Crow Country

by

Kate Constable

Walter Character Analysis

An Aboriginal teenager who moves to Boort to live with his uncle David after he falls into trouble in Mildura, the town where he was living before. Walter is very interested in and knowledgeable about his Aboriginal heritage, and he is close with his Auntie Lily, an old Aboriginal woman who is well-versed in Aboriginal culture and religion. Like Auntie Lily, he is a descendant of Jimmy Raven. In Boort, Walter is ostracized by his schoolmates, partly because of his Aboriginal identity and partly because of rumors about his criminal past. However, he becomes Sadie Hazzard’s good friend, becoming involved in her quest to discover where Jimmy Raven’s “special things” are hidden, and helping her at crucial moments along the way. He is especially invested in the search because Jimmy is his own ancestor. Walter is independent-minded, wise and unafraid, as evidenced in his act of breaking into Craig Mortlock’s house to search for Jimmy Raven’s things. When that action later result in Lachie Mortlock getting hurt, Walter also demonstrates his integrity by telling the truth about the incident.

Walter Quotes in Crow Country

The Crow Country quotes below are all either spoken by Walter or refer to Walter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
).
Chapter 10 Quotes

“Life’s not fair.” Jules wrenched Sadie’s cue from her. “Go on, piss off with your abo boyfriend.”

A ripple of nervous laughter ran around the annex. Sadie heard someone mutter something-lover.

“Like her mother,” murmured someone else.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard, Walter
Related Symbols: Boort
Page Number: 76-77
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

“For our people, the land was created long ago, in the time of the Dreaming, when the ancestral spirits moved across the country. They made the hills and the rivers, the swamps and the waterholes. That’s why our spirit ancestors are so important. They make the land, and the land belongs to them, and they make us, too […] round this country, everything belongs to Bunjil the Eaglehawk, or Waa the Crow.”

Related Characters: Walter (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Ellie Hazzard, David, The Crows
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 116
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20 Quotes

“You should be pleased! Look at all these people, experiencing a bit of Aboriginal culture!” He waved his arm at the men sprawled against the rocks, their boots resting on the carvings, their cans tossed into the centre of the circle.

Related Characters: Craig Mortlock (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Walter, Lachie Mortlock
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

“The story goes on, as it always goes on. The Law is broken and there is punishment. The dead cannot live again, but what was taken from the clever man must be returned. When the Law is broken the world is broken. The circle must be joined again.”

Related Characters: The Crows (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Walter, Craig Mortlock, Lachie Mortlock, Jimmy Raven
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

“We can’t leave him here!” Sadie was weeping. “If we leave him here, he will die!” She tried to lift Lachie’s head. He moaned, his face drained of colour.

The story tells itself again...

The three of them were in the grip of Crow’s story, just as Gerald and Clarry and Jimmy had been. But Crow couldn’t see, Crow couldn’t help them. Sadie was the only one who knew; it was all up to her.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard (speaker), Walter, Lachie Mortlock, Jimmy Raven, Gerald Mortlock, Clarry Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 199
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

Together they planted [Jimmy Raven’s] marker in the ground at the place the crow had shown them.

“I should have brought some flowers or something,” said Sadie.

“Next time,” Walter said.

“Give us a hand?” Lachie called.

The three of them moved around the tiny graveyard, straightening the fallen crosses, digging them more firmly into the ground.

“That’s better,” said Lachie at last, and wiped his forehead on his sleeve. “Maybe we should build a fence round it or something.”

“We’d help you,” said Sadie.

“Make a real headstone for Jimmy, too,” said Walter.

“Yeah,” said Lachie.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard (speaker), Walter (speaker), Lachie Mortlock (speaker), Jimmy Raven, Gerald Mortlock, Clarry Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 232-233
Explanation and Analysis:
Get the entire Crow Country LitChart as a printable PDF.
Crow Country PDF

Walter Quotes in Crow Country

The Crow Country quotes below are all either spoken by Walter or refer to Walter. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Prejudice and Discrimination Theme Icon
).
Chapter 10 Quotes

“Life’s not fair.” Jules wrenched Sadie’s cue from her. “Go on, piss off with your abo boyfriend.”

A ripple of nervous laughter ran around the annex. Sadie heard someone mutter something-lover.

“Like her mother,” murmured someone else.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard, Walter
Related Symbols: Boort
Page Number: 76-77
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 15 Quotes

“For our people, the land was created long ago, in the time of the Dreaming, when the ancestral spirits moved across the country. They made the hills and the rivers, the swamps and the waterholes. That’s why our spirit ancestors are so important. They make the land, and the land belongs to them, and they make us, too […] round this country, everything belongs to Bunjil the Eaglehawk, or Waa the Crow.”

Related Characters: Walter (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Ellie Hazzard, David, The Crows
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 116
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 20 Quotes

“You should be pleased! Look at all these people, experiencing a bit of Aboriginal culture!” He waved his arm at the men sprawled against the rocks, their boots resting on the carvings, their cans tossed into the centre of the circle.

Related Characters: Craig Mortlock (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Walter, Lachie Mortlock
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 157
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 21 Quotes

“The story goes on, as it always goes on. The Law is broken and there is punishment. The dead cannot live again, but what was taken from the clever man must be returned. When the Law is broken the world is broken. The circle must be joined again.”

Related Characters: The Crows (speaker), Sadie Hazzard, Walter, Craig Mortlock, Lachie Mortlock, Jimmy Raven
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle
Page Number: 165
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 24 Quotes

“We can’t leave him here!” Sadie was weeping. “If we leave him here, he will die!” She tried to lift Lachie’s head. He moaned, his face drained of colour.

The story tells itself again...

The three of them were in the grip of Crow’s story, just as Gerald and Clarry and Jimmy had been. But Crow couldn’t see, Crow couldn’t help them. Sadie was the only one who knew; it was all up to her.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard (speaker), Walter, Lachie Mortlock, Jimmy Raven, Gerald Mortlock, Clarry Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 199
Explanation and Analysis:
Chapter 28 Quotes

Together they planted [Jimmy Raven’s] marker in the ground at the place the crow had shown them.

“I should have brought some flowers or something,” said Sadie.

“Next time,” Walter said.

“Give us a hand?” Lachie called.

The three of them moved around the tiny graveyard, straightening the fallen crosses, digging them more firmly into the ground.

“That’s better,” said Lachie at last, and wiped his forehead on his sleeve. “Maybe we should build a fence round it or something.”

“We’d help you,” said Sadie.

“Make a real headstone for Jimmy, too,” said Walter.

“Yeah,” said Lachie.

Related Characters: Sadie Hazzard (speaker), Walter (speaker), Lachie Mortlock (speaker), Jimmy Raven, Gerald Mortlock, Clarry Hazzard
Related Symbols: The Stone Circle, Boort
Page Number: 232-233
Explanation and Analysis: