Shadowlines

by Stephen Kinnane

A powerful and lyrical work by a writer of vision and imagination, Shadow Lines is the story of Jessie Argyle, born in the remote East Kimberley and taken from her Aboriginal family at the age of five, and Edward Smith, a young Englishman escaping the rigid strictures of London. In a society deeply divided on racial lines, Edward and Jessie met, fell in love and, against strong opposition, eventually married. Despite unrelenting surveillance and harassment, the Smith home was a centre for Aboriginal cultural and social life for over thirty years.

Genres: Australia, Indigenous, History, Biography

385 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 1, 2002

About the author

Stephen Kinnane is a Marda Marda from Mirriwoong country in the East Kimberley. He has been an active writer and researcher for more than 25 years as well as lecturing and working on community cultural heritage, curatorial and development projects. Kinnane co-wrote and produced The Coolbaroo Club (1996), an ABC TV documentary awarded the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Human Rights Award for the Arts, and collaborated with Lauren Marsh and Alice Nannup on When the Pelican Laughed (1992), the story of Mrs Alice Nannup (Fremantle Press).

Reviews

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Shadow Lines, by Stephen Kinnane, is an important book that puts a human face on Australia’s shabby story of the Stolen Generations, but – after so recently reading indigenous author Kim Scott’s uplifting That Deadman Dance, I found it hard going at times.

You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by this story of Kinnane’s grandmother Jessie Argyle who was taken from her family in 1905; her struggle to be with the man she loved, Kinnane’s grandfather Edward Smith who migrated here as a young man; and Kinnane’s own journey of discovery as he reclaims his roots. Understandably, bitterness creeps into Kinnane’s story sometimes, and perhaps this is what made me feel uncomfortable.

To read the rest of my review please visit http://anzlitlovers.wordpress.com/201...

[Kate Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

An amazing biography of Kinnane's grandparents. He mixes together a range of biographical information and data, including his grandmother's file from the Aborigine Department, and his imaginative views of the places they lived and the people they met. Altogether it builds up a comprehensive life of two people in the face of increasing involvement from A.O Neville and his department. Kinnane talks about the shadowlines that connect people to places and this book charts them beautifully, even down to his grandmother being buried in the same cemetery as A.O. Neville himself. Overall Kinnane writes a history of a relationship between two people and their friends and family, but also of the shadowlines that cross over races, friends, family and enemies connecting them all together.

[Catherine Maughan · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's amazing how you can know someone but know so little about them really. Having worked with the author Steve Kinnane for a number of years I couldn't help but compare the life of his grandmother to my own grandmothers. Steve's grandmother Jessie was born in the East Kimberley in about 1901, my own grandmother Gwen was born in Kalgoorlie in the Eastern Goldfields of WA in 1902. Both born just after the Federation of Australia but to very different lives.

"Friday 19 June 1906. Wild Dog Police Station. Before they took her away my grandmother's name was Gypsy. She had been taken off a cattle station called Argyle."

Yes this is a tragic testament of the intergenerational pain, heart break and damage inflicted by Mr Devil and his genetic engineering experiments but it is also a love story. It is a beautiful story of a dangerous (read illegal under the 1905 Aborigines Act) life-long love affair and marriage between Jessie Argyle and Edward Smith.

[Gayle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I live in the area in which this book is mostly set.The author used to come into the store I worked in when I was 19 to do photocopying. It is a valuable book that all West Australians should read. Disturbing, beautiful and honest.

[Lindy Brusaschi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read that bought to life the horror of western Australian aboriginals under the tyranny of Neville. The familiarity of the setting around East Perth & Hyde Park made the book even more real. Thanks for sharing your family history.

[Kristine · Rating 3 out of 5]

While this biography and family history is an important story and a confronting read, I found it very uneven and hard work to plough through. The structure and approach of trying to weaving facts and timelines into more personal recollections and descriptions of the settings did not work well. The practical and emotional realities of the brutal and repressive administrative system imposed on Aborigines in Western Australia is horrifying and heart rending, and Kinnane does an excellent job of 'bringing to life' these aspects of the story. Unfortunately he is less successful in stitching together the individual vignettes into a cohesive storyline, with the overall story being disjointed and awkward, resulting in a quite frustrating reading experience. Having said all that, the book gives us some remarkable insights and addresses uncomfortable historical and social issues, so an overall rating of 3.

[Judy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't really say why I was moved so much while reading this book. I had read other books about the plight of Aboriginal peoples, but this one somehow made it more significant. Perhaps because it was written by the grandson of Jessie and Edward.


Shadow Lines is the story of Jessie Argyle, born in the remote East Kimberley and taken from her Aboriginal family at the age of five, and Edward Smith, a young Englishman escaping the rigid strictures of London. In a society deeply divided on racial lines, Edward and Jessie met, fell in love and, against strong opposition, eventually married. Despite unrelenting surveillance and harassment the Smith home was a centre for Aboriginal cultural and social life for over thirty years.

[Emma Watton · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. An incredible feat of historical non fiction that is weaved into a story. Not only is it thoroughly enjoyable to read it is the best education I have had on the reality of segregation and assimilation policies and their horrific impact in Australia. It doesn't dwell in negativity, it is an ode to incredible strength and resilience but is truth telling at the same time.
Read it, enjoy it, be horrified by the daily reality for Aboriginal people in Australia and it will give you a huge insight into what happened, and why it still matters.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed the second half more.
Learnt a lot about segregation and more recent (early to mid 1900s) racism and the deprivation of basic rights of our indigenous peoples.
Enjoyed the personal history connections from the author, mixed in with the facts and legislation of the time and also his whimsical wondering about his grandparents thoughts and feelings. Sometimes I felt I was walking alongside them on North Perth and later, Scarborough streets.
Thank you Stephen Kinnane for educating this white fella .... a little more.

[Kirsten Marr · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story of the authors grandparents and also the story of life for Aboriginal people in western Australia from late 1890's and early 1900's. it is beautifully written with a lot of well researched and factual information as well has historical memories from those who lived through or were connected through this time. I learnt a lot.

[Ann Tonks · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must read book for anyone living in Western Australia, for anyone with a willingness to learn about the indigenous experience in Australia, for anyone who in interested in history, for anyone who likes reading about families. A beautiful, well researched and heart felt book.