Kwini man Ambrose Chalarimeri awarded OAM for preserving Indigenous heritage

Kwini man and writer Ambrose Mangala Chalarimeri has been recognised in the King’s Birthday honours list with an Order of Australia Medal for his services to Indigenous heritage.

Mr Chalarimeri came to national attention with his 2001 autobiographical book The Man From The Sunrise Side which told his journey from a traditional life as a child with the Oomarri in the area around King Georges Falls, to the shock of being taken to the isolated Kalumburu mission to live when he was about six years old.

His life story encompasses the dramatic changes experienced by many Kimberley Aboriginal people of his generation.

Born in the bush about 1940, he arrived at Kalumburu towards the end of World War II, grew up there through the 1950s, became aware of the land rights movement in the 60s and 70s and saw the end of mission control in 1982.

The book also recounts his time working for the Agricultural Protection Board (APB). He and many other Aboriginals were employed by the board to spray the weed Parkinsonia wearing no protective clothing and with no warning of the possible hazards. Some workers died and many became ill, including Mr Chalarimeri.

He has previously said he wrote the book to record his people’s story.

“I wrote that book so my own people, the Kwini, could see what I did. No one from here recorded stories from here — I wanted to tell our story. The book doesn’t shy away from the truth — it’s all there. It gives people a chance to understand our life and also to give our younger people some history — to know where they have come from.”