HYMN FOR A HOMELAND

In the early years of the 20th century, three aboriginal girls are raped, two are savagely murdered by Japanese fishermen in the outer reaches of Arnhem Land. Aboriginal justice is swift and the perpetrators are killed in a dawn raid, lead by the young warrior, Takiar.
The surviving girl, Japarri, soon finds that she is pregnant and is ostracized by the clan. Her brother, Takiar, agrees to be her protector.
News of the murdered Japanese reaches Darwin and white police consisting of constables Dan Hoare, McCabe, Milton and Thompson, are dispatched to bring in the offenders, however one of the officers, McCabe, is speared to death by Takiar when it becomes apparent that Japarri’s safety is in jeopardy. The remaining police contingent returns to Darwin where preparations are made amid a flurry of political maneuvering, for McCabe’s murderer to be brought to justice.
Eventually Takiar and other warriors are brought before the court and sentenced to imprisonment, but released because of agitation by southern states. This interference is not accepted by a certain powerful lobby Lead by Harry Lempens and riders soon find the aboriginal encampment at Caledon Bay and murder Takiar, his brother warriors and the remaining clan members.
Hoare quits the police force and leaves for Victoria to take over his family’s farm after his father’s death. Milton is posted to the aboriginal outpost of Mission Springs where Japarri has been living since the birth of her baby, Irene. Some years later, Milton, as a Protector of Aborigines, has cause to take Irene and place her in a white institution where she is schooled and taught house-keeping skills.
As a teenager, Irene is employed eventually by Martha and Harry Lempens at their cattle station Donnona Downs where she assists in the birth of Martha’s son, Kevin.
Harry and Martha leave Irene at Kahlin compound, a hostel for aboriginals, in Darwin, while they holiday ‘down south’. Martha, Harry and Robert Milton, meet and we get an understanding that Martha and Robert have a history and still have strong feelings for each-other.
Within a few days, Darwin is bombed by the Japanese and Robert is killed. Irene is caught in the bombing and rescued by a young police constable, Bertie DelFabbro. Irene and Bert fall in love and eventually marry. They have a son Albert, (POV) known among his friends as Doggy.
Martha finds herself pregnant again and has a son she names Robert, later given the nickname of Borg (POV).
Dan Hoare’s daughter, Carmel is married to Jack McKinnon who is killed at sea, in a collision between Voyager and HMAS Melbourne, their son Tom, (POV) is born at his grandparent’s farm during a bushfire that rampages across the state.
Tom, Doggy and Borg all attend a Christian Brothers school as boarding students. Borg rescues Tom from a paedophile brother and from that point on the two boys form a solid friendship.
At the end of their school lives, Tom has found love with Samantha, Borg has gone off to war to avenge the death of his brother and Albert has left to work in the Northern Territory mines in an attempt to investigate his aboriginal heritage.
Wounded, Borg returns from Vietnam intending to run the family business, however his father has suffered a major stroke and fails to recognise his son. Albert and Tom join Borg at Donnona Downs where they discover the truth behind the death of the aboriginal clan at Caledon Bay.