Author Description

To Sam Faulkner, family is important. Ali Drummond is Sam Faulkner's grandfather and this is his story. By any standards Ali Drummond has led an extraordinary life. Orphaned young, Ali took to sea aged fourteen. Originally an apprentice, Ali learned from Japanese divers and became an expert diver for pearl shell, trochus, and bêche de mer. Ali's stories of his sometimes perilous life at sea are absorbing and Faulkner has crafted a sympathetic and appealing story. After years on the mainland, cutting cane, and roadworking, Ali returned to his beloved Torres Strait. Along the way, he contributed to the community, enjoyed his lawn bowls, and provided advice on the marine environment to the Maritime National Authority. Ali's remembrances are complemented by affectionate anecdotes from Ali's children. Now 90, Ali's life as told here also represents other Torres Strait Island elders who share these stories. Two themes emerge strongly from this life story: the importance of his wife Carmen and their family, and the desire to be out fishing.