“With reflection on the Law of the Seven Generations Goori-Bugg Dreaming is an Indigenous narrative of the history of aspects of the invasion/colonisation of the lands of the Birrpai and Worimi peoples of the mid north coast of New South Wales, Australia.

Part I is set in the period 1824 to 1879, amid open hostilities and the upheaval caused by the Australian Agricultural Company (AACo.), that continued on through the establishment of the Aboriginal Protection Board.

Part II follows the policies and legacies of these and subsequent institutions, highlighted by segregation, assimilation, self-determination and moves towards reconciliation.

The narrative is based on the lives and experiences of a family dynasty that now extends internationally, but commenced with a Birrpai Goori woman and an English convict assigned to the AACo. Port Stephens Estate. It follows their seven generations of descendants up till the present, highlighting “everyday acts of survival, resistance, and resilience, as forces like family, culture, and love, defy the aim and rule of the structural processes of colonialism, past and present”.

Goori-Bugg Dreaming is an ethnographic work based largely on non-Indigenous historical records, which are somewhat uniquely viewed through the Indigenous eyes of a 5th Generation descendant, and enhanced through the input of other descendants, ranging from 4th to 7th Generation. It highlights the reverberation along family lines of the challenging colonial experiences of the Goori and convict ancestors, and the resilience displayed by themselves and successive generations, who despite these challenges, have risen to make substantive contributions to the wider Australian and in some cases International community. Along their way they have collected notoriety, Australian Services Medals, World Boxing Titles, Olympic Medals, an OAM, several PhD’s and perhaps most significantly, respect within their communities, for continual involvement in the fight for justice for First Nations Peoples.

Effectively anchoring the structural in the personal, it has wide appeal, including highlighting impacts of colonialism on intimate lives and the stark contrast with the more common, brutal, relationships between Aboriginal women and settler/convict men that were based on force or coercion. Goori-Bugg Dreaming extends colonial intimacies literature, by considering both the specific historical context for their relationship, and how history has shaped the lives of their descendants with diverse relationships to culture and inheritance.

More than a Family History, Goori-Bugg Dreaming is a philosophical work that provides a basis for reflection on what could have been, and what can be, if we deeply consider the lives of our ancestors and the lives of our descendants to follow.”

Dr Ashley Barnwell University of Melbourne

“This book will change lives. It certainly changed mine. It is a great read for anyone connected to our family and for anyone interested in a great story. Uncle John's compelling storytelling is backed by years of research into this remarkable family. He also reflects on the law of the seven generations. I felt I was sharing a yarn with Uncle John as I read this book. His enthusiasm and wisdom shines through.”

7th Generation Goori-Bugg descendant- Tanya Morgan

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