The Call of the Cockatoo

Amye was born in East Timor and grew up in West Timor with 10 brothers and sisters. Life was very difficult. Her family was very poor. Their house was made out of palm trees. At school she was writing her subjects on stone. 

Amye was a young girl who had a big dream. A dream to come to Australia. Every morning at 6am she would listen to the Australian radio channel and hear the Australian bird. The call of the cockatoo. 

When she was 16 years old, she was given a dress. Her first ever dress. She fell in love with this dress. But then her mum whispered to her one day that her dad had accepted an arranged marriage. He had accepted some whisky, a cow and nuts to give her away. The dress was a gift from the local man. Amye didn’t want the same life as her sisters. She didn’t want to be married at 16. She wanted to go to the city. She wanted to go to university. And her mum wanted her to have a better future too. Her mum told her to run away. She told her to go to live with her Aunty in the big city. Amye was worried about her mum. Her mum would be beaten up by her father. But her mum was not going to let Amye stay even if she was going to be beaten. Her mum is her hero. 

After two days on a rocky road in an old truck Amye arrived in the city. Her Aunty and Uncle were very supportive and very protective of Amye. She went to school. She got good grades. She was one of the best 40 students in secondary school in West Timor and she received a special certificate from the government that allowed her and the 39 other students to not have to do a test to go to university. 

Amye finished university in 1984. Straight away she received a job at a concrete company and ended up managing 52 staff. In 1986 she was sent by the company to Darwin for training. She fell in love in Darwin. She started importing and exporting live cattle. She became a business consultant. Her family had a background in farming.  

Amye had a son. Amye is now a proud single mum. She has provided her son a safe and loving home. Her son has a Bachelor of Civil Engineering. Her son has a son. Her only grandson. Her son provided her the funds to start her Laksa House in Darwin. 

Amye had a dream. Her niece, nephew and sisters are all politicians. Amye thought she could never be a politician in Australia. Her English was broken. Why would anyone vote for her. But Amye has a huge heart. Amye wanted the opportunity to care for the community and thank Darwin for the opportunities it has given her. 

Amye is now a Councillor for the City of Darwin. The town that she loves. The town that welcomed her. 

Amye winning a multicultural award for International Women's Day in 2022.