Unbreakable Rock

Altyerre reaches out from the eternity of creation and encloses Arrernte people in country. Altyerre explains how the Arrernte have survived Invasion and Mission. Altyerre is an unbreakable rock.
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Drawing on over thirty years of relationship with the people and land of Central Australia, Michael Bowden guides us into the world of Altyerre, the ancient dreamtime of the Arrernte people. In these insightful accounts of love, life and football he explores the sacredness of everyday life through an Arrernte lens and invites us to join him in searching for Mystery in our own lives.


Michael was born In Melbourne and educated at St Kevin's College. After two years in a Catholic seminary, he decided to study history and politics at Monash University. There he met Judy, the love of his life. Michael was recruited by the Richmond Football Club in 1967, playing in the 1969 premiership team. Though it never defined who he was, football was to become a central part of Michael's life.


While teaching Australian history at Mildura High School, Michael took the important step of incorporating Aboriginal history into the curriculum.


Twelve years later, Michael took a community advisor position at Ernabella in the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Lands in South Australia, where he learned to speak the Pitjantjatjara language. This was followed by a 30-year relationship with the Arrernte people of Central Australia.


Michael did nothing by half measures. He embraced the Arrernte culture at all levels — as a teacher, community worker, and student of the culture itself. He learned the language and grammar and increasingly began to merge his Catholic background with Altyerre, the ancient (and Michael would say enduring) Arrernte way of seeing the world.


In 2017, Michael was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease. While remaining fully engaged with family and friends, he used his remaining time to also complete a PhD centred on Altyerre consciousness and to finish writing 'Unbreakable Rock'. Increasingly disabled (though he would not have used that term), Michael continued to reach out to all and to write his unique weekly reflections on themes prompted by the Catholic liturgical year.
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