The following item is printed with kind permission of Ted Egan from his book “Sit Down Up North”

St Marys Kamwari

Our first premiership was immortalised in a Kulama song by an old Tiwi bloke named Ali Uraputaway. He did it in the format of the ABC Radio News. In those days the local ABC Station was 5DR,and the well-known newsreader was Kevin Chapman.

He did it this way:

Port Darwin Port Darwin 5DR

Aungwara news ingani

Here is today's news read by Kevin Chapman

Parlingari arnungka tunuwui pootball play pordawinup

A long time ago none of our people played football in Darwin

Waiya nguwa ingardi kukunari ingani taikwapi tunuwui kukunari ingani ngeningatinglauila kukunari ingani

But now there are plenty of us playing. A big mob of us is playing today

Garden Oval ingani St Mary wangunuwaraBuffalo yetti pudi

(five: literally, one hand) goal

Today St Marys beat Buffaloes by five goals

Raphael Apuatimi ngara maratingali nganingati Superman

Raphael Apuatimi he can fly like a Superman

Ted Egan ngara angeraya taikwapi maratingali! Kalikali muruka! Wamuta-ini! Anawunau! Kari pakateringaga wamuta-ini pipwa! Pipwala! Puttim goal!

Ted Egan told all the players fly high! Run fast! Mark the ball! Kick it! If it rains mark the ball on your chest! On the chest! Kick goals!

Joe Saturninus ingardi bumbuni keringara goal anawunau

Joe Saturninus is too good, he kicked six goals

St Mary kamwarl! Kriu! Yiruka! Purim!

St Marys are just too good! Straight up! They did it!

Ngara pangkina yiloti

They’ll be on top forever

Tapinamini nguwa taikwapi kerawala! Paupau Yoi yoi mangkarana

Tonight all of us will sing! Clap the buttocks! Dance hard!