help, leaving the rest to wait. The man who took charge was Jeronimus Cornelisz. Heretic and psychopath, he instantly rallied up a council and took charge. To maximize his control over the survivors, he left groups of soldiers on nearby islands to look for water and told them to leave their guns. When the soldiers found a water reservoirs on hospitable island (West Wallabi Island) they signalled to the rest with smoke. However, when no reply came, they became instantly suspicious. Jeronimus and his men had killed over 120 people, with another 40 escaping to West Wallabi Island. By the time help came, the soldiers had repelled attacks with improvised weapons, whereas the mutineers had far superior weapons. The commander and the rescue team came, and executed most of the mutineers. Two of the mutineers were set adrift with little food and water. They came ashore on the West Australian coastline. Themes Strange Objects in part examines the place of Aboriginal people, in both historical and in contemporary contexts. The contemporary context is a poor one. The Aboriginal people live in a reserve which is tattered and ruined. They largely shun contact with white society, who refer to them by the derogatory term "Abos". We also see them in 1629. Here they are masters of the land, and more adapted to survival here than the Dutch sailors. We are also shown glimpses of the 19th century, where the Aboriginal people are largely regarded as uncivilised or savage. What unfolds throughout the novel is the complexity of the Aboriginal past including its history told in rock art and passed down in oral stories. Awards and nominations 1991: Winner of the Australian Children's Book Council Book of the Year for Older Readers 1991: Winner of the 1991 Victorian Premier's Literary Award It was also shortlisted for the Edgar Allan Poe Mystery Fiction Award (Crime writers of America). References 1990 Australian novels Australian mystery novels CBCA Children's Book of the Year Award-winning works Epistolary novels Historical novels Novels by Gary Crew Novels set in Western Australia