Hello, About Time readers. I will start off by paying respects to Mr Murray and his family in whom this story is about and would also like to say thank you to Mr Fred Cahir, the historian who did the research and wrote the book They Rescued Us: Aboriginal Heroes on Country.

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This is the story about a true hero, Mr Lawrence Murray, and I am honoured to be able to write this story for you to read.

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In March 1960, an unlikely and remarkable rescue occurred in Bogantungan, a rural town in the locality of Willows, in the central Highlands region of Queensland. It was unlikely, because the rescue exploit occurred after a train crash. The Canberra Times reported it thus:

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“BAREFOOT ABORIGINE HERO OF QLD TRAIN CRASH”

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BRISBANE, Friday – Ignoring shattered glass which gashed his feet, a full blooded aboriginal fettler, Mr Lawrence Murray, stood in waist deep rushing water to rescue 15 children from the wrecked Midlander in Medway Creek early on the morning of February 26.

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This story was told today to the Board of Inquiry investigating the rail crash at Bogantungan. Mr Murray was the last witness to be heard by the board. With his wife, three children and infant granddaughter, he was travelling in the last carriage of the Midlander when it crashed.

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He was among the first down to the wrecked carriages, and waded into the rushing stream to carry the children to the riverbank as they were handed to him. Then he swam across the creek to the Bogantungan side and helped hand up tools to men working on the wrecked carriages.

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Mr Lawrence also helped four injured men and women to the creek bank, after that he went through the darkened carriages searching for other people to help to safety.

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He continued to work on the wreckage until daylight. Mr Murray said that he had taken off his shoes and could not find them afterwards. He said that he had a sliver of glass in his foot early.

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Eventually he received treatment for his injuries in Emerald. Telling about the loss of his shoes. Mr Murray said, “That is why I am barefooted now.” The chairman of the board of Inquiry. Mr V. F. Hall, warmly complimenting Mr Murray on his actions, said that the board would do something about getting him some shoes.

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Now that, in my opinion, is what you call a true hero. It goes to show how resilient and compassionate the Aboriginal people really are, even though we have been stigmatised as a race and have been massacred, colonised and stolen from our families for generations. This is one of many, many stories that I’ll be telling in future articles.

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Even after all that Aboriginal people have gone through, it goes to show we are heroes too. So I would like to say to all you brothers and sisters as a final note that we are all heroes in our own way, so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. Keep your chins up and stay deadly and be proud of who you are.

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Thank you.

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Regards,

Brothers from a prison in Victoria