I would rather be ashes than dust! I would rather that my spark should burn ot in a brilliant blaze than it should be stifled by dry-rot. I would rather be a superb meteor, every atom of me in magnificent glow, than a sleepy and permanent planet. The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days trying to prolong them. I shall use my time. Up to a certain point, it is necessary for a man to live his life in the world in which he finds himself, and to make the best of it. But beyond that point, he must create a world of his own. And the greatest thing about life is that it is always giving us the opportunity to create something new. It is never too late to start over, to make a fresh beginning, to blaze a new trail. Life is short, and we have but a brief time in which to explore, to learn, to experience, and to create. Let us make the most of that time, and let us burn brightly, like meteors across the night sky, leaving behind us a trail of light and inspiration for those who come after us.

Jack London

Latest Papers

The working papers collection comprises historical papers as well as current ideas and works in progress on some of the major issues and topics of our times.

Gatirri School: A Teacher who Lives There (released 12 October 2026)
Gatirri School at Mata Mata grew from the teaching of Mrs P.B. Burarrwaŋa, one of the first fully trained Yolŋu teachers.
» more
Food: Diet and Nutrition on the Homelands (released 12 October 2026)
What people eat at Mata Mata and other north-east Arnhem Land homelands depends on the country and sea, the store and whether there is power to keep food cold.
» more
Power: Making Homelands Sustainable (released 11 October 2026)
Homelands can be self sufficient through solar power saving tens of thousands of litres of diesel per annum
» more
Roads: Central Arnhem Highway (released 9 October 2026)
The road that no-one wants to fund..
» more
Bush Taxis: How People and Goods Get Around when there is no other option (released 9 October 2026)
On the homelands a bush taxi is often an act of desperation that leaves people with no money, with debts, and under formidable personal pressure.
» more
Where Gove's Money Went (released 8 October 2026)
Homelands around one of the world's most lucrative bauxite mine have received very little funding.. so where did the money go? This paper tries to come up with the answers.
» more
Boats (released 8 October 2026)
This companion paper in the Planes, Roads, Automobiles set turns to the sea.
» more
Planes (released 7 October 2026)
When a homeland has no working vehicle, planes become the fallback — at far greater cost.
» more
Planes, Roads, Automobiles. (released 7 October 2026)
Mata Mata is a Yolŋu homeland in North East Arnhem Land, founded by Gatirri Burarrwaŋa and family around 1948 and supported by Marthakal Homelands & Resource Centre. It has no working vehicle. Homelands have a strong health record, but homeland programs do not fund a transport system, and private vehicles are a gap that families fill themselves.
» more
The name that was written down (released 5 October 2026)
No great revelations here just some notes on issues that perhaps those living in cities and mainstream life have not thought about too much.
» more

Pages