Digby Moran – “ I was born in Ballina Hospital and lived on Cabbage Tree Island for most of my life. They were the best years of my life. Back then everyone looked after one another, helped one another. Everyone had vegetable gardens and we fished. It was a community. The community now is affected with drugs and alcohol and people don’t look after each other like they did back then. I went to school on the island then Ballina High by boat. I loved woodwork in High School. I didn’t start painting till I was in my 40’s. It was always there. When I was growing up I would sit with my grandfather when he made his walking sticks and boomerangs and he would burn his designs into the wood.
When I was about 5 my 2 older brothers put me in the backseat of the boat attached to a long rope. They’d push me out and pull me back in. This went on for a while, I was out the back and they must have pulled it a bit hard. I fell out the back and I was bobbing up like a cork. I couldn’t swim so they had to drag me in, pat me on the back a few times, dry me off and then drummed it into me..Don’t tell Dad! Do not tell Dad! (laughs). I never told Dad and from then on I had to do everything for them.
I did a lot of work when I was growing up cutting cane and fruit picking. We used to play football for Woodburn. We’d cut the cane then go to football training. We were always out in the boat fishing with my brothers, sisters and cousins. We used to handline and go prawning with hessian bags. We’d drag them along the river beds and catch tons of prawns. I really loved growing up with those family ties. I miss them all now cause most have passed on. When I’m painting I always talk to them. My dad was a boxer and he died when he was 40. There was 9 of us, no TV back in those days. There was a lot more respect back then. If you were playing up then your neighbours had the right to move you on.
When I was a young fella, growing up down the island, all us boys used to all play down where they dredged the river. The sugar boats used to come up the Broady so they dredged it to keep it deep enough. I was looking for the boys one day and I couldn’t find them anywhere. I went down where we always played and couldn’t find them. I came into a small clearing and no word of a lie, I saw these two large figures just there, close enough to have eye contact and they had dark gingerish hair all over. A male and a female and a smaller one just behind. We looked each other in the eye. I’ve never seen anything like it. I turned and walked away, no harm. They were at least 7 feet tall. I don’t know..yowies or something. I’m not the only one who has seen them but I never said a word about it to anyone till I was 40 years old. I was too scared to tell anyone. I used to see footprints down the end of the island in the sand that my foot fitted in 4 times. I didn’t tell my mum till I was 40 and she said, ‘You are special, only special people see them’. My partner Kerry and I have photos of the footprints. We went down the beach early one day and I saw an eagle, which is my totem. I walked down and we spotted the footprints. (Kerry – “I was a total sceptic till I saw them”). I met a fellow who owns a well known gallery and he asked me if I believed in Big Foot or Yowies. He said his daughter was walking very early on a misty morning at Evans Head and saw one walking toward her. They both got a fright. She ran back and the yowie ran up through the dunes into the bush.
I travelled around with Jimmy Sharmans Boxing Troupe. I travelled with Les McNabb first and he used to come to Lismore. We came back from Brisbane for a rest and Les said you can go with Jimmy Sharman so off we went to Melbourne. We had an old red bus with the F-Troupe written on the side. I enjoyed travelling, seeing different places with the team, all the big country towns.
We ended up getting the train back from Wagga Wagga because Les wanted us to come back and box for him, that was 1967. I want to go back to Melbourne one day, it’s been 50 years since I was there.
When I returned here I met my childrens mother in Lismore. I have 3 girls and one boy and we’re all close. After the breakup I drank too much. I still worked very hard but I drank too much. One night I came home and something spiritual happened to me. I was talking our language and I don’t know what I was saying, but I never drank again after that. I remember going to a pub for a beer and I couldnt lift my glass any further than here ( chest high). You tell people and they think you’re stupid or mad but that’s what happened and I’ve been dry now since 1990, so that’s 26 years. I then started painting.
I started a TAFE course but it was too European for me. I wanted to paint in my own culture. I’ve never looked back. I got the Peoples Choice Award in Darwin at The Telstra Art Award which was a big one. I’ve exhibited in Germany, Austria and Vienna. I met so many people over there through my art. I never ever thought my work would take me overseas. I’ve been back a couple of times.
I had some spirit readings and the spirits told me I have to work with children. Ever since then that is what I have done. All the schools, high schools and pre schools in the area which I love. I’ve taught in England as well. I also work in drug and alcohol at Namatjira Haven. I do night shifts there. I’m always busy, painting or working. One time I painted all day, all night and I jumped in the car in the morning to go buy more paint and came back to the studio, parked under the mulberry tree. Kerry came looking for me because she was worried, and here I was slumped over the steering wheel sound asleep, with my hand on the key. She thought I’d died on her.”