Community
14 January, 2025
Tributes flow for ‘Popeye’
YIRRGANYDJI elder Dr George Skeene OAM has been remembered as a great scholar, author and treasured keeper of Indigenous heritage knowledge in the Cairns region.
Dr Skeene, who died on January 3 aged 77, devoted his life to family, Indigenous heritage and to the betterment of his people.
Cairns regional councillor Rob Pyne said his friend would be “sadly missed by all”.
“He was a lovely man, with a lot of knowledge on his heritage and as a scholar in his own right,” he said.
“But what I most remember and admire was his humility.”
Cr Pyne said he would be contacting fellow councillors to prepare a condolence motion for the next council sitting.
“It is important to acknowledge his passing for traditional groups. There has been a tremendous loss in the community with the recent passing (in September) of Gudju Gudju (Seith) Fourmile, and now George.”
Cr Pyne said Dr Skeene left behind a large and loving family – his children and grandchildren – and “he meant a lot to a lot of people.”
Heartfelt message
In a heartfelt message on social media this week, granddaughter Ashlyn Skeene said: “Oh, my Popeye, you broke my heart. I will forever cherish everything about you and everything you taught me. Thankful that I earned your respect and honour to be able to teach me our Yirrganydji ways. Worst way to end my holidays and start to the new year but gonna do this year in honour of you and hope I live a life as great as yours …”
Born in Cairns on September 26, 1948, he lived at the English Street Aboriginal Reserve until 1959. Then he and his family were relocated to the Lyons Street Aboriginal Reserve.
He later wrote an autobiography – ‘Two Cultures: Children from the Aboriginal Camps and Reserves in Cairns City’ (2008) – describing the “joys and pains of his early childhood, his school years, and his working life”. The book also included traditional stories told to him by his elders, and cultural practices and beliefs, many of which continue today.
Started working at 14
Dr Skeene began his working life at 14 on timber mills, tobacco and sugar cane farms, road construction, and mainly for Queensland Railways alongside his father. When he retired in 1997 he began a new journey – to build on his knowledge of the culture and history of his people.
In the book, ‘From the Heart’ (Wet Tropics Management Authority, 2010), Dr Skeene said the catalyst for his renewed passion was in 1998, when the Yirrganydji people were handed tenure to seven hectares of their traditional lands at Wangetti Beach.
“This was the first time Aboriginal people had been given back their land in the Wet Tropics region – a very significant step towards reconciliation,” he wrote.
“For me, however, it was not just getting the land back, it was the personal significance of the gesture. The handover gave me the motivation to gather my cultural heritage from other Yirrganydji people and places of significance. It re-ignited my personal journey of discovery.
“Uncovering this traditional cultural knowledge has helped to manage many significant sites. Also, as part of the Wangetti Recovery Team, we have developed recreational areas, replanted coastal dunes and reduced impacts. As one of the Traditional Owners for the area, I was asked to write the pre-history of Wangetti. It is a story of survival and adversity and outlines the importance of the Wangetti Beach area to our people.
“The learning and sharing of this knowledge is important for the future. I want to leave a legacy for my children and grandchildren.”
He began researching and volunteering at the Cairns Historical Society Museum (now Cairns Museum) and curating Indigenous exhibits – the start of a decades-long association with the institution. He would also take groups of students on bus tours through the city, noting significant Indigenous history and culture.
During his research, he learned of a German anthropologist who visited the region in the early 1900s. He subsequently travelled to the Rautenstrauch-Joest Museum in Cologne and uncovered 10 Yirrganydji artefacts from lower Barron River, which he catalogued.
Discovered remains
His also discovered the remains of a Yirrganydji woman held at the Queensland Museum and facilitated her return and re-burial in Cairns. He received a Special Cultural Award on Australia Day following this work.
Dr Skeene’s research led to him becoming an Indigenous Research Associate of a JCU research team with a major Australian Research Council grant for a project titled Artefact Transactions in the Wet Tropics.
He contributed to JCU’s Education, Indigenous Studies, Anthropology, Archaeology and History programs.
In 2003 Dr Keene received a Cassowary Award as an Unsung Hero for documenting his culture. It was the beginning of many accolades, including being awarded his Honorary Doctor of Letters at James Cook University in 2013, and receiving the Medal of the Order of Australia in 2016.
In his own words, upon receiving the OAM, he told the ABC: “Most rewarding over the many years has been getting the positive message across to the younger generation ... to keep going forward”.
