Ideas@TheCentre
A world away - Halls Creek, a remote town in WA
It’s only an eight-hour drive from Broome, but the town of Halls Creek is a world away from the tourist resorts of Cable Beach where, on a hot Saturday afternoon, the crowds relax on the white sand, champagne in hand, waiting to watch the sun set.
At Halls Creek, the scene could not be more different. Not only is it miles from the ocean, but since alcohol restrictions were introduced in May 2009, no one is allowed to drink in public or buy takeaway alcohol above 2.7%.
Consequently, cans of Carlton Light dot the landscape.
Before the restrictions, many Aboriginal people lived on a muddy patch of grass known as ‘dinner camp’ opposite the Kimberly Hotel, spending their days and nights drinking and fighting. Police would make regular night patrols to pick up the kids that roamed unsupervised.
The tragic legacy of foetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) was being passed down to a second generation by young teenage mothers who themselves have the syndrome. Over a period of 18 months, 13 young people committed suicide.
These tragedies provided the catalyst for change. Inspired by the alcohol restrictions in the nearby town of Fitzroy Crossing, two local women lobbied to have the same rules introduced in Halls Creek.
While many residents resent the restrictions, most agree they have had a positive effect on the town.
People are still drinking, but they are drinking more responsibly.
Unfortunately suicides still occur. Last week in Halls Creek, I saw the funeral notice for a teenage boy. He was the same age as my son. I felt overwhelming sadness for the boy and his mother. I wondered how would I cope in her situation: would I turn to alcohol to numb the pain or go mad with grief?
I tried imagining living with this kind of horror and sadness on a regular basis.
Alcohol restrictions are only the beginning – they bring some respite to the community but don’t address why people drink.
The causes go deep. In Halls Creek, there are many stories of pain and suffering: elders who were taken away as children from their families and forced to give up their language and culture, children abused and neglected by those meant to care for them.
But there are also many stories of hope. There are strong families in Halls Creek who have passed on to their children the importance of education and hard work. They are the unsung heroes in closing the gap, leading by example. Their efforts were acknowledged at the opening of the NAIDOC celebrations in the town last week.
It is good to be reminded that things are not all bad.
But as I watched the incongruous sight of camels walking along the white sands of Cable Beach against the gorgeous backdrop of the setting sun, it was hard to reconcile what I was seeing with the scenes of squalor and despair in Halls Creek just eight hours away.
Sara Hudson is a Policy Analyst at the Centre for Independent Studies. She visited Western Australia last week for her research on alcohol restrictions in Aboriginal towns and communities.
