Addressing the literacy gap in rural First Nations communities with John Harding

As a child, John Harding had two interests that shaped his way of life: books and football. Later in life, those interests would form the basis of Books n Boots, the charity that he started with his partner Tara Newen.

Books, boots and beginnings

One fateful day in 2015, Tara received a plea for help from Darnley Island for books to be sent to the local primary school, as the kids had no literary resources beyond newspapers. This request resonated with both Tara and John, with Tara considering the wider issue of literary accessibility in remote areas and with John having a personal connection to the area.

The duo set to work, proceeding to contact council libraries. John contacted his Red Cross colleague (who was the manager for the Tiwi Islands branch) for help. Together, they gathered a total of 500 books and shipped them through the Darwin Red Cross Office. These books ended up at a Catholic primary school at Tiwi. When they received the photos of staff and students of the school holding the books, they both knew that this was a project that they wanted to carry out long-term and immediately established the organisation on paper.

The Tiwi Islands project had undeniable influence on the foundations of the charity. The ‘boots’ aspect of the Books n Boots charity name was an idea of John’s, inspired by the football-focused community. The first football-related project was the collection of second-hand junior jumpers to be donated with the help of an old friend from Woodend, VIC. In the present, Books n Boots has established a relationship with AFL First Nations officer Darryl Little and works with football clubs to supply rurally-situated youths with supplies, nurturing their sporting ambitions.

Daryl Little works closely with the The Right Tracks Program, a partnership between the CAAC and CAFL. The program encourages First Nations kids to stay in school through sports as an incentive.

John and Tara worked closely as a duo for approximately a decade. Tara handled the administrative tasks, whilst John worked on funding applications and helped with the heavy lifting. Personal resources were a significant factor in the work process: John collected, cleaned and packed books from his garage space, fitting up to 50 books in each delivery box for shipment. 

As the charity grew and responsibilities increased, John “recruited Board members, developed policy, chaired monthly meetings, and wrote up the minutes”, as a Chairperson, working tirelessly over weekends alongside other full-time responsibilities.

Persevering in the face of privilege and marginalisation

From the perspective of a First Nations kid that grew up in a predominantly white Australia, John felt that he had no role models besides his mother, Eleanor Harding, who was a notable activist within the welfare sector. One of the most notable life lessons that she taught him was that “you never step over someone in the street, for but for the grace of the gods, you are not stepping over yourself”; that is, an individual should treat individuals with the same amount of respect that they would give to themselves. 

In his teenage years, his elder sister Destiny Deacon was another significant role model. Alongside being a successful artist and photographer, she was outspoken and fearless in her activism. She led feminist marches with Germaine Greer and took on university establishments, motivated by her beliefs in Blak liberation and feminism. 

John feels discouraged when working in the charity sector - not because of the work itself, but rather, the lack of work done by others. At times, he feels disappointed when rejected by charities he’s reached out to, and at other times, he feels critical of the approach of federal governments to the issue of the literacy gap and how it impacts marginalised communities. In particular, the result of the Voice Referendum in 2023 made it apparent that he had to work harder than ever to support First Nations individuals.

Working towards a brighter future

Regardless of obstacles, John continues to “manage these challenges by looking within”, servicing 90 First Nations communities nationally by supplying them with approximately 60,000 books, saving 17,000 kilos of goods from landfill overall. 

Currently, Books n Boots have an outreach of 100,000 First Nations clients, reaching approximately 10% of Blak Australia. The organisation has plans on expanding, looking for more volunteers in the New South Wales and Queensland areas and aims to establish storage spaces in South Australia and the Northern Territory. 

Through the efforts of the charity, John aims to create a world where “people have a more global perspective, emphasising unity among all oppressed people and recognising the interconnectedness of struggles against colonialism and imperialism worldwide”. He continues to do so by facing each challenge with vigour; all in the name of supporting and spreading awareness about First Nations communities.