Clunes survived with no disruption. All key staff was home at the time. Redlands fared less well being enclosed by suburbia in rapid chaotic decline. But they survived and took over the abandoned Redlands Research Station with its fertile grounds, farm machinery, igloos and water supply.
Development of Boomerang was centred at Bundaberg with as much duplication cached at Redlands as possible. Redlands was not as familiar with the systems and equipment as we were at Bundaberg, but the disciplines required in their former work lives were quickly resurrected and led to a productive program of tilling and cultivation. FJ had done an admiral job in providing a food and other economic plant nucleus at the Wyatt Earp park which quick-started the farm nearby. They also had retreat level supplies of food to tide them over, and after the surrounding population was gone, seafood was readily sourced from nearby Moreton Bay.
So where are we going and what is our outlook? I am currently in my early twenties and I see a future that the project’s master designers envisaged. For a refugium to work, it is but a retreat for a limited time. For our village to function as a refugium it had to not only have plant, animal and other resources we could use, but people to provide the necessary momentum to allow for expansion. People, said Uncle Jack, were the hardest aspect to making the project successful. A century ago raising large families created a growing population structure that was self-perpetuating. To have everyone at Boomerang Bundaberg of the same age would have resulted in survival for a time, followed by eventual collapse. With considerable effort, candidates for Boomerang were recruited to form an age structure that would be regenerative.
Though binding rules were not made, it was made clear to all recruits that should society collapse, then for survival the village had to grow, and communication and trade was to be re-established over the 500km distance from Clunes to Bundaberg. To facilitate communication and trade, satellite sites were selected that could link the three refugia. With the money they had available, resources were cached at distances no greater than twenty kilometres apart. Nearly half of these locations coincided with recruited sleeper retreat owners. These latter people were a critical part of the project, and were content to live alone for a considerable period, knowing that the bigger project existed to hopefully one day reconnect with if necessary. It was a way to provide the whole with a security greater than that afforded by continued isolation of retreats. In essence, the network of sleepers provided a jump start to expansion. Many of the sleepers visited their neighbouring sleepers in the first year, and formed an informal trade trail. As I write this, work has begun on expanding many of the satellites into villages, and trade with the main centres is increasing.
Another interesting aspect of our re-establishment, though not intentionally planned, was that the recruitment came with built-in genetic diversity. My father is Korean by birth, and my mother part African. The skills imported from Asia brought with them the artisans to work those skills, hence the inclusion of Indian, Thai and Chinese heritages in our make-up. The prospect of a healthy re-connected society seems entirely possible.
I continue to maintain the family’s historical archives, which I hope to pass on to one of my descendants for eventual publication. It is also my hope that Wyatt Earp will one day again be in press when our population has grown and our industrial capacity can again readily publish books.
Thankyou Jack-the-Elder, for your insight and industry.
Jacqui Sunn
Year 2043/Year 26
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Table of Contents
FOREWORD Year 2101
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
Insert by Jacqui Sunn, Year 2043/Year 26
Recommended Books to Read:
EPILOGUE Year 2043
Table of Contents
FOREWORD Year 2101
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
Insert by Jacqui Sunn, Year 2043/Year 26
Recommended Books to Read:
EPILOGUE Year 2043
Table of Contents
FOREWORD Year 2101
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
Insert by Jacqui Sunn, Year 2043/Year 26
Recommended Books to Read:
EPILOGUE Year 2043