Lest They Be Lost: A Lifetime of Little Ponderings
From the heart of Yuendumu, a remote Aboriginal community nestled in the sweeping desert landscapes of the Australian Outback, comes a collection of ponderings that capture over fifty years of observations and reflections. Wendy Baarda Nangala, a teacher and long-term resident, offers us a window into her world through these verses, which weave the personal and the universal, the rhythms and hues of life in an extraordinary part of the world. With each line, Wendy invites readers to travel with her through decades of change, resilience, and connection to her community and its traditions. This collection is more than just ponderings; it is an intimate map of a soul's journey through the vast expanses of land and mind.
Lest They Be Lost eBOOK by Wendy Baarda Nangala
Wendy Baarda (née Cameron) grew up in Casterton in the Western District of Victoria.
In the early 1960s, she attended the University of Melbourne. There, she sang folk songs in cafes and demonstrated against the Vietnam War. At university, she made lifelong friends and met her future husband.
Her marriage to a geologist took her to nickel-boom Western Australia and oil-rich Alberta. She qualified as a schoolteacher at Calgary University.
After a several month-long odyssey from Canada to Panama and by ship across the Pacific, Wendy taught in Melbourne and Darwin.
In 1973, she settled with her husband, two sons, and daughter in Yuendumu, a Warlpiri community 300 km northwest of Alice Springs. Ever since she has been deeply involved in Yuendumu School’s bilingual program, and she still is.
This collection of a lifetime of little ponderings draws on an unusual worldview that owes much to Wendy’s Warlpiri friends and colleagues. It contains insightful, frivolous, kind, poignant, and respectful words.
To paraphrase J.R.R. Tolkien: Not all who ponder are lost.
This licence agreement outlines the terms under which you may use this product.
1. Grant of Licence
You are granted a single-user, non-exclusive, non-transferable licence to access and use this file for personal use only.2. Permitted Use
You may:- Store the file on up to five personal devices.
- Print one copy for private, non-commercial use (where permitted by the format).
3. Prohibited Use
You may not:- Reproduce, distribute, publish, or sell the file or its contents in whole or in part.
- Share the file via email, file-sharing platforms, or social media.
- Upload or embed the file in any publicly accessible website or learning platform.
- Alter, edit, or remove any part of the content or its attribution.
4. Intellectual Property
This product is protected by copyright under the Copyright Act 1968 (Cth) and international conventions. The authors and Clear Mind Press retain all rights, including moral rights.5. Termination
Any breach of these terms automatically terminates this licence. In such case, you must delete all copies in your possession and may be subject to legal enforcement.6. No Warranty
This product is provided "as is" without warranties as to compatibility, completeness, or fitness for a particular purpose, except as required under applicable law.7. Australian Consumer Law
Your rights under this agreement are in addition to any rights and remedies you may have under the Australian Consumer Law.For questions, support, or reporting misuse, please contact:info@clearmindpress.com
Last updated: 1 July 2025