Strange Objects
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''Strange Objects'' is a 1990 novel by Australian author
Gary Crew Gary David Crew (born 23 September 1947) is an Australian writer of young adult fiction. Awards Crew has won the Australian Children's Book of the Year on four occasions. Children's Book of the Year Award: Older Readers * 1991 '' Strange ...
.


Story outline

''Strange Objects'' is set in and around Geraldton in Western Australia and is based on the shipwreck of the Dutch vessel the
Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
. Using the framing device of a collection of papers made by a missing boy, Steven Messenger, it is a mystery story that explores the construction of history. When Steven discovers relics from the wreck of the Batavia while on a school camp, (a diary and a mummified hand with a gold ring on it, the two inside an iron pot), he investigates the media frenzy surrounding them, and in particular the stories of two murderers, Wouter Loos and Jan Pelgrom, from the doomed ship who are banished to what they think is a deserted island for committing crimes of mutiny. The book parallels characters from the past and present in an exploration of human nature, and the presentation of self through the written word. It features an unusual construction, similar to
Bram Stoker Abraham Stoker (8 November 1847 – 20 April 1912) was an Irish author who is celebrated for his 1897 Gothic horror novel '' Dracula''. During his lifetime, he was better known as the personal assistant of actor Sir Henry Irving and busine ...
's ''
Dracula ''Dracula'' is a novel by Bram Stoker, published in 1897. As an epistolary novel, the narrative is related through letters, diary entries, and newspaper articles. It has no single protagonist, but opens with solicitor Jonathan Harker taking ...
'' in that the book is an epistolary novel; a compilation of letters, diary entries and photocopies. Hence, there is no one authoritative narrative voice, but a series of narrative voices collected in Messenger's scrapbook. Steven Messenger has several psychotic episodes and eventually kills Charlie Sunrise and a lizard in Strange Objects.


Background

The book was partly a response to
Australia's Bicentenary The bicentenary of Australia was celebrated in 1988. It marked 200 years since the arrival of the First Fleet of British convict ships at Sydney in 1788. History The bicentennial year marked Captain Arthur Phillip's arrival with the 11 ships ...
, which occurred in 1988. This event caused a revival of interest in Australian history, particularly in the "discovery" of the land. The bicentenary celebrated the landing of the "
First Fleet The First Fleet was a fleet of 11 ships that brought the first European and African settlers to Australia. It was made up of two Royal Navy vessels, three store ships and six convict transports. On 13 May 1787 the fleet under the command ...
" in 1788, and the beginning of permanent European settlement in Australia.
James Cook James Cook (7 November 1728 Old Style date: 27 October – 14 February 1779) was a British explorer, navigator, cartographer, and captain in the British Royal Navy, famous for his three voyages between 1768 and 1779 in the Pacific Ocean an ...
charted the east coast of Australia in 1770, however there were a number of sightings and landings prior to this. In ''Strange Objects'', Gary Crew takes the premise that survivors from the Batavia, made it to the mainland, and lived with the Aboriginal people of the area. This actually happened, with European settlers noticing that the aboriginals had fair hair and more complex bush huts, which resembled their houses.


Historical basis

The
Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...
, the ship they were on, sunk in 1629 with 300 people on board (and the Tyrall earlier in 1622). Two hundred and fifty made it ashore, on a tiny desolate sand bank known as Beacon Island. The commander Francisco Pelsaert took a long boat with 48 person and sailed to Java to get help, leaving the rest to wait. The man who took charge was
Jeronimus Cornelisz Jeronimus Cornelisz (c. 1598 – 2 October 1629) was a Dutch apothecary and Dutch East India Company merchant who sailed aboard the merchant ship which foundered near the Australian mainland. Cornelisz then led one of the bloodiest mutinies i ...
.
Heretic Heresy is any belief or theory that is strongly at variance with established beliefs or customs, in particular the accepted beliefs of a church or religious organization. The term is usually used in reference to violations of important religi ...
and psychopath, he instantly rallied up a council and took charge. To maximize his control over the survivors, he left groups of soldiers on nearby islands to look for water and told them to leave their guns. When the soldiers found a water reservoirs on hospitable island ( West Wallabi Island) they signalled to the rest with smoke. However, when no reply came, they became instantly suspicious. Jeronimus and his men had killed over 120 people, with another 40 escaping to West Wallabi Island. By the time help came, the soldiers had repelled attacks with improvised weapons, whereas the mutineers had far superior weapons. The commander and the rescue team came, and executed most of the mutineers. Two of the mutineers were set adrift with little food and water. They came ashore on the West Australian coastline.


Themes

''Strange Objects'' in part examines the place of Aboriginal people, in both historical and in contemporary contexts. The contemporary context is a poor one. The Aboriginal people live in a reserve which is tattered and ruined. They largely shun contact with white society, who refer to them by the
derogatory term A pejorative or slur is a word or grammatical form expressing a negative or a disrespectful connotation, a low opinion, or a lack of respect toward someone or something. It is also used to express criticism, hostility, or disregard. Sometimes, a ...
"Abos". We also see them in 1629. Here they are masters of the land, and more adapted to survival here than the Dutch sailors. We are also shown glimpses of the 19th century, where the Aboriginal people are largely regarded as uncivilised or savage. What unfolds throughout the novel is the complexity of the Aboriginal past including its history told in
rock art In archaeology, rock art is human-made markings placed on natural surfaces, typically vertical stone surfaces. A high proportion of surviving historic and prehistoric rock art is found in caves or partly enclosed rock shelters; this type also ...
and passed down in oral stories.


Awards and nominations

* 1991: Winner of the Australian Children's Book Council Book of the Year for Older Readers"Selectors' difficult task", ''The Canberra Times'', 27 July 1991, p42
/ref> * 1991: Winner of the 1991 Victorian Premier's Literary Award It was also shortlisted for the Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction Award (Crime writers of America).


References

{{Children's Book of the Year Award for Older Readers 1990 Australian novels Australian mystery novels CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award-winning works Epistolary novels Historical novels Novels by Gary Crew Novels set in Western Australia