This is Curtain, a podcast where we expose the disappearances of Aboriginal people across this country, shining a light on the darkest parts of our justice system. We ask who are the victims? I am aiming.
Acquire and I'm Martin Hodgson, Senior Advocate at the Foreign Prisoner Support Service.
And a warning.
This series contains the names of deceased people and includes distressing content that may upset some listeners.
Welcome to episode three of season two. I've gotten the podcast. Today we bring you another story from Durmbo Country, a story that ties in with the original investigation of this podcast, which revolved around the death of an Aboriginal woman named Linda on the banks of Tunnaba or the Fitzroy River in my hometown of Rockhampden. Back when Martin and I were investigating Linda's story uncovering the truth about the wrongful conviction of Kevin Henry, we heard of another death on Tuniba.
We heard about it from my father's Stirling macchuire. He told us of another Aboriginal woman who had lost her life by the banks of Tuniba in circumstances eerily similar to that of Linda. The difference was that the perpetrator in this case was a white man. We found out that the woman who had lost her life was named Queeny Hart. She was a walker walker woman from Sherburg, a former Aboriginal mission in Queensland, only about two hours
from Brisbane. Queeny had been traveling and staying in Rockhampden with family back in nineteen seventy five when she met a white man named Stephen Keem who took her to Tunaba one night and who left her there by that river into humanizing circumstances where she died. Her wounds told a story of brutal violence, and before the white man was even named and charged, the newspapers spoke of the
likely culprit being a sadistic killer. However, by the next year, when the trial Alpher murder came around, that white man Stephen Keem, was not named as a sadistic killer. Instead, he was defined by his employment as a railway fettler. Queenie, in turn was dehumanized and said to be a prostitute,
although that is something her family have always denied. Stephen Keam's charges of murder over the death of Queeny were dropped within two hours of the trial beginning by the judge who sided with his defense, which put Queeny on trial, suggesting that her death was her responsibility. The irony was not.
Lost on us.
We were investigating a case where a black man had been wrongfully convicted over the death of an Aboriginal woman, while in another case years before, a white man who all the evidence suggested was guilty, had walked free. When I heard about Queeny's case, I spoke to Martin and we got in contact with Debbie West, Queeny's niece, who told us about her Auntie and how it had devastated
her family, mostly Queen's mother, Janie Hart. At the time of Queen deef Annie Janey had wanted to bring Queeny home for burial on country, but were cruelly denied that right by the superintendent in Sherburg. You see, Sherberg was still under the Aboriginal Protection Act at the time Queenie was killed. It was a brutal policy in which the residents of Sherburg who had been forcibly removed to that area were likened to inmates, with their lives completely controlled
by the protectors and the police. In order to fight for justice for Queenie. Martin and I decided to help Debbie's family bring Queenie home to Sherburg for a proper burial. Today, we decided to revisit Queeney's story for the podcast by bringing you the voice of Debbie West. We spoke to her on the phone from her home in Brisbane.
I'll start by asking Debbie, what was your earliest memories of hearing about Auntie Queeny.
My earliest memory would have been when I was probably.
And did you know that at that age what had had happened to Auntie?
No?
Oh, I just knew that she passed away.
Yeah, And when did you first find out what had happened?
Well, grandmother, my grandmother never talked about it.
Right, So was it only until after she passed away that you found out what happened?
Very later after she passed away, because we only just knew that she passed away, and you know, in them days, we didn't question in how she passed away or anything got that there? Yeah?
Oh yeah, And do you remember what your reaction was when you found out what had actually happened to Annie Queeney.
My reaction is I didn't believe it at first, Yeah, And I was trying to comprehend the news when I actually heard about it. When I spoke to HAMI.
Yeah, once you'd heard what had happened to Arnie Queeney, what was your reaction like? Did you want to know what happened? Did you just want to get her home to country? What was sort of your first motivation.
At first? I was getting shocked and actually speak to my uncle and speak about just a feeling the blank that I had, okay in what in the whole story and trying to comprehend you know, what really happened, And I said more archies or uncle never talked about it. Neither did my grandmother. We just knew that she just passed away.
And Debbie, I remember, I think I first contacted you shortly after I had actually heard about any Queenie, and I'd heard about it from my dad in rock Hampton. So I remember, you know, a lot of mob in rock Hampden had known what had happened, had known there had been an enduring injustice. And I remember when I contacted you because I was really concerned. I thought, I
really feel like I need to look into this. But then I thought, well, there's like there's I don't know if that would affect your family, but I remember when I called you straight away, one of the first things you told me was that your auntie was actually still buried in Rockhampton, and I remember that was like the first thing you told me, even before anything else I
found out or you told me about your family. I remember that was one of the first things you said, and I remember being so struck by that because it was sort of like I realized that something needed to.
Happen, you know what I mean.
Do you remember that you talk of it a little bit about that.
Yeah, yeah, it was still shocked. And after speaking to my uncle uncle Louis in their pastorn, you know, he said, you know that'll you know, that'll make him happy, and it'll make man happy too, because he said to me, you know, that was when a man's wishes. So I was happy with that and going forward with everything, getting commission from my older siblings to do that, and Auntie are welcome to Oh yeah.
And Debbie, I think during that time you actually found out a lot about what she was actually like, even though you never got to meet your auntie because like that had been stolen from you. Really, even the ability for your grandmother to speak about her daughter that had been taken away from you. But I think through this process and hearing Uncle Lewis and Anni Alita and Annie sl speak of her, you found out a bit more
about how what she was like, didn't you. Can you tell me a little bit about the process and what she was like in.
Life after speaking to my uncle his wife Melita and me, and she was good friends with Annie Queeney and and you tell me, you know how where personality was, and I could I kind of cannot relate it because I know Mom and my Auntie and that they well, you know, I need to dress up really nice. And I can see where felling too, because you know, traveling, My mom traveled. My other artis travel. So yeah, you can relate to it, and I relate to they're doing them stuff and just enjoying life.
Yeah, you could definitely imagine just any the loss that it had been to your community and not being able to take her home and not being your grandmother, not being able to say goodbye properly on her home country. I think that was like a unique sort of trauma that didn't affect other people that happened after death, you know, what I mean, It's just I don't think a lot of other people experience that.
Can my knowledge, I think this was the first bringing her home to the two community. Well can my knowledge first time of bringing someone i'm back to their own country.
And that was something once we found out from Debbie and the family that they really wanted to do, that we all work together that to make it happen because everyone understood how important that was. Can you tell us, Debbie about that day when Auntie came home and what that meant to you and your family.
I remember Amy Wing and me her tool Amy because she had I was in one of the enforces and you know, doing a fair well smoking ceremony and farewell for her to come back to fry Back Arms, and and I felt I said to Amy, I said, and I felt really happy, you know, really content with myself because I feel like that I was frying with the with you know, with that coffin coming down, I was
trying with it. You know, it's just for the happy feeling, overwhelming feelings and just feeling expirits, really happy in life that she was traveling out. And I can feel that me being in Bridge traveling like it was a happy feeling.
I definitely believe that it was supposed to happen, Debbie. I definitely believe that spirit was speaking, you know, in just the way everything happened, and even just being there in Sherburg back on walka walka country, and I remember seeing like the pink because Annie Queenie loved pink, and you did such an amazing job. Like I can say, I was just blown away by how beautiful that ceremony was.
And to see a lot of Honey Queenie's like childhood friends who knew her, and the men sending her saying goodbye, and your uncle singing that song, I just thought it. And the crows and like being there within your family cemetery as well, where all of your family were. I think it's really hard to put into words how special it was. It is, but it really was. It felt like yeah.
You know, and and it was and you know, all the family, especially the antides, were really happy, you know, they were thanking me, and I said, now, you know, it's really it's been a long thing because I went on what my uncle said. You know, your nan wanted a arm and that was one of her last wishes for a child. To be armed when she couldn't bring you arm in the best place because of the restriction
with the superintendent and all that. In them days. You know, the family didn't get justice for it, you know, yeah.
I remember you saying that at the ceremony as well. How you know you didn't get justice for her because I mean, obviously that the white man walked free. The justice system was so incredibly racist the way that just even described your auntie, And I just wonder do you ever feel like maybe it was a little bit of justice or what do you think sort of the next steps?
You know, what would you do?
You think more has to be done unally.
When it comes to our age abiginal people and especially you know how people that don't miss him and getting murder and missing something more needs to happened. Everybody, you know, everyone involved, you know, step up and go that extra more, even if you don't know, because people are in positions of jobs and everything like that, this is your job follow the right protocol and do the right thing for everybody.
We're tired of you know, being left out and all like within the justice system and getting the hard punishment that you know, if if the table was ten onto a non indiginous person, you know, and just the big failure. Then there was a lot of failures in the court process with my Auntie, you know, and you know, I
still think about it, but it can't be undone. Now it's already done, and that at the end of the day, I fulfilled my grandmother's wishes to have the arm and it's done, and it's just for us to heal and be peaceful and heal heal quietly for our lost ones.
And I think that's one of the amazing things that come out of all of this, is that Amy and I learned about Auntie so long ago from Amy's dad Sterling, and her spirit we feel was always with It's helping us to get justice for both Arnie and for Linda too, and then to work with you, Debbie, to be able to fulfill the family wish to get Arnie Queeney back home.
I think it it is a first as far as I know as well, and I think it sends a great message and that you've done something so amazing that shows everyone else right around the country that this is what we need to do. We need to bring people home to their country, and also we need to work as hard as we can to make sure what happens to Auntie happened to Auntie Queenie and to others never ever happens again. And you've yeah, and you and your
family have just taught us so much. And we wouldn't be here doing this podcast and focusing so heavily on this issue if it wasn't for you and Arnie Queeney and everything we've learned from your family.
Yeah, no, I have. I had good support. And I thank you guys to you know, you know, walking with me and just saying, you know, just keep keep going and keep pushing all that, you know, thank you.
It's been our pleasure. And I think I hope one day people can understand just how much you and your family have had to overcome and how many hurdles were put in your way. And again, I hope that by you overcoming them and bringing Arnie home, that it teaches everyone about both the history and also what we have to do going into the future. And all of that happened because of you and your family.
That's right, and I think it will be a you know, it could be you know, learning, but if we do the right thing, and yeah, we do the right process with love them. And sometimes it's really hard because we don't have the support.
We you know that we really.
About and you know, on things for them to go the whole length of Boston and achieving what we're supposed to achieve. You know, we have a lot of we have a lack of that. Some families have a lot no no support and all that we do. I end up dealing it with my family and speaking to the elism and speaking to my uncle and my auntie. You know you do this, If you do this, you know, everybody to be a peace a nominee and and and that's what I really wanted, knowing that we don't never get.
Justice for honey.
You know the system all us tell my grandmother, my mama fail us. You know fell my fell, my mom, oh, my grandparents and siblings. So you know, something needs to change, something needs to change. And you know, we got a weapon healing. We will never heal if people will walk with us, because we don't get that very often, especially in the society. But no judgment or it's going to
be judgment. Make sure it's to write judgment on a person prepotato who is done to you know in practice, the fees of their injuries and all that stuff.
Yeah, And I think that's such an important thing too, is that people realize that the focus and the judgment and the blame should solely be on the man who did this. And for so long there was those newspaper articles and everything that said horrible things about Auntie, when really the only person to blame in all of this, and the only person who should have had things written about them in a horrible way, was the man who
did this. And I hope, yeah, and I hope in doing this and I'll explain later in this podcast who he is and what he had done to others as well, that forever more everyone knows what an amazing woman Ernie Queeny Hart was and what a terrible man he was.
Yes, yes, you know, he just used the system. I mean, you know, he used that as his representative because he was married to a woman. You know, he just played the system and he knew he knew, you know, with meditated on pre meditated or doing this to it. We will never know because then the witness has never got
talking to or was now in the courtroom. And my grandmother, Army, that's a big, big and really angry of you know, I'm not having, like I said, the lack of fam justice and and support within the legal system also.
Yeah, and that's what we have to really improve, is that support for the families of the victims and making sure that these men are brought to justice because just for too long they've got away with it and no one's done anything about it. And that's what we really hope and want to change.
Yes, it's hard, but we have to move forward. And I'm like, my family are happy in what's what I did, and and I'm grateful for that because it's just a little bit more peace too, and a peach for us to try and feel, but we never will hear because there's too much trauma involved in the society.
I was just going to say that, Debbie. I mean, I think for our listeners to know that, you know, you're from Sherburg, Honey queenis from Cherburg. It's not just these isolated events either, Like the violence is all connected the way it's been perpetrated on the entire Sherbeg community, you know what I mean. And that was part of what prevented Honey Queenie from coming home. And I think that's what listeners have to understand is that it's a
very different form of violence that Aboriginal women experience. Yeah, and it's I mean, if you don't know that, you find I think non Indigenous people find it very hard to understand what is happening, you know, and how this can your Aboriginal women can be continually targeted. And so I think it's important for our listeners to know about Scherberg and that Cherburg is a very powerful community as well.
You know, it's it's resisted a lot of violence. That's what I thought, so specially when the community come together to remember Annie Queeney, you know what I mean, and knowing Sherberg is a place not of violence, but a place of power and resistance I feel, yeah, and family and love and care, you know, not what these white people say it is. And I just want listeners to know that as well. Yeah, the community you come from is very powerful.
Family.
Family, you know, we're permitted to and it is still strong. You know, my mother, my mother, our my home. It's always been army farm, you know, it's being our home and you know we have different but we always need that to save it. Still family still there, you know, you are breeding. Good to see you. Even though we will go and through we you know, we stand give up. We all respect one another.
And I think that's a really nice way to remember everything you've done and your family has done and bringing Arnie home is that, like you say, everyone has that strong connection and everyone comes home. And it's a really powerful thing you've done to bring Arnie home and to bring healing to so many people and to have taught so many people about what needs to be done.
Yeah.
I mean, you know, no matter what happens, we all get together and just move. You know, well, never get justice. Not the first family don't get justice when someone's going to be rave enough.
To stand up.
We need justice for these family because we're all human beings in this country, we're not aliens or anything, you know. To support our family in when this is happening in across the nation, you know, someone stands up for us, and you know justice that.
We really need ahead of time and time me here and see things. You know, we never get justice, and.
That's the sad part of it because society needs to wake up and look and listen and.
Have a heart.
You know, we all human being, We all want one.
Way yeah, and I think that's a really important thing for our non Indigenous listeners to remember is exactly what Tebbie said then, is to really take those words on board. Yes, it's a pleasure. Thank you for Auntie Queeney's family and for Amy and I. Bringing Auntie home to Sherburg and setting the record straight was always important and something we felt had to be seen through to the end. Auntie is now home in the loving embrace of her family
and community in Sherbourg. But the truth has never been set out plainly. There's always been excuses, victim blaming and a rewriting of the narrative. But this is the truth and this is how history must be recorded. Stephen Henry Keem aka Christopher Edward Turner murdered Arnie Queeny Hart in April nineteen seventy five. Arnie Queeny played no role whatsoever
in her own death. The Queensland Police were at best lazy and more likely criminally negligent in their racist failings, assisting a white man to get away with the murder of a black woman. Worse, the Rockhampton Supreme Court failed in their duty to deliver justice for Auntie Queeny and to protect the community from Keem. A violent and sadistic killer.
He would confess to his ex wife life and his stepdaughter that he had indeed killed Arnie Queeny, and he threatened both women with death if they ever revealed this secret. They too were failed by the police and the justice system. Stephen Henry Kem in nineteen seventy eight went on to murder Margaret Kostenfelt in Serena. Her death was ruled a suicide and she, too and her loved ones were filed by the Queensland Police Service and the Queensland Justice system.
She did not commit suicide like Arnie Queeney. She was murdered in near identical fashion by Stephen Henry Kean, who lived next door. Keen was also a former cellmate, friend, and then housemate of Rockhampton serial killer Leonard Fraser, one of the state's worst rapists, a man who killed, tortured and abused women and girls. He would die in prison. Keen died a free man, having never been held responsible
for his crimes. It was The Morning Bulletin who carried Keem's obituary, the same newspaper who had used wickedly racist language against Arnie Queeney Hart, acting as an almost cheer squad to allow Keen to go free. He was the hard working, regular bloke. She was a black woman and thus a deserving victim. His obituary carried his alias and it reads Turner. Christopher Edward, known as Krusty of Balaklava Street, Frenchville, formerly of Yupoon, passed to a peacefully on Wednesday, the
eleventh of September twenty nineteen, aged sixty years. A loved and loving partner, loving brother, uncle and friend to many, Christopher was privately cremated on Monday, the sixteenth of September twenty nineteen, as per his wishes. Even in death, he was afforded all of the love and respect of a good man, and it was recorded for all to know and to be the final word on the history of his life. The history, however, is this. He was a racist, a double murderer, and a rapist. He was a violent
alcoholic who preyed on women and girls. He may have passed away peacefully as per his wishes, but he brutally and sadistically ended the lives of two young women, affording them none of the peace he asked for and received. For himself. He was not a good man nor a loving one. Arnie Queenie Hart, however, was a brilliant, beloved, and beautiful black woman. Never allow for his name to ever again be used in the same sentence as hers. That is what's right, that is the truth, and that
is how history must record these tragic events forevermore. Rest easy, Rest in power, Rest in love, Deny. This episode was brought to you by black Cast and produced by Clint Curtis. For more, you can visit us at www dot curtain podcast dot com, follow us on Twitter at Curtain Podcast, and help to support our work at Patreon dot com backslash Curtain Podcast