Until the late 1960's the most popular advice literature for expectant mothers did not concern itself with advice on smoking. However, since the turn of the decade there have been increasing exhortations against smoking during pregnancy. For example, the Health Education Council (U.K.) has produced a pamphlet which commences: “When a pregnant woman smokes she puts her unborn baby's life at risk. Every time she inhales, she poisons her baby's bloodstream with nicotine and carbon monoxide.” Why have there been these increasing exhortations, and what is the evidence?

Whether or not A.A. Milne accurately reflected childhood experiences in 1924, this is certainly the picture of childhood experience and expectation with which many of us grew up. As an aside, I would note that another English poet, Kit Wright, writing in 1978, comes up with a vastly different picture of life through a child’s eyes:

Huntington's Disease is a hereditary disease which is passed from generation to generation through auto-somal dominant tranmission. The transmission is unrelated to the sex of the child and each child of an affected parent has a 50% chance of inheriting the disease or not inheriting the disease. This disease never skips a generation but for those who do not inherit the offending gene (S), then the disease can no longer be transmitted to future generations. The disease usually manifests itself in the late 30's and early 40's years of age, that is, towards the end of the reproductive life of the patient. The average length of time from onset to death is about 15 years and death is usually due to pneumonia or heart disease in a debilitated person.

In traditional Aboriginal communities the young were cared for by the COMBINED efforts of relatives. Traditional social/cultural values included an emphasis on the extended family as the basic unit, with responsibility for the welfare of each member of a tribe being shared by all. Methods of child-rearing emphasised undemanding security and physical demonstration of affection, rather then discipline, training and material comforts. The structure of the extended family varied from tribe to tribe with different members having primary responsibility for child care.

The disproportionate number of Aboriginal juveniles in state corrective institutions is a matter of serious concern to Aboriginals, policy-makers and administrators alike. Although it is difficult to obtain accurate statistical information in this area, and hence to fully comprehend the nature and complexity of the problem, what data we do have suggest that juvenile delinquency and ensuing institutionalisation is reaching crisis proportions. It would seem that in comparison with the non-Aboriginal population, Aboriginal juveniles are more likely to be charged with an offence, to be convicted, and to be committed to a corrective institution. Moreover, recidivism rates for Aboriginal juveniles are significantly higher than for non-Aboriginals and substantial numbers do not have homes to go to on release and are transferred to institutions or permanent foster care as wards of the State.

Before Missionaries came to Groote Eylandt in 1921, people used to stay in family groups. They followed the pattern set by our laws set for marriages, but the strong men took most wives, and others were left without a wife. There were many murders for this reason and because of raids from other mainland tribes.

There was plenty of food from the sea and the bush. When the water dried up in smaller creeks there were four rivers where people could get fresh water. They moved around in their own areas on Groote.