Clancy McKenna

Clancy McKenna, also known as Warntupungarna, (c. 24 September 1909 - 20 August 1979) was a Nyamal man and an Aboriginal activist who is best remembered for his involvement in the Pilbara strike which took place between 1946 and 1949.

Biography McKenna was born at Meentheena Station, nearby by Marble Bar, in Western Australia. He was the son of Maurice McKenna, the station manager and Nyamalangu (also known as Nellie). Nyamalangu was married to Frank Djungunbuna and, when McKenna was only about three years old, Maurice evicted the family from the station at gunpoint. After leaving Meenthenna the family lived and worked at various cattle stations in the Marble Bar area. In this work he was known to be 'outspoken' to his white bosses in regards to better conditions for himself and other Aboriginal workers in the region. Following national coverage and advocacy from a number of groups McKenna was released in June having not completed the full sentence.

To ensure that the striking workers had resources McKenna helped establish a co-operative to meet their needs and, to support themselves, they collected pearl shells, hunted kangaroos and feral goats for their skins and undertook some mining. Throughout this he continued to be directly involved in the strike action and led numerous marches. Later in 1947 he left the strike movement and began working at Mundabullangana Station alongside Putangaja Ernie Mitchell and Peter Coppin who had formed the Nyamal mining co-operative which was Aboriginal owned and run. However, he left this soon after as he was unhappy with the organisational arrangement which did not pay wages to members.

Following the end of the strike McKenna, alongside McLeod, became a part of the 'Pindan mob', another co-operative, which took part in mining activities while supplementing his income as a contractor. Pindan split in 1960 and McKenna separated himself from McLeod.

Some time later, he moved to Port Hedland and this move was necessitated as one of his sons, Roy, had contracted pneumonia and needed care. In Port Hedland McKenna worked on the wharves.

McKenna died on 20 August 1979 at Wine Tree Camp in Marble Bar and was buried in Port Hedland.

Personal life As a young man he was married, by tribal law, to Uni, a woman twenty years older than him. Later, on 18 August 1950, at the Port Hedland district registrar's office he married Topsy Dougall who had worked as a domestic servant. He and Topsy separated in his later life. They had at least three children together.