Farewell to a legend

It is with great sadness that we very recently farewelled a remarkable human being, Viv Sinnamon. Viv is remembered as a man of great compassion, huge determination, vast capability and yet such a humble and kind person who focussed on what could (and needed to) be achieved.

He was a founding member of the Mitchell River Watershed Management Group 31 years ago. The Mitchell is a better place for his being part of the community.

He had great vision and energy and focussed on how to make things work and to get people working together, he did so much for and with the community of Kowanyama - a place where his heart lived, a place where he belonged. He lived and transitioned across two worlds - that of his family in Bundaberg and his life in Kowanyama.

In the late 70's, shortly after arriving in Kowanyama as a bright-eyed "do-gooder", he realised that western culture had no concept of Indigenous realities. At that point he went bush with such sincerity and such openness of heart that the local elders understood him to be a true spirit walking two paths. He was formally adopted by a family in the Kokomnjena clan group and he was trained in bush lore, language, and politics.

Over the next 40 years he was a driving force in most of the foundational advances for Indigenous people in Kowanyama. He was instrumental in the push for land rights, the closure of commercial fishing on the Mitchell, the foundation of the Lands Office, the acquisition of the Oriners and Sefton pastoral leases, design and building the Oriners Homestead, and the establishment of the Kowanyama Collection, an incomparable assembly of cultural and historical artefacts relevant to the people of the Mitchell.

He published a newsletter for the Council, and a glossy magazine for the Kowanyama Project. Yet despite being the creative and logistical force behind so many of these efforts, his name rarely appears in the spotlight. He always preferred to put others forward.

He had so many things still to do - may we all help pick up where he left off. Thank you for all you did and for the many many friendships. Vale Viv.