Dingo Lady Project - Update

I thought I'd give you an update on the digitising and preservation of Berenice's records. 

The Dingo Lady Project is not limited to writing her biography but a commitment to preserving her records. 

This has been an enormous task to date and we've still got a long way to go. 

Most of the papers have been sorted and filed into broad categories; as have the photos and slides. For several months I have been doing a second sorting and filing at the same time scanning them. Many of them are carbon copies, thermal paper, have lots of handwritten notes or in some other condition that makes reproduction to PDF imperfect. These I have also been transcribing as best I can. (reading Berenice’s hand writing is a challenge at times) 

After sorting the photos according to size and subject I have catalogued about 10%. There is a lot I still need to identify.

We had started scanning them but the scan quality wasn't what we had hoped for. We also had a small slide scanner and actually got through scanning most of the slides (they take up a whole plastic tub on their own) but we were even more disappointed with the results so we have purchased, and just installed, a new super duper scanner and hoping it will give the quality we are hoping for. It is also capable of scanning 120mm film of which there is a handful of negatives mostly from her early life. 

We just set up a spare computer in the garage, with video card installed and hooked up to my old stereo. We are using this to copy the 100 or so videos and audio cassettes to the computer then after some editing they will be copied to DVD.

We will need to find someone who can copy 8mm film to DVD. There is only four but seem to be from the early days of the society or earlier.

I have often said that writing Berenice's biography is a two year project and even after all the time I have put in it is still two years before I can see it published. On top of all the scanning, recording etc, as we go through everything I am noting points relevant to Berenice's biography, reading constantly about Dingoes to update my own knowledge as well as maintaining the website, Facebook page and this blog. 

Obsessed? Maybe just a little but I see it as a labour of love for both Berenice and the Dingo. I hope when the project is complete more people will appreciated her lifetime commitment and hope it will bring about a greater understanding of the Dingo.

Dingo advocates need to be a more united force.

In her first book written in 1979 Berenice Walters observed: "In areas where the dingo has been eradicated, there has been an alarming build-up of grass eating species, indicating the importance of the role played by our native dog in maintaining the delicate balance of nature." 

She continues: "The dingo is classed as a noxious animal throughout Australia, its extermination is mandatory and its keeping by private individuals is illegal. Prior to 1966, no comprehensive scientific study had been made of the dingo. Its reputation as a predator of domestic stock, based largely on exaggerated reports, pure supposition and myth, led to the cruel and unnecessary persecution of this native Australian."

At the time there were only a handful of people like Berenice who were passionate about getting the Dingo a better name but most thought she was crazy to believe that this hated and wanton killer had any redeeming traits. 

Today there are many more who believe in the Dingo and are working hard to promote its true gentle, loving characteristics; its vital role as the apex predator and the need for it to be acknowledged and protected as an Australian animal.

She would be very proud of those who are fighting so hard on its behalf and elated at its relatively new taxonomy of Canis Dingo. She would be sitting back with a smile as more and more scientists and academics come forward proving what the early Dingo supporters believed.

Yet I believe that there is one area that she would be very disappointed and that is the lack of unity of Dingo supporters. There are many more now than in Berenice's time and yet we are still fighting for the same things she and her contemporaries did.

Along with most other people who cherish the dingo I want to see its national recognition, preservation and acceptance of its role as apex predator.  I am sure that every dingo person agrees on these points:

The dingo has been maligned for far too long and deserves to take its rightful place as a uniquely Australian animal and be protected at a national level.

The dingo’s role as an apex predator preserves other declining species and helps reduce feral species that prey on small threatened marsupials. 

 Where control of wild dogs, or any feral or invasive species for that matter, is required it needs to be undertaken using kind control methods.  We need to get the barbaric trapping, shooting and poisoning out of this country.

Where I have concern is that it appears to me some dingo advocates, including some dingo preservation groups, have private agendas and put their own personal aims before that of the national issues.

For the sake of the dingo we need to put aside personal differences and make the dingo itself the highest priority.

Senator Led Parade of Dingoes

Senator Tony Mulvihill and Peter Pan

If you search Hansard for the word ‘Dingo’ you will find in most cases it was a term used to insult a member of the opposite party but there was one senator at least who would have considered this to be an insult to the Dingo itself.

Senator Tony Mulvihill was passionate about Dingoes and Patron of the Australian Native Dog Conservation society.

I don’t think many people realise how early Berenice and the society she founded were out in public promoting the truth about Dingoes.

Although controversy constantly raged about them they took every opportunity to promote their cause by attending festivals, displays , lectures , schools and appearing  television.

One of the highlights of this period was when the group marched through the streets of Sydney on Australia Day led by then Senator Tony Mulvihill with a white Dingo, Peter Pan. As they passed the spectators roars of approval went up and then they burst into singing 'Come on Aussie, Come on, Come On'. At the end of the day they won the coveted award for 'Best Canine Exhibit' at The Rocks Festival Parade;

Senator Mulvihill and Peter Pan lead the Dingoes on parade

Berenice Walters and Senator Mulvihill

It was a truly historic occasion. This was the first time the group openly revealed that their dogs were actually DINGOES. In addition to the tremendous applause , people ran  onto the road to give the dingoes a pat.

 

Bored

Decisions, decisions

Hello Dingo

Earlier in the day as they made their way to the assembly point, the Society’s Patron, the Hon. Neville Wran, left his car to come and meet them. Stating "Those are my dogs", he waived to members, chatted to everyone and made the acquaintance of Peter Pan, who was always known as the 'Senator's dog '.

Sharing a Little of My Dingo Experience and My Time with Berenice

I thought I would share an item I wrote for my other blog called Random Jottings and let you know how I came to be involved with and fall in love with these wonderful Australian animals.

As Tourism Manager for the Macarthur region I got to know the people and dogs at the Merigal Dingo Sanctuary (Australian Native Dog Conservation Society) in Bargo.

I became close friends with founder, Berenice Walters (known as the Dingo Lady) and through her learnt about Dingoes. I loved each and every one of these beautiful dogs but of course had my favourites.

My job involved very long hours and often a lot of stress and I would often visit the sanctuary and hour or so before closing.

After saying hello to all the Dingoes, I would spend time with each of my favourite Dingoes. They were:

• Wattle - who hid under her rock when strangers were around but had a collection of hair accessories hidden in her cave having pulled them from my head. 

• Her mate Paterson - who preferred the more Australian name of Patto. 

Patto and Wattie

• Hostie (more about Hostie later) and Romulus
• Humpty Two and Snowqueen - the perfect home makers, their run was always cleanest and tidiest

Twoey

Queenie

•  The big cuddly Harry (we were not allowed to call him ‘fat’).

Harry

And the irrepressible New Guinea Singing Dog, Kadoka.

After closing, Berenice and I would enjoy a glass of wine in the sanctuary as the sun set. The Dingoes often broke into song, if they didn’t Berenice was always able to get them started. I am blessed to have been able to experience this on many occasions and always went home revitalised.

Spending a lot of my leisure time at the sanctuary, I became confident talking about Dingoes to sanctuary visitors, bringing my favourites ones out for them to meet.

Much of my own time was spent doing promotional work for the society and the little attraction was invaluable in the promotion of Macarthur in general and Wollondilly in particular.

I was honoured to be one of the few volunteers trusted by Berenice to take a Dingo out for socialisation or promotional activities; either for the sanctuary itself or for the region’s tourism promotion.

One of my roles as tourism manager was regional co-ordination and promotion of the AussieHost customer service training program. The sanctuary had a littler of pups due and I offered to personally sponsor one of the pups. I spoke to Berenice about my idea of this pup being the mascot for AussieHost attending certificate presentations and other events.

Hostie at her first photo shoot

My beautiful ‘Hostie’ was socialised early; attending her first promotional photo shoot at six weeks old.

The irony of this event was that it was held in a Camden Council building previously used by the Moss Vale Pastures Protection Board; the organisation that had been responsible for the Dingo ‘control’ activities in the district.

My reasoning behind using a Dingo as a mascot for the program was twofold. Using a Dingo would draw attention to the training program and to the sanctuary and its work.

We had been successful in taking Dingoes to a variety of local and big tourism events including the annual Tourism Expo at Darling Harbour. Their presence always drew attention to our displays. Another ironic situation was when the sanctuary received an invitation to set up a display in conjunction with the dog judging at the Sydney Royal Easter Show many years after Berenice first began to fight for recognition of the Dingo as Australia’s native dog.

But, back to Hostie. Attending promotional activities from the age of 8 weeks, she was a hit with everyone she met and very relaxed under any situation although car travel wasn’t her favourite thing.

Hostie

One of the certificate presentations was to be held at the Campbelltown Catholic Club. I rang the club prior to the function and asked if I could bring a Dingo. A moment of silence came from the other end of the line, then a little giggle and “I thought you said a Dingo”.

“Um, yes, that’s what I said.”

“Oh! I don’t know I’ll have to check with the manager.” The manager came on the line and I explained that THIS dingo was the mascot for the function, extremely well behaved and socialised.

All went well until the food was served. Everyone was lined up waiting to help themselves from the buffet when Hostie decided she was the most important one there and tried to jump on the food table. I think in the end she got more to eat than anyone else because they wanted to feed her tidbits.

Once, she even attended a Nationalisation ceremony for Wollondilly Shire Council and got more attention than the Mayor.

The Dingo Sanctuary rarely bred stock but did breed for other sanctuaries and zoos.

One litter was selected by Western Plains Zoo, Dubbo for the new Dingo enclosure. I had spent a lot of time with these pups and had the pleasure of being at the sanctuary when their new handlers came to collect them.   

Sometime later, while attending a conference in Dubbo, I contacted the zoo to see if I could visit with the pups. 

I was made very welcome by the staff and taken behind the enclosures to be let in through a back gate. To my complete delight they remembered me and jumped all over me. It was a moment I will never forget. 

Reunited at Taronga Plains Zoo, Dubbo

Apart from having pet dogs and cats all my life, my only involvement with animals was volunteering at the RSPCA animal shelter when it was located in South Dowling St, Waterloo when I was 18. My work involved feeding and walking the dogs and answering enquiries about adoption.

I don’t remember learning anything in particular about dogs in my volunteer role but I was over the moon the first time I visited Merigal (23 years after my RSPCA days) when Berenice exclaimed excitedly; “You’re such a natural with dogs! You know exactly what to do to gain their confidence.”

As I write about this special time in my life I am working on what has become known as the Dingo Lady project. A few years ago I met up again with Berenice’s daughter, Christine, who was also one of my staff at the Macarthur Country Tourist Association. (Sadly since writing this piece Christine has passed away)

I had been out of touch with Christine and Berenice for some years and hadn’t heard about Berenice’s passing following a long illness. Christine was concerned about the future of her mother’s records. I jumped at the opportunity to help out and agreed to sort through all her records and manuscripts. This is also involves digitising everything so that her years of research and work will be available to future generations of researchers and students. The ultimate aim is to publish Berenice's biography. 

Berenice with her adored Dingoes

Website: www.dingolady.com.au 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Dingo-Lady/512403635483774

My time with the Dingoes taught me a lot about them and I was very lucky to have a lot of contact and receive their love in return. 

But, mostly I was honoured to have known the inspirational Berenice Walters who dedicated most of her adult life to educating people about the wonderful Dingo.