A woman who arrived in Tennant Creek more than 56 years ago to take up a position as a midwife at the local hospital died on Wednesday aged 88.

Nancy Schmidt, who was fondly known as Aunty Nancy because she was such a lovely mumma to everyone, leaves a legacy of kindness and compassion, and a trail of goodwill.

Nancy’s story began in the Central Desert, west of Alice Springs where she lived with her Aboriginal family until she was taken away by authorities and sent to the Bungalow in Alice Springs. When the Government handed over care of all Aboriginal children to missionaries, Nancy was transferred to the Methodist Mission on Goulburn Island and then on to Croker Island along with other children who were members of what has become the Stolen Generation.

Nancy recounted a happy childhood on her island home where they ate fresh fish, home-grown vegetables and bread that was baked daily. She said they learned to sew, and attended school.

One of the missionaries at Croker Island, Margaret Somerville, always held a special place in Nancy’s heart. She regarded her as her mother and the 94-or so other children at the mission as her brothers and sisters.

As she aged, Nancy continued to care for her, writing regularly and sending her crocheted blankets and care packages.

Following the bombing of Darwin in February 1942, it became clear island residents needed to be evacuated and the three cottage mothers, Miss Somerville, Olive Peake and Jess March were insistent the children come with them. They led a 5000 kilometre cross-country exodus from the small island north east of Darwin to Sydney.

The group of 95 children travelled by boat, foot, canoe, truck and train. The most challenging leg of the journey was a trek from Oenpelli to Pine Creek that has become known as the ‘long walk’.

It was a hot, risky, challenging journey however all, bar one child who died along the way, made it to Pine Creek where they were taken by truck to Alice Springs. From there they caught the train to Sydney where they spent the next four years, waiting out the war before returning to Croker Island.

It was a perilous exhibition which Nancy said helped her to become resilient and appreciative of whatever she had, no matter how insignificant it might have seemed.

When she was old enough, and with Miss Somerville’s help, Nancy headed back to Sydney for further education then on to Victoria where she trained as a nurse and midwife. She was offered work at the Alice Springs Hospital in the early 1960s – without knowing how close to her home country she was.

After some time, Nancy was sent to work at the Tennant Creek Hospital.

A serious car accident involving a group of German nationals one day sealed Nancy’s fate. There were a number of fatalities and a couple of survivors who were brought in to the Tennant Creek Hospital for treatment.

One of those young, handsome men was Joe Schmidt who soon became Nancy’s husband, best friend and father of her two children, Josef and Aloma.

During their years together in Tennant Creek, Joe worked hard to provide for his family while Nancy was a beautiful, caring mother.

When her children were old enough, Nancy took on a job at the school as an assistant teacher, helping many of those who she had delivered safely into the world.

As tributes flowed on social media this week, the love and support Nancy gave to so many children was highlighted over and over again.

Nancy and Joe had a block of land they called Kraut Downs that was home to a menagerie of animals including cattle, horses, emus, ducks, chickens and many more.

It became quite a visitor attraction with word of Nancy’s delicious damper and jovial hospitality spreading across the country. Nancy had a fabulous garden out there with citrus trees, passionfruit, vegetables and bush tucker. It was a happy place for both her and Joe and they loved to spend time together out there.

When Nancy’s soul mate died suddenly at Kraut Downs one day, after 53 years of marriage, there wasn’t much left for her in Tennant Creek. Friends helped pack up her home, rehoused the animals from Kraut Downs, and Nancy bade farewell to town that she fell in love with way back in the sixties.

She moved to Mount Isa to be with Aloma but she was never really that far away. Aloma kept locals up-to-date through her Facebook page and it was joyous to see how deeply she was loved and how much fun she had with her little friend, her grandson, Josef.

Nancy’s death this week closes a chapter on the history of Tennant Creek and the Territory. She was never bitter or angry about her past, she saw goodness in all around her. She had a radiant smile and a big, generous heart. She made the world a better place to be.

Vale Nancy. And from all of us who have had the privilege and pleasure to know you, thank you for your friendship, guidance, laughter and love. May you rest in peace.

This article appeared in Tennant & District Times, 10 September 2021.