This week we mourn the loss of two ANU colleagues, whose deaths have ended their different and remarkable contributions to documenting societies, languages and ways of life.
Darrell Tryon documented new and old languages in Vanuatu, the Solomons and Australia, helped speakers work on their own languages, and wrote about the history of languages. Initial short obituaries have appeared: in Tahiti Infos. Malcolm Ross’s short obituary is republished here. Uri Tadmor’s (Mouton de Gruyter) is on Linguistlist, and ends with “We will all miss Darrell’s kindness, charm, and humor as well as his great scholarship.” To which, add his practical low-key attitude to solving problems and getting excellent ventures underway.
Kim McKenzie was a widely loved and admired ethnographic film-maker who made a number of collaborative and innovative documentaries and multi-media projects about people in remote Indigenous Australia, ranging from the amazing People of the Rivermouth: the Joborr Texts of Frank Gurrmanamana, made with Les Hiatt, to documentaries made with Murray Garde and Bininj Kunwok people: Fragments of the Owl’s Egg (2005), Kun-wok, kun-bolkken: The Language of Land (2006), and, more recently work on climate change and Indigenous people: Fighting Carbon with fire (2009). He’d worked in the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies before moving to ANU and helping get the Digital Humanities Hub underway.
Farewell Darrell, farewell Kim.
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I worked with Kim for a short time at The Australian Institute of Aboriginal Studies (correct title at the time). He was great friend and supportive mentor. A wealth of knowledge, and insight. It is a shock to learn of his death nearly 12 months later.
If any one could forward any details and if possible pass on my best wishes to his wife and daughter.
Gordon Dougal.
Dear Gordon.
I have been searching for information about Kim McKenzie for many years. I googled him a few years back to see if I could find him only to read that he had died. He and I were very close as young teenagers. The last time I saw him was when I invited him to my 18 birthday 1968. Yes along time ago.
He looked great. I always encouraged him to go and do his film making. He was brilliant and creative very very clever. As teenagers we had alot in common. I was and am still a painter. We both had a passion for our future. He was my first love. I have just found out from you that he had a wife and daughter. I have been trying to find out about his personal personal life for many years. But there is nothing around any where. Ll. I gather he was a very private person. I’m thrilled to find out he had a wife and daughter. Do you know anything about where they are or some body who does. I was so happy to see he did so well with his film making. As we always talked about our future. I encouraged him to get out there and do it, as I said he would be famous. My name is georgiana henry. I have lived and travelled moved around every where even over seas. I presently live in Brisbane, Australia. I would love to get in touch with his wife and or daughter to know more about what sought of life he had. It’s fantastic to know that he had been so successful with his film making. He was a lovely guy and I always and still do feel we had a very strong bond. I was very upset when I read he had died. I had been hoping to catch up with him for years. It’s very sad he has passed I don’t even know how he passed. I was soo upset. I have been reading about how successful he was with his. Documentaries and film making. So proud of him. When I saw that one photo of him on google. I knew immediately that was the Kim I knew. He still had those incredible eyes. If you are able to fill me in on his personal life or send me a name of some one who was a close friend of his. Or his wife and daughter I would be extremely greatful. My email address is.. georgirebel@ icloud.com. Even if you could send me your mobile and we have a chat. Don’t know where you are. But I live in outer Brisbane atm. You obviously don’t know where his family is. But you might be able to tell me more about him or some body who can. He was a wonderful man. I knew that he would be do well in the future. It’s so good he did. We often talked about our future as we were still only teenagers. We knew each other in Adelaide. It’s great to find someone who knew him. Look forward to hearing from you kind regards Georgiana Henry.