Wisdom Man

By Banjo Clarke and Camilla Chance

Banjo Clarke was an elder of the Kirrae Whurrong, a people of the Gunditjmara nation, and was a direct descendant of Queen Truganini. He was born in 1922 near Warrnambool, and by the time he passed away in March 2000 he was known and loved by thousands for his wisdom and compassion. Wisdom Man covers Banjo's life from his childhood on a mission, through the grim years of the Depression, his solo travels in search of work, the birth of his eleven children, and his embrace of the Baha'i faith, which he found very close to Aboriginal spirituality. His story is one of remarkable forbearance during terrible encounters with racism, cruelty and the loss of loved ones, and is made all the more extraordinary by his lack of bitterness and anger. Wisdom Man also distils the essence of Aboriginal culture: Banjo constantly points to those aspects which he sees as relevant to all humanity, particularly in terms of our relationship with the land. Banjo Clarke embodied the spirit of reconciliation in its most generous and forgiving form, espousing and living it long before it was given a name, long before it became fashionable. Includes a foreword by former prime minister Malcolm Fraser, who knew Banjo, and tributes by Archie Roach, Martin Flanagan, Judith Durham, among others - a sample of the wide range of people whose lives he touched. Countless people from all over the world came to Warrnambool to seek him out, and his door was always open to the homeless and the troubled.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0670040789
• ISBN13: 9780670040780
• Release Date: February 2004
• Publisher: Penguin Global
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 0.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 1.0" x 6.0"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 12 and higher

Customer Reviews

Banjo Clarke's fascinating life and great wisdom is a riveting read

Reading the "compassionate life and beliefs of a remarkable Aboriginal Elder" like Banjo Clarke was a true eye opener and an honour to delve into. Somehow, you feel that Banjo Clarke is one of those 'wise teachers' who walk the earth at different times in human history, calling us to our true purpose and to our true selves. A mortal man nonetheless, a spiritual wise man of the Kirrae Whurrong tribe of Australia who battled hunger and racism in the Depression, who worked as a boxer and built roads amid the bombs of WWII, among many other things in order to survive, and who fought against his own demon, alcoholism, who witnessed many tragedies within his own family and among his people - despite these many difficulties, his deep and proud Aboriginal roots, attachment to the land and beautiful spirituality, strengthened by his Baha'i beliefs, safeguarded his pure heart and his tremendous capacity for love. Camilla Chance records Banjo Clarke's memories, profound teachings and great hope for the future with reverence and deep respect, unfolding a fascinating account of this committed environmentalist and authentic humanitarian whose life touched so many from all walks of life and all races. Banjo Clarke's spiritual nature is so advanced it makes me think that if we only use only 15% of our brainpower, we use even less of our spiritual power - that power borne of pure love that is so sorely needed to bring about a safe and thriving world. This book is riveting and sometimes too heartbreaking to read, but has so much to teach us, particularly here in the Western world. Banjo Clarke is someone who dares us to bring the sacred into our lives, something that we all carry within us but all too often ignore. In a world where we desecrate and plunder the earth with thoughtless and greedy abandon, where religion divides people rather than unites them as it is meant to do, and where universal compassion and empathy take second and even third place to a materialist world culture, Banjo's message is all the more urgent and important for us to hear today. I recommend this very moving and fascinating book wholeheartedly!

Indigenous wisdom may be our lifeboat

Camilla Chance met Aboriginal people in 1975 in Warrnambool, Victoria in Southern Australia. The Aboriginal population there was high, but they were good at disappearing. Being from the other end of the social spectrum, she could more easily have been among their adversaries. But instead, she became a friend, got jobs for them, bailed them out of jail and did everything she could to become an ally. When she was accepted as Aboriginal in spirit, a 27-year period of writing down their philosophy, as expressed by the head of one family, Banjo Clarke, led to the book "Wisdom Man". Camilla receives no money for the published work, but travels the world disseminating Banjo's ideas, because she saw firsthand that indigenous people who are true to their old laws are, in many ways, living the closest to how we all need to live now for our planet to survive.

It took me long enough

When I received this book years back I read a chapter and then set it on my book shelf. Not because it was a bad book, just the opposite, but because I was battling some "lack of time" for every mindset at the time. Then a month ago, as I was cleaning up my bookshelves getting ready to move in a few months, I found it again, or I should say it found me. It fell off the shelf and hit my barefoot toes. Ouch! That evening, when nothing was on TV, I picked up the book and began at the beginning again. I couldn't put it down. I fell fast asleep with the book on my chest. At lunch my nose was was close to the page. You will not want to miss reading this. It tells you about a grand man, far away in Australia, living a different way of life, holding different beliefs. It shows us that we are much the same no matter what our language, country, or continent. You have got to read this! Catherine Franz [...] "Columnist, syndicated talk show host, TV producer, and Master Certified Business Coach, Speaker and Author.

I Love This Book

Author, Camilla Chance, writes about an Aboriginal elder, Banjo Clarke. I read the book in one sitting. Banjo is an inspiration to me and a hero. I defintely need some people to look up to and Banjo is one of them. Sherri Rosen Publicity LLC, NYC

A wonderful Narrative

"Wisdom Man" is an oral history of Australian aboriginal life as seen and experienced through the eyes of one man. Raised in the bush by the old people of his tribe, Banjo Clarke learned to live off the land and to survive as his people had for centuries. As he grew to manhood, he found himself caught between two cultures, his and the white man's. As the years passed the Australian regional government seized more aboriginal land and many natives were forced to seek work from whites that viewed them as lazy blacks. Despite this Banjo grew into a remarkable man who years later became a preserver of his native culture and wisdom. Over the years, he helped many people and opened his house to troubled youth of all races and cultures. He became philosopher, teacher, spiritual advisor, and foster father to generations of people who left his company the better for having known him. Camilla Chance, the author, who recorded Banjo's life is mentioned often in his narrative as an admired friend who understood and respected the aboriginal way of life. At the end of Banjo's narrative, Chance in turn describes how they met and their friendship throughout the years. She tells of going to the Framlingham Aboriginal Settlement with other members of the Bahai Faith. Chance also speaks about her faith and how it is in accordance with aboriginal principles. We learn of the deep and abiding friendship Banjo had with Chance and her family and his spiritual connection to her son David. I thought Banjo's narrative interesting. It reminded me of the old storytellers of my own Caribbean culture. I enjoyed reading it and found Banjo's perception of his world to be Zen like. He did not seek to control and change his environment only to live in it with respect. At the back of the book there are other brief essays and poems by members of Banjo's family and some of his friends. All this adds to the quality of the work and helps to make this man real to people who are not familiar with Aboriginal or Australian culture. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys learning about other cultures and places, or students of nature both in the broad and narrow sense.