Marlinja Solar Success | The Story Tree

Aboriginal map of language groups

Recently I was invited by the National Storytelling Network in the US, to tell a Solar story. They said they had lots of tellers planning to tell folk tales and myths about the sun, so needed more true stories about solar power. Gosh, I thought- a solar story with a dramatic arc….that could be a challenge! But luckily I found articles about Marlinja– a small, remote community in the Northern territory, who became the first Indigenous-owners of a clean energy micro-grid. Transforming the news articles into a told story has been a new, but fun challenge!

PM Gough Whitlam pours sand in Vincent Lingiari’s hand

I spent many days researching and grilling my friend Adrian, who had lived and worked in the NT for years. Adrian pointed out the closeness of Marlinja to Gurindji country and the Wave Will cattle station. This allowed me to weave in the dramatic and historically important story of the Wave Hill Walk Off in the 1960’s. The Wave Hill Walk-Off was a catalyst for land rights and native title in Australia. Consequently it also inspired two very famous and beloved Australian songs: ‘Gurindji Blues’ by Ted Egan* and ‘From Little Things, Big Things Grow’ by Kevin Carmody and Paul Kelly. The 50 year anniversary was celebrated enthusiastically and the 60th anniversary is coming up in 2026. Ted Egan’s song was written in 1969, when the Walk-Off was still happening. The song helped ignite national support. The families at Marlinja, of the Mudburra language group, are adjacent to the Gurundji land, where the Wave Hill Walk Off happened. So that history is also a big part of their history.

The Marlinja community lies 700 kilometres north of Alice Springs and 700 kilometres south of Darwin. It is a small, extremely remote Aboriginal community, where temperatures regularly pass 40C or 100 F. They endured extremely unreliable and unaffordable power supplies. For years, they struggled with logistical and bureaucratic challenges, so that achieving their goal at times felt insurmountable. Then, lead by community leader and Raymond Dixon, who is also the leader of the Marlinja band, Rayella. They sought support from Original Energy, a not-for-profit enterprise who advise First Nations people on Renewable energy. (Very, very different to the corporation, Origin Energy!!)

Wonderfully, after five years of wrestling with logistical and bureaucratic challenges, they achieved energy security and climate justice, by installing solar power and batteries last year. This has greatly improved community health, finances and well being. Their achievement can now be a template for many other remote Aboriginal communities.

*When I was 15, I heard Ted Egan sing ‘The Gurindji Blues’ live in Alice Springs. My parents took me on a wonderful bus trip through the dry red plains of central Australia, to Alice Springs and Uluru (Ayers Rock). We drove from Brisbane to meet the coach in Sydney, then the coach drove for 30 hours. In those days, tourists still walked up Uluru, which we did also, not realising it was sacred to the custodians, the Anangu people. Now Uluru is closed to walkers.

In Alice Springs, we went to a camel farm, where we rode a camel and got a lecture from the owner about Aboriginal people. (Camels had been used during settlement in the desert country.) His stories painted a terrible picture. But that night we went to an intimate venue, where we were regaled with the other side of the story, by big-hearted singer songwriter, Ted Egan. We sat in the front row and I laughed heartily at all his jokes. His songs and stories, told another side of the Aboriginal story. ‘The Gurindji Blues’ really resonated with me! Especially the punch line:

Suppose we buyim back country

What you reckon proper fee?

Might be flour, sugar and tea

 From the Gurindji to Lord Vestey?

Here are some of the images I collated for the story.