Foreword

The Kaurna
   Skillogolee Creek
   Before Settlement
   Tribal Organisation
   Population
   Nantowarra
   Sexual Relations
   European Views
   Footnotes

Kudnarto
   Warrawarra
   Birth Date
   Names
   Footnotes

Early Years
   Daily Life
   Child Rearing
   Food
   Food Gathering
   Shelter
   Gatherings
   Education
   Cooking
   Fire
   Tanning
   Games
   Schools
   Footnotes

Marriage
   Puberty
   Ceremony
   Sexual Relations
   Footnotes

Settlement
   John Hill
   Horrocks
   Rape
   Surveying
   Stanley County
   Skillogolee Creek
   Auburn
   Watervale
   Penwortham
   Emu Plains
   Clare
   Bundaleer
   Footnotes

Land Grants
   The Protector
   The Reality
   Early Days
   Land Selection
   Land Holdings
   Land Usage
   Racial Theories
   Footnotes

Shepherds
   Tensions
   Killing
   Double Standards
   More Killing
   Harem Life
   Prostitution
   Ferguson's Place
   Deserting Husbands
   Rape
   Sex and Sheep
   Footnotes

Adams
   Problems
   Adams' Birth
   Humberstone
   The Adams Family
   Ann Mason
   Edward Adams
   Conditions
   Labourer's Life
   Footnotes

Literacy
   Was he literate?
   Writing Skills
   Graphology
   Hale
   Evidence
   School
   Other People
   Adams' Letters
   Footnotes

Childhood
   A Carpenter?
   Birth Information
   Van Dieman's Land
   South Australia
   Port Adelaide
   Emigration Agents
   Sheep
   Labourer's Lot
   Crystal Brook
   Footnotes

Engagement
   Notice
   Reasons
   Feelings
   Minor
   Engagement
   Drinking Problems
   Footnotes

Wedding
   Registry Office
   Established View
   Kudnarto's Dress
   High Fashion
   Wedding Ceremony
   Footnotes

Land
   Land Please
   Lodgement
   I have a dream
   Opposition
   Processing
   Approval
   The Licence
   Notification
   Scams
   Footnotes

Farming
   The House
   Who Gains
   Farming Capital
   Reality sets in
   Tom
   Murray
   Inheritance
   Footnotes

Copper
   Port Henry
   Bullock Drays
   Watering Holes
   Gold
   Skilly Creek
   Footnotes

Murder

The Trial

Skilly Creek
   Money Problems
   Leasing
   Tim
   Eviction
   Problems
   Separation
   Sharefarming
   Footnotes

Death
   Single Life
   Kudnarto's Death
   Loss of Land
   Poonindie
   Footnotes

Land Claim
   Unresolved Issues
   Terra Nullius
   Land Conflict
   Subtext
   Licence
   Promises
   The Facts
   Footnotes

Epilogue
   Significance
   At One

Biographies
   People
   Hotels

Letters
   Adams' Letters
   Replies

Handwriting
   Dissection
   Tabulation
   Analysis

Police Court

Trial Report

The Civilising
   1840
   White Women
   Contact
   Missionary activity
   Footnotes
   Bibliography

1860 Report
   1860
   Report Origins
   Attitudes
   Infanticide
   Sterility
   Promiscuity
   Health
   Gender Imbalance
   Blame the victims
   British Law
   Land Loss
   Social Alienation
   Tokenism
   Conclusions
   Footnotes
   Bibliography

Tom & Tim
   Introduction
   Poonindie
   Footnotes

Bibliography
   Primary Sources
   Secondary Sources

Appendix 3 ~ Handwriting Analysis

Since the only evidence regarding the nature of Adams is his handwriting. The science of graphology has made great strides in getting to the heart of an individual through the photograph of the mind - handwriting. It tells us a great deal about the individual. In absence of any descriptive material, it is all that is available to construct the personality behind the story. The results only confirm what is suspected rather than reveals anything new.

This analysis is divided into three sections. The first deals with the individual issues emerging from a complete dissection of the written form. Then all the diverse elements have been tabulated to give a picture of Adams. Finally, the picture is interpreted.

The handwriting dissected

SYMMETRY   PEN PRESSURE   MARGINS   DIRECTION OF THE LINES   SPACE BETWEEN THE LINES   SPACE BETWEEN WORDS   SPACE BETWEEN LETTERS   SLANT   SIZE   CONNECTING STROKES   CONCEALING STROKES   LOOPS   FINALS   HORIZONTALS  

SYMMETRY

The middle zone may be neglected which indicates that the writer is rather reserved, frugal and modest. He has a sense of objectivity and a philosophical outlook. Though he is masculine in his make-up, he nevertheless has an inferiority complex. And he is rather impractical.

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PEN PRESSURE

When we speak of pressure and its absence we always assume a pressure pattern that appears harmoniously in down strokes of the writing. But certain persons cannot or will not follow the natural rhythm. Their pressure comes in strange and threatening lumps. This phenomenon has been noticed quite often in the handwriting of criminals with homicidal tendencies. There are many dark spots and heavy strokes in this type of script, but they are not arranged in any reasonable, natural order. At the least the writer will probably be found to be a hypocrite, deceitful and dishonest. He definitely will not be a man to be trusted. Indeed, he is to be avoided, especially in a business deal.

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MARGINS

Irregular right margins show a certain lack of sense of economy and tell of unwise thrift, but there is also a love for adventure and travel, reserve alternating with loquacity, gregariousness alternating with a desire to remain alone, and ambivalent social attitudes.

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DIRECTION OF THE LINES

Quite often we see arched or convex lines. Obviously the writer of these lines has approached his aim with ambition and a pushing spirit, but in a short time his zeal declines and he loses interest and gives up before the task is completed. His mental stamina is such that he cannot be relied upon to forge steadily towards his goal.

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SPACE BETWEEN THE LINES

When the middle zone may reach remains fairly clear but the letters of the lower zone crowd the capitals of the next line we meet the writer who seems absolutely normal until an emergency, a crisis other unexpected occurrence reveals him as quite irresponsible. He is quite able to manage the daily routine, but in an emergency will undoubtedly lose his head.

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SPACE BETWEEN WORDS

Words on paper follow one after the other very much as they do in speech. A person who speaks with pauses may do so because he is accustomed to pondering and considering before he acts, or because he wants to stress each word of his calculated speech and let it sink in, or perhaps he does not know what to say, or is overcome by emotion. He will space his words on paper, the spacing being wide and even. On the positive side, the writer probably has an interest in literature, is fond of music or poetry. He will be an introvert with deep feeling, firmly rooted convictions, cautious and rather critical. Introversive.

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SPACE BETWEEN LETTERS

Going back to when we were children, we were taught to end the last letter of a word with a flowing stroke. Capable of logical and systematic thinking; co-operative; reasonable; realistic; unimaginative; lacking initiative; lack of intuitive thinking and acting.

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SLANT

People who write with a right slant are the social, affectionate and demonstrative individuals who need the company of others and who choose the right kind of vocation in which they are in constant contact with their fellow men. Human relationships mean more to them than material gain. They are the extroverts and they are normally more bent upon activity than upon contemplation. Their emotions, more than their reasoning, guide them in the formation of important decisions, and they are sentimentalists. Increasing right slant at end of words indicates having an interest in a thing which grows the more he studies it; being able to hide his true intentions; having optimism which overpowers his original reserve; hot-headed; when excited losing self-control; quick-tempered.

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SIZE

Tall capitals - Intelligent; ambitious; having the spirit of enterprise; far sighted; independent; religious; proud; idealistic; having the will to dominate though perhaps a dreamer.

Capitals may extend themselves into the lower zone - Intellectually interested in the unconscious, as with poets, musicians, authors, artists, psychologists.

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CONNECTING STROKES

Enclosing garlands - mentally reserved; practised in unspontaneous and calculated 'kindnesses'; scheming, narrow minded.

Angles with Heavy pressure - Possessing a fighting spirit; vehement; guilty of brutal opposition; domineering. When vocationally misplaced; querulous, restless.

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CONCEALING STROKES

In arcades: capable of shrewd restraint or sly lying and hypocrisy.

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LOOPS

Very high, prone to creating fantasies; dreamer.

Long 'y' loop with pressure: possessing a sense of the dramatic, and healthy physical appetites including sexual impulses; athletic; fond of dancing, swimming, walking.

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FINALS

The o's and a's open at the top and s open at the base indicate generosity in the writer when his emotions become involved. They tell us that he shows a tendency to be talkative.

Long final stroke: generous, liberal.

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HORIZONTALS

't' bar long and weak: lacking in self confidence.

'i' dot to the left: cautious, hesitant.

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PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER

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ANALYSIS

Adams is rather reserved and introverted. It is an ambivalent reserve alternating with a tendency to be talkative. He can be gregarious and generous but this alternates with a strong desire to remain alone. Though he is masculine in his make-up and a sentimentalist by nature, he nevertheless suffers from an inferiority complex.

Adams possesses a sense of objectivity and a philosophical outlook upon life. He has deep feelings stemming from firmly rooted convictions. However, he is very cautious. He approached goals with ambition and a pushing spirit, normally more bent upon activity than upon contemplation. Emotions, and a fighting spirit, rather than reasoning, guides him in the formation of important decisions. This manifests itself in a love for adventure and travel. Unfortunately, in a short time his zeal declines and he loses interest and gives up before the task is completed. His mental stamina is such that he cannot be relied upon to forge steadily towards his goal.

He is rather impractical. He displays a frugal and modest attitude but suffers from a certain lack of sense of economy and indulges in unwise thrift. Characteristically, he seems absolutely normal until an emergency, a crisis other unexpected occurrence reveals him as quite irresponsible. He is quite able to manage the daily routine, but in an emergency will undoubtedly lose his head. He is described as hot-headed and quick-tempered becoming querulous in response to issues that upset him. He is seen as being domineering and can be guilty of brutal opposition.

Finally, Adams displays a strong streak of dishonesty. He is practised in unspontaneous and calculated 'kindnesses'; scheming, narrow minded. He writing indicates that he is definitely will not be a man to be trusted. Indeed, people are cautioned to avoid him in matters of business.

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