Uncovering the heart of my Nana’s saltwater stories

Nov 6, 2025

Tasma Walton, an award-winning actor and author with Boonwurrung/Bunurong heritage, delves deep into her family history and the power of storytelling. She recalls transformative childhood experiences inspired by her grandmother's saltwater tales. The conversation explores the darker realities behind her ancestor Nannertgarrook's story, revealing the harsh truths of sealers' abductions and the impact of intergenerational trauma. Tasma also shares her journey of writing 'I Am Nannertgarrook' as a reclaiming act of her heritage and identity.

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ANECDOTE

Asthma Attack Shaped Her Resolve

Tasma became asthmatic at age two and endured severe childhood attacks that often led to hospitalization.
During a major high-school attack she realised dying would devastate her mother, which motivated her to fight through it.

ANECDOTE

Medea Monologue Sparked Her Acting

A drama teacher gave Tasma Medea's monologue at 14, sparking her passion for acting via extreme emotional material.
The role's violent logic resonated with her childhood experience of domestic violence and made acting feel electrifying.

INSIGHT

Method Acting Can Reopen Trauma

Early method training pushed students to mine personal trauma, which proved risky for Tasma fresh from family violence.
She found exercises that required revisiting frightening memories could leave her shaken and underprepared to recover.

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Bunurong/Boonwurrung actor and author, Tasma Walton was enjoying her big break on TV show Blue Heelers in the 1990s in Melbourne when a transformative visit from her grandmother launched her in a new direction.

Boonwurrung/Bunurong woman, Tasma grew up in windy Geraldton, in Western Australia in the 1970s, hearing stories from her grandmother about baby whales and women who lived in kelp forests.

These stories always featured a bay and very cold water — neither of which were in Geraldton.

Many years later, while Tasma was filming Blue Heelers and living in St Kilda in Melbourne, her grandmother came to stay, and the stories she had told Tasma over and over again started to make sense.

Except for one tale that had been sanitised for children’s ears — a supposed love story between Tasma's great-great-great grandmother, Nannertgarrook, and a vicious sealer man.

As an adult, Tasma started to research the truth of what had happened to Nannertgarrook, generations ago.

Further information

If you need help, you can call the National domestic family and sexual violence counselling service on 1800-RESPECT — 1800 737 732.

I Am Nannertgarrook is published by Simon & Schuster Bundyi.

Tasma was named joint winner, with Robbie Arnott, of the $100,000 ARA Historical Novel Prize for 2025.

Watch Reckless on SBS, NITV, and SBS ON DEMAND.

This episode of Conversations was produced by Alice Moldovan. The Executive Producer was Nicola Harrison.

This episode explores heritage, ancestral legacy, inherited trauma, intergenerational trauma, DV, family violence, method acting, mob, Indigenous, First Nations, Aboriginal, slavery, blak, blak mothers, reconnecting with culture, bunurong strong, Nerrm, Narrm, Wilsons Prom, Wilsons Promontory, mermaids, dolphins, asthma, asthma attacks, medea, monologue, auditions, acting auditions, SBS, reckless, St Kilda, Blue Heelers, Luna Park.

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