Humpty Doo

The news this morning led with a story about a fellow riding his horse into a bar in the Northern Territory. 

“Tha’d be Humpty Doo” Vas said. 

And it was. 

Humpty Doo is a small town, a suburb really, outside of Darwin.  It’s name is said to come from an Aboriginal word Umdido, which meant resting place.  But some people figure the name just means everything a little upside down: a little different. The ideas seems to suit.

I first heard about Humpty from my Big, Black, Buddy in Alice.  He was happy to get back to home after just five months on the job.  He had had enough with humbugging and paperwork and needed a rest. His family still lives there, and so does his heart.

After the First Australians, the area was settled by Chinese immigrants: gold miners who had left families behind and set out on a new adventure.  These guys did ok. They built homes, had gardens and even grew their own rice.

After the Second World War, the Australian government decided to set up a big rice-growing project: apparently that was a big failure.  The combination of the poor soil, rats, buffalo and seed-eating geese proved too much.

And, I suspect Humpty Doo just didn’t want them there. 

Because, today the area is known for productive, private Mango orchards.

There is a wild streak about the area alright.  The people have a desire to be free of government rules and regulations: even the soil doesn’t want to be tamed.

But a horse in the pub? 

I looked at the rider with his piercings, tattoos and wild hair doo.. and thought of Eureka, Montana, just across the border from my hometown of Fernie,  in Canada. “The Saloon” had swinging wooden doors, big brawny bar keeps, and sawdust on the floor: ‘To soak up all the blood from the bar fights’ my father told me. 

But the coolest story I ever heard was about my dad bringing a variety of wild friends to the Fernie Motor Inn for drink: including a porcupine.   

It didn’t make headline news on the Morning Show, but people back then weren’t in it for the Hullaballoo… or were they? 

If he did it today it would at least get a few hits on U-Tube!

I think Fernie used to be a little like Humpty Doo: a lovely place to catch your breath..  a little different: the whole Lizard range is literally upside down.  The Indigenous people placed a curse on the town and … well.. just try and grow rice there!