydon and Gulf who was from the neighbouring town of Croydon.
Due to the discovery of gold in the Normanton/Croydon area, our Great Grandparents were sent to Coen where their eldest son Jack McGrath known as Pop Johnno in Cherbourg was born in 1905.
Granddad Tommy was a boundary rider and stockman taking his family with him on long rides, ending up in the Inglewood region where our Grandmother Eva McGrath, Ida McGrath and a brother were born near Inglewood, Queensland.
With the death of my Great Grandmother Venus during childbirth, my Great Granddad Thomas and his young children Sarah, Jack, Ida and Eva were removed to Deebing Creek and Purga Mission then onto Cherbourg.
Sarah McGrath married Dick Cobbo, Jack McGrath married Effie Barber nee Smith and our Grandmother Eva McGrath married Alf Long from Beaudesert. Granny Eva had 3 children – our mother Edith McGrath-Long who married our father Bowman Johnson, Thomas Long and Juanita Long before passing from childbirth complications at the age of 34 years in 1948.
It is sad to think that our Grandmother Eva and Mother Edith never had the opportunity to return to Country. This made both Hedley and I determined to make the most of the journey back to our Great Granddad Thomas and Great Grandmother’s Country.
We left Brisbane on a 6am flight to Cairns on a Monday morning for a four-day visit with Yvette Salam from Link-Up (Qld). After another flight we arrived in Normanton where we met Link- Up (Qld) staff Josh Thompson and Josh Williams from the Cairns office.
Above: Juanita, Hedley and Jade received a very warm welcome by two Elders, Francine and Hilda, at the old mission site.
It was dry season, and the temperature was hot, in the high 30’s. The streets were wide, lined with trees and mango trees loaded with fruit in the yards of very old and notable dwellings. It was exciting and overwhelming to be here and share this experience with Hedley and Jade as we connect the missing pieces of our family.
“It is spiritually and mentally healing. And while being on Country I personally noticed my pain and stresses seemed to disappear.” – Juanita Johnson, Link-Up (Qld) client
On the first afternoon we had our first meeting at the old mission site with Francine (our host and guide) and Hilda, where we sat in the remains of an open structure as they told us about the old days, the community and its peoples.
Upon hearing our story of Thomas McGrath being from Normanton and Venus from Croydon, it was identified we had extended family members from the Douglas mob of the Croydon area.
During our time in the area we learnt about the importance of Delta Downs Station, the three Traditional Owner groups, we visited wetlands, Normanton and Old Aboriginal cemetery, Aboriginal Corporations, Carpentaria Land Council, Karumba and a Douglas family gathering by the Norman River where we connected with each other and told stories with many a good belly laugh.
Above: Juanita and Hedley pose with an iconic Normanton local
On the Thursday afternoon we flew out by plane seeing the vast beautiful channel country of the gulf below seemed like we were looking at Gods country.
Hedley, Jade and I are extremely humbled, honoured and blessed to Link-Up (Qld) and their staff Josh, Josh and Yvette for their exceptional support and look forward to continuing the connection with family, returning to Normanton and sharing our journey with our family.
Wadda mulli, Yowai, Thank you
Juanita Johnson
Published December 2021.