mudunama kundana wandaraba jarribirri: Judy Watson

KERRY MORGAN Nan loved Christmas Day each year, it was her day. JUDY WATSON It was her birthday. KERRY MORGAN She loved everybody and it just kept the family together. I think it made everyone always want to come back for Christmas. I was a bit upset when she went because you lose that connection. JULIE LOCCISANO I mean, under that mango tree . . . I really reckon that mango tree knows all of our secrets, all of our secrets. GREG LOCCISANO We'll have to cut it down [laughs]. LISA WATSON I think Nana was so well loved. She was a great catalyst for catching up with family, so welcoming. KERRY MORGAN And she was the glue keeping everyone together, you know what I mean? I'll tell you a funny story about Nan. When my mum got sick, Nan moved in. I had to sleep on the lounge, which was fine because that's where the TV was. But after day five I couldn't cope anymore, because she got up at 5am every morning, brings out the teapot, opens the door, throws out the leaves, shuts the door, fills the teapot with water, opens the door, throws out the water and shuts the door, makes a cup of tea and stirs it for about 10 minutes. One day I just said, 'Oh for F's sake Nan, I think the sugar is stirred!' JOYCE WATSON It gets worse than that. Mum would go to the kitchen very early, pull out the saucepans and the frypans, bang, bang, clatter, clatter, turn on the radio. The noise echoed all through the house in Camooweal Street. KERRY MORGAN Yes, in Camooweal Street I remember Kim going, 'Oh my God! Nana wakes up the whole household in the mornings, everything is banging, clunking.' I'm like, 'Oh no, no way!' JULIE LOCCISANO That probably comes from station life. You don't have to worry about that on a station, really, because everyone's up at the crack of dawn. GREG LOCCISANO Just get up and work and get it done. JOYCE WATSON Once at the Georgina, we were with her — Don and I. We had the Nissan Patrol there. Anyway, one morning she gets up in the tent and looks under her pillow, everywhere, everywhere, says, 'Bloody dingos, they've taken my booby.' I said, 'But why would they want that? It's not alive. It's just a bag of something, Mum.' Nan says, 'No, the dingo's got it, it's not under my pillow or in the bed. Is it in the car?' No, it was not in the car, so she went around looking for it. She was pretty upset. Then she went around to the front of the Nissan where we had our basin, towel and an old bag to stand on. There, sitting on the bull bar, was the booby. OPPOSITE Family gathering 2001, including Greg Loccisano (at left), Joyce Watson (third from left), Julie Loccisano (middle, wearing stripes) and Kerry Morgan (next to Julie) Family gathering 2001, including Judy (far right) and Joyce Watson (standing fourth from right) Grace Isaacson's 90th birthday, Mount Isa, including Kerry Morgan (far right) and Judy Watson (middle, right) 89 88