Jessica Story – Original Tribes

Tribute Grandmother Jessica Davidson Hampton

Dedicated to the Stolen Generations

My name is Jason Davidson Hampton, my grandparents and family are among the ‘Stolen Genera-tions’ the Original people who were subjected to the Australian government’s assimilation policies thatwas experienced by many Original people & tribes all over Australia. My Joji’s (grandfather’s) countryis located near the Roper River, Limmen Bight and Mcarthur River region of the Northern Territory,which includes Ngalakarn, Mara and Bundiyarng country – Hampton Family Tree. My Jaja (grand-mother) is from Gurindji country in the direction of Inverway, west of Kalkaringi, a town that was form-ally known as Wave Hill. As a new media artist and researcher, I have developed and dedicated this web page for my Jaja, Jessica Davidson Hampton and to all those children of the Stolen Generations. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander viewers are advised that this website contains images and voices of people who are now deceased.

Documented Nana Jessica story, and these words from her:

My name is Jessica Davidson (Hampton), Aboriginal name is Ningiarlie and my skin name nungarri, I was born at Inverway Cattle Station in 1930 here in the Northern Territory of Australia, my mother Nellie Yedbid Wurranarlie is a full blood Aboriginal women from Inverway – Gurindji Country and my father was a white stockman named Jack Davidson, author of the book titled King of the Dry River.

When I was 5 years old I visited family at Wavehill, also know as Kalkaringi, the would of been around 1935, I was only a little girl and I used to walk out bush with my family, we walk from Inverway (near Inverway Cattle Station) along the Victoria River all the way to Kalkaringi (around 150km). When we arrived I was taken by the police and sent to Darwin compound, they took me from my mother and my family because I mixed with white and Aboriginal. I was sent to many different places by the missionaries and after the war I went back to Croker Island. When I turned 16 yrs old I left the mission and went to Darwin government house to work.

Also note: Margaret Anne Somerville is an Australian missionary who worked as a cottage mother at the Croker Island Mission run by the Methodist Overseas Mission. She is best remembered for her bravery in assisting with the evacuation of 95 Aboriginal children from there during World War II during the Bombing of Darwin. This evacuation is commonly referred to as the ‘Croker Island Exodus’. She returned to Croker Island in 1946 and remained there until 1965 [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Anne_Somerville ]

Nana Jessica would tell me about this time during WW2, all the other missionary’s got frightened and took off and left us kids, only Margaret Somerville stayed and helped us and she wrote about this story during WW2, it was titled the Long Journey Home (found it).

[ https://www.sbs.com.au/nitv/article/croker-island-exodus-a-documentary-telling-the-remarkable-adventure-story/se5agl8y9 ]

My stepfather Doogle who brought me up also had 4 children to my mother, Doogle is a father ofDouglas Duncan (D) Ida Fargarson (D), Billy & Ray Duncan (D). My mother’s brother is Clyden Jar-riarri (D). He was recognised as a traditional owner for the Mistake Creek region (Gurindji Coun-try). Today I am 83 years of age & I have nine children.

The Mighty Victoria River: A Northern Territory Treasure Flowing through the rugged outback of Australia’s Northern Territory, the Victoria River is a lifeline of adventure, history, and natural beauty. Stretching over 560 kilometers, it’s one of the region’s longest rivers in the Northern Territory of Australia, carving through ancient country, vast cattle stations, and remote wilderness. From its headwaters in the Gregory National Park to its meeting with the Timor Sea, the Victoria River showcases the raw beauty of the Top End. Its waters sustain rich ecosystems, including saltwater crocodiles, barramundi, and rare birdlife.

Stolen Generations Memorial Rock – Darwin Botanical Gardens
Stolen Generations Memorial Rock stands as a tribute to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children forcibly removed from their families under past government policies.

A Place of Reflection
The memorial, featuring a large natural rock with a plaque, honors the resilience of the Stolen Generations and serves as a space for healing and remembrance. The surrounding gardens—filled with native plants and tranquil pathways—offer a peaceful setting for contemplation.

Historical Significance:
Thousands of Indigenous children were taken from their families as part of Australia’s assimilation policies. This memorial acknowledges their suffering and the ongoing impact on Indigenous communities.
Visiting the Memorial:
Location: Darwin Botanic Gardens.
Access: Free entry, open during garden hours.

A Call to Remember:
The memorial reminds visitors of the importance of truth-telling and reconciliation in Australia’s journey toward healing.

Their spirit lives on in the land, in the stories, and in the fight for justice.

They Took Us Away
A Tribute to the Stolen Generations

They came in the dawn’s pale light,
With papers, not hearts – cold and white.
No mothers’ cries, no fathers’ hands,
Just the law’s voice, harsh commands.

They cut the thread, they broke the song,
Took us where we didn’t belong.
No language, no land, no kin to hold,
Just a number, a file, a story untold.

But in our sleep, the whispers came,
The old ones calling our true name.
Through the dust, the tears, the pain,
Our spirit remembers—we rise again.

Now this rock stands in the Darwin CBD,
A scar on the land ‘neath the wide blue sky.
We were stolen, but never lost,
Our children remember, no matter the cost.

Lest we forget. Always remember.

About This Poem:
This tribute honors the resilience of Stolen Generations survivors and those never reunited. The memorial rock in Darwin’s Botanic Gardens serves as both a witness and a voice for their stories.

JDHampton