Persons of Interest – Luke Sidney Morcom

Sidney Morcom was born on 14 June 1951, under a mango tree, in the remote Northern Territory aborigine community of Borroloola. His father Albert Morcom, owner of the local store, had gone “walkabout,” deserting his family in Charters Towers, Queensland. His mother was Yima Dhindali a member of the local Yanyuwa tribe.

In the 1950s there was policy of separating half-caste babies from their Aboriginal mothers soon after birth.  Taken from his parents as a week old infant, Sidney’s name was changed to Luke  at the Catholic Garden Point Mission on Melville Island.  When he was 12, Luke was adopted by Jack & Maimi SMITH in Adelaide.

For over 30 years, Luke worked as a Community Recreation Officer and Sports Development officer in Darwin. He was also a disc jockey on the local aborigine radio channel.  However, he was best known nationally as the author of moving poems about the injustice to the children of the “Forgotten Generation,” and his work was quoted and his life described, in both the Canberra and Northern Territory parliaments. Luke Sidney Morcom died in January 2018.

Stolen from their mothers

And taken from the land

They are the stolen generation

Caught in no man’s land

Denys Thomas, Member 4808

On the second and fourth Mondays of each month, we share a short story provided by a member about a person of interest in their one-name study. Whether your person is good, bad, or simply interesting or unusual, please send us your story.

This post is from Guild member Denys Thomas, who is working on his Morcom ONS.  Denys is a member of the Guild’s Hertfordshire and North London Region. His Morcom ONS is a category 3 with 3 variants, and it has a members’ website, and a majority of reconstructed family trees for this surname. Denys has been a member of the Guild since 2007.

Why not submit a story (200-300 words OR a bit longer if need be) about a person of interest in your own one-name study. Email each story and image(s) to marketing@one-name.org.