Robert James Randall (c.1934 – 12 May 2015), also known as Uncle Bob, was an Aboriginal Australian elder, singer and community leader. He was a member of the Stolen Generations and became an elder of the Yankunytjatjara people from Central Australia. He was the 1999 National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee NAIDOC Person of the Year.^[1] His 1970 song, "My Brown Skin Baby, They Take 'im Away," is described as an "anthem" for the Stolen Generations. He was known by the honorific "Tjilpi", a word meaning "old man" that is often translated as "uncle". He lived in Mutitjulu, the Aboriginal community at Uluru in the Northern Territory of Australia.

Early life

Randall was born c. 1934 at Middleton Pond on Tempe Downs Station in the Central Desert region of the Northern Territory. His mother, Tanguawa, was a Yankuntjatjara maid at the station. His father, William Liddle, was the White Australian owner of the station.^[2]

Around the age of seven, Randall was taken away from his mother and family under government policy which forcibly removed thousands of "half-caste" (part-Aboriginal) children from their families. This policy produced what came to be known as the "Stolen Generations". Randall was taken to The Bungalow, an institution for half-caste children in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, then later was moved to an Aboriginal reserve on Croker Island in Arnhem Land, thousands of kilometres away from his home and family. Randall was given a new identity and date of birth.^[3][4]

Randall spent his early years in government institutions until the age of twenty. Subsequently, he, along with his new wife and baby, relocated after challenging the decisions of local authorities.

Community work

Randall moved to Darwin and later to Adelaide, South Australia, working, studying, establishing a career as an Aboriginal cultural educator, and looking for his family and country of belonging. He was affectionately known as "Uncle Bob" or "Tjilpi" (old man or uncle). He established Croker Island Night and several organisations in Darwin including the RRT Pony Club, Boxing Club, Folk Club, the Aboriginal Development Foundation. He worked as a counsellor through the Methodist Uniting Church.

In 1970, Randall helped establish the Adelaide Community College for Aboriginal people and lectured at the college on Aboriginal culture. He served as the director of the Northern Territory Legal Aid Service in Alice Springs.

He was a member of the committee of the Aboriginal Publications Foundation, which published the magazine Identity, in the 1970s.^[5]

He established Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Centres at Australian National University, University of Canberra, and University of Wollongong.

Music

Randall led a country music band that serviced regional Aboriginal communities.

In the early 1970s, Randall earned widespread recognition for his song, "My Brown Skin Baby, They Take 'Im Away," which garnered national and international attention on the issues of the Stolen Generation and opened the door for Indigenous story songwriters throughout Australia.^[6] It led to the filming of a documentary of the same name that won the Bronze Prize at the Cannes Film Festival. His lifelong efforts to retain Aboriginal culture and restore equal rights for all living were recognized in 1999, when he was named NAIDOC's "Person of the Year."^[1]

He performed on stage in Child of the Night and Dream of Reconciliation.

In 2004, he was inducted into the NT Indigenous Music Hall of Fame, recognizing the historical significance of his classic story songs.

In 2013, he appeared and performed in Mbantua Festival's outdoor performance, Bungalow Song.

Film

Randall appeared in the documentary films Mixed Up Man and Secret Country by John Pilger, had roles in the movies Picnic at Hanging Rock and The Last Wave.

In 2006, Randall co-produced and narrated the documentary Kanyini with Melanie Hogan. It was voted "best documentary" at the London Australian Film Festival 2007, winner of the “Inside Film Independent Spirit Award”, and winner of the Discovery Channel "Best Documentary Award" in 2006.^[7]

In 2014 he appeared in John Pilger's film, Utopia^[8] and released two documentary films with Andrew Harvey, Songman and Living Kanyini.

Later life, death and legacy

Later in life, Randall returned to his mother's country in Mutitjulu.

His story was recorded in 2002 by the National Library of Australia for the Bringing Them Home oral history project. It also appeared in the associated publication Many Voices: Reflections on Experiences of Indigenous Child Separation.

Randall died in Mutitjulu on 12 May 2015, aged approximately 81.^[2]

Discography

Books

Randall authored four books, including his autobiography, Songman, and three books for children: Tracker Tjuginji, Stories From Country, and Nyuntu Ninti. He contributed his personal story of being stolen to the anthology, Stories of Belonging: Finding Where Your True Self Lives, edited by Kelly Wendorf, published in 2009.

• Randall, Bob (2003). Songman: the story of an Aboriginal elder of Uluru. ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ISBN 0-7333-1262-4.
• Randall, Bob; Kunyi June-Anne McInerney (2003). Tracker Tjugingji. IAD Press. ISBN 1-86465-030-3.
• Randall, Bob; Susan Haworth (2007). Stories from country: my pony Hooky and other tales. ABC Books for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. ISBN 978-0-7333-2047-7.
• Randall, Bob; Melanie Hogan (2008). Nyuntu ninti: (what you should know). ABC Books. ISBN 978-0-7333-2049-1.

References

External links

• Profile, abc.net.au
• Profile, Kanyini.com
• clip of Bob singing "Brown Skin Baby" on YouTube
• An interview discussing his life and spiritual journey