Elder Allan reflects on his childhood years, growing up in a time of change and continuity on Palm Island. Born in 1961, he remembers the era of the Vietnam War and the peaceful 1970s. As one of four brothers and five sisters, Allan's childhood was filled with familial bonds and traditional teachings. "I remember when I was younger," he recalls, "it was a boy that growing up sees things." His parents' work and cultural practices left a lasting impression on him. Allan fondly remembers his father's craftsmanship, making drums, boats, and traditional artifacts. "Dad always made boats and, uh, sometime he, he, he unfinished work, so go away and then we all start doing the same things over again," he shares.
The family dynamics were shaped by periods of separation and reunification, as his parents sometimes had to be away, leaving the children in the care of others. Despite these challenges, Allan and his siblings learned respect and cultural values from those who cared for them. "We grew up to listen and, and taught how to be respected and all that," he says. These teachings were reinforced when his mother returned, bringing the family together to share traditional activities like gathering cockles by the jetty.
Allan's connection to his roots is evident in his respect for the land and its people. He expresses gratitude to the traditional owners of the country, the Dur people, for welcoming them. "We came up to look at some of the Mission Beach where they, uh, got so got hit by a recycling," he mentions, highlighting his ongoing bond to the land and its history.
Through his stories, Allan offers a glimpse into the strength of family, the importance of cultural heritage, and the resilience of community life.
Allan Palm Island
Palm Island (Bwgcolman Country)
PUBLIC-ARCHIVE-CONFIRMED. Allan Palm Island, age 50 (b. ~1975), Manbarra Traditional Owner Director on the PICC Board (the inaugural holder of that position). In his own words: "I began to learn about my culture from as young as eight years, and this started with my father. He would, over the years, teach me first about the stories of the Nanggarra Wanggarra people and my connection to country (Manbarra). My art depicts the land and animal and sea life and within the art is the spiritual connection to our ancestors which includes my father and my mother's country and they carrying on of knowledge through these artworks." Trained at Cairns College of TAFE (Arts and Craft), continued at Casuarina University (Charles Darwin University, NT), and completed Master of Fine Arts at RMIT University Melbourne in 1999. As Manbarra, Allan represents the original Traditional Owners of Palm Island — the Manbarra were forcibly moved off the islands in the 1890s by the Queensland Government, before the 1914 reserve gazetting brought the Bwgcolman peoples. PICC Acknowledgement of Country (2023-24 Annual Report) names Allan as Manbarra Director and recognises both the Manbarra (Traditional Owners) and the Bwgcolman (descendants of those forcibly removed) — "Bwgcolman" meaning "many tribes, one people" (per Jeanie Sam, Manager of PICC Children and Youth Services). KINSHIP LEAD (Tuesday 2026-04-28): "Dick Palm Island" was the Manbarra elder credited with coining the term Bwgcolman ("many tribes, one people") to give a collective identity to the 46 forcibly relocated groups. Allan Palm Island shares the surname pattern (adopted from country) and the Manbarra identity — possible direct lineage. Worth confirming with Allan Tuesday. ADDITIONAL ARCHIVE CONFIRMATION (Trove): At the opening of the Palm Island Cultural Precinct on 24 February 2012 (Torres News, 14 March 2012), Allan Palm Island welcomed politicians and hundreds of community members "to country" as the local Manbarra elder — before the Tom Geia Snr Memorial Bridge was unveiled. Direct documentary evidence of Allan in his Manbarra Traditional Owner role over a decade before the PICC Board appointment.
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