AustLit

Daughter of Nylatu and Kutin (Rosie Austin), and younger sister of Molly, Jessie Lennon, a Matutjara woman, was born on a sheep station near Kingoonya, South Australia. Through her mother she has links with Tjalyiri or Tallaringa, north west of present day Coober Pedy. Jessie Lennon travelled on foot with her family, visiting North Well, near Kingoonya, and the Ooldea Soak where Daisy Bates (q.v.) lived in a tent.

With her father Nylatu, she and her sisters Molly (Angal) and Linda (Wantjiyla) and others travelled, sometimes on foot and sometimes on camels, to Lake Pirinya (Phillipson) and Kupa Piti (Coober Pedy), while her mother and step-father stayed at Kingoonya. When she met Barney Lennon their families would not allow them to live together because they were too young. Later, Barney found her again and they were married. Jessie Lennon had six children and many grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

During the 1950s Jessie and her family were exposed to the fallout from the British nuclear tests at Emu, north of Maralinga. They were not evacuated, nor advised to take any precautions, and subsequently suffered long-term effects on their health. Decades later, Jessie and Senior Elders in the community took up an unsuccessful fight for compensation.