Kokatha, Arabana and the Newman Family – Connecting generations
Introduction
The Kokatha and Arabana lands have been inhabited for tens of thousands of years. Despite the damage done to the people and the land since European settlement, the communities have survived, thrived and continue to maintain their connection with Country. The Arabana were officially granted Native Title Consent Determination in 2012, and the Kokatha in 2014. There is now an opportunity for healing and new partnerships that empower and support the development of the neighbouring Kokatha and Arabana peoples. For more than 25 years, the Peter Newman Foundation has been dedicated to promoting the sustainability, development and enrichment of Indigenous communities and cultures. This is a story of how the Newman family discovered their connection to the region and the Kokatha and Arabana communities of South Australia and the new relationships and exciting opportunities for partnership that have developed.
Captain Jack Bolton Newman
The Newman family’s connection with the region began with Captain Jack Newman, who served as the Superintendent of the Woomera Rocket Range and Township from 1954 – 1959. His tenure was marked by a mix of humour, discipline, and dedication, leaving a lasting impression on the Woomera community. Upon his departure in June 1959, his popularity was evident as his car was humorously dragged to the airport by a team of men. In 1960, the Woomera footy ground was renamed Newman Oval in recognition of Captain J B Newman Royal Australian Navy (RAN) who gave tremendous support to sporting and recreational activities in Woomera.**
During the Second World War, then Commander Jack Newman was Director of Signals and Communications for the RAN, leading the Fleet Radio Unit, a joint Australian and US Code breaking Unit, that broke Japanese code and contributed significantly to Allied victories in the Battle of the Coral Sea and Midway, as well as leaving a legacy for what would become the current Australian Signals Directorate. HMAS Harman, the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) base that serves as a communications and logistics facility in Canberra, and the surrounding suburb of Harman are named after Commander Neville Harvey (‘Har’) and Commander Jack Newman (‘man’).
Captain Newman escorts Lord Mountbatten on his visit to Woomera Weapons Range in 1956 – NAA
In 1941, Newman needed a trained and skilled workforce to help supplement the already low numbers of trained personnel involved in code breaking. He visited and assessed the Women’s Emergency Signals Corp led by Mrs Florence Violet Mackenzie (known as Mrs Mac). Having found their skills to be highly proficient he recommended that they be incorporated into the RAN. In spite of much resistance from the Naval Board, Newman’s advocacy was successful, and the Women’s Australian Naval Service (WRANS) was born. In later years Mrs Mac and Newman were seen both as the mother and father of the WRANS.3 Today Captain Jack Bolton Newman continues to be associated with Harman, with Newman Crescent named after him. He is also honoured for his pioneering efforts alongside Mrs Mac in the ‘CAPT Jack Newman, RAN –Mrs Florence McKenzie, OBE, IWO Award’ for Dux of Course.
1 Peter Morton. Fire Across the Desert, Defence Science and Technology, 1989
** David ‘Dick’ Turpin. Almanac Footy: ‘A History of Australian Rules Football in Woomera 1948 to 1992, The Footy Almanac, 2025
*** SBLT Cinaed Finall RAN. Captain Jack Bolton Newman – The Grandfather of Information Warfare Officers and RAN Communications, The Naval Historical Review, March 2024
Peter Newman Foundation
In 1965, Captain Jack Newman’s younger son Philip married Rebecca Owens at her childhood home on Mount Desert Island off the coast of Maine in the United States. They had met 12 months earlier on a summer program in New York, working with underprivileged children on the Lower East Side of Manhatton. Philip and Becky had three children, Chris, Pam and Peter, all brought up with a strong sense of social justice. Archdeacon Philip Newman, who died in 2021 was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for his service to Drug Prevention and Rehabilitation, Refugees and the Anglican Church.
In 1993, Peter Newman died from suicide at the age of 22, after a long battle with mental illness. He had a deep interest in the philosophy, culture and spirituality of Indigenous cultures, developed though his travels around Australia, and from friends from Central and South America. He wanted the inheritance he received from his grandmother, Mrs. Betty Owens, who shared a commitment to social causes and the environment, to be used in support of Indigenous communities with whom he felt such an important connection.
To honour Peter’s memory and their family’s commitment and passion to supporting Indigenous communities, The Peter Newman Foundation (PNF) was established by his brother Chris and sister Pam.
The aim of the Foundation is:
To provide funding to organisations to deliver projects and programs promoting the sustainability, development and enrichment of Indigenous communities and cultures:
through the support and development of Indigenous culture
through the promotion of community strength, welfare, education and land rights
Since 1997, the PNF has supported a range programs and projects working with Indigenous communities in Central America and Australia. Some examples of recent projects supported include:
Las Abejas Indigenous Community (Chiapas, Mexico) – Multiple projects over 20 years to support community strengthening, women’s empowerment and enterprise development in Southern Mexico. www.peaceanddiversity.org.au
Remote OpShop Project – supporting a social enterprise initiative that operates second-hand stores (op-shops) in remote Indigenous communities. The project aims to provide affordable clothing and essential items while creating local employment, reducing waste and promoting community self-sufficiency and sustainable practices. www.remoteopshopproject.org
Karrkad Kanjddjii Trust – supporting the establishment and growth of women’s ranger programs providing unique employment and leadership opportunities in remote communities and ensuring the intergenerational transfer of knowledge amongst women so that Country can be cared for in the most comprehensive way.
kkt.org.au/work/women-rangers
Chest of Kokatha Wonders
After Philip’s death in 2021, and Becky moving to a nursing home, the family were cleaning out their garage and found an old trunk, lined with 1950s newspapers. The trunk was filled with a range of Indigenous wooden artefacts and hundreds of stone tools, some inscribed with the names of the sites where they were found, (in and around the Woomera region on Kokatha land). It is likely that these artefacts had been collected by or provided to Captain Jack Newman during his time at Woomera and he had brought them to Melbourne and passed them onto his son Philip.
By chance, the PNF already had a link to the Kokatha and Arabana through Chris Newman’s first marriage to Megan, older sister of Rowena Brown, whose long-time partner is Chris Larkin. Chris Larkin is a Kokatha man and Traditional Owner with a long involvement with the Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation (KAC), including serving as chairperson. Through Chris, the PNF had previously funded the purchase of a community bus in Marree for the Arabana community.
Followings discussions with the Kokatha over some time, Chris and Pam Newman and their partners, Rosey and Clive drove the artefacts to South Australia to meet Chris Larkin, and Joyleen Khatija, and Roger Thomas, and give them back to the Kokatha in May 2024.
Pam, Clive, Joyleen, Khatija, Chris, Rosey and Chris Larkin
Some of the artefacts that have been returned to the Kokatha.
An exciting opportunity
Following the swapping of many stories at lunch and in conversations since then, an exciting opportunity has presented itself to establish a long-term relationship between the PNF and the Kokatha and Arabana Traditional Owners in Northern South Australia. Funding has since been provided to purchase and donate to the Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation (KAC) a magnificent painting of the Seven Sisters creation story created collaboratively by the Ken sisters from the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara (APY) Lands in South Australia. It is intended that this painting will be displayed in the foyer of the new KAC office and community space in Port Augusta along with the artefacts from Woomera and other artefacts that are held by the community. This display will help deepen understanding and connections and aims to encourage other artefacts that have been removed from Country to be returned where they belong.
In June 2025, the PNF was also able to provide funding to purchase locally created art works for the bedrooms and living spaces of the new Arabana Warli Accommodation in Marree, enriching the environment and experience for those returning to Country.
Future projects and exciting opportunities for long term collaboration are being explored, as we continue to build on the connections and history that have brought us together.
The Seven Sisters Painting by the Ken Sisters donated to the Kokatha Aboriginal Corporation for display.