Survivors of Taipan Bite

Pastor George Rosendale, Hopevale, via Cooktown

It was in 1949. People had just begun to return to Hopevale after the war. I was 19, 6' 3", with a weight of 10½ stone, and very fit. A group of us were sorting timber just near the church. That must have disturbed the snake. After dinner, about 1pm, as I walked (bare-legged and bare-footed) past some wide planks, the snake shot out and had hold of me on the right ankle. It really held on. He stuck on me. I had to kick him off.

It was about 7' (2.1 m) long. I was told later it was 7' 7" (2.27 m), I think. My co-workers killed the snake. One of them just whacked it with a jolly stick. Smashed its head. At the time, the Taipan (Nguman to the Gugu yimidrr) was known and feared by Cape York Peninsula Aboriginal people. This snake was not real well known in other places then.

Taipans are everywhere up here. They're real common at Mt Webb and in the McIvor country. They seem to like that red soil 'cos there's a lot of rats there.

I knew this snake was deadly. He was even going to have a go at my mate, I think. Since we were kids, we'd been told about this snake. I ran to one of the oldies, George Bowen - the old Grandfather. He bound my leg in two places and cut the bite site. It wouldn't bleed. (Fifteen minutes after the bite, I am told, I became unconscious). Then Clarrie Hartwig cut the site with a chisel and burnt the site with those old wax matches. That made it bleed.

I was taken to Cooktown on a truck. That's about 50 km away over a rough road. In town, people rang round and found a Dr Thomas, on holiday from Victoria. By now it was night. Dr Thomas told me later I'd nearly bled to death. Blood was flown from Cairns for me that night, by Captain Bonney, a top pilot. The airstrip had to be lit with the head lights of vehicles.

Next day, I was flown out to Cairns, still unconscious. The sisters in Cooktown told me I'd been pronounced dead four times by the doctor in Cooktown.

At Cairns Base, I was looked after by Dr Reid. I had lots and lots of needles while I was there. As I began to recover, people used to call me 'Mr Famous'. I'm the only person to have survived Taipan bite without the serum (antivenom).

The doctor said my youth and fitness helped me survive. The serum wasn't around when I was bitten. A year after I was bitten, a European bloke, Donald Duck from Cooktown, chased a Taipan and was bitten up at McIvor. He died on the road to help.

I came home after about 20 days, I think. When I left hospital, my weight was only 7 stone. For about 6 months, I lost my sense of taste. I went grey at 21, but I don't know whether that was the result of the bite or not. I was also very afraid of snakes, especially Taipans. Ram Chandra showed me how to reduce that fear gradually, by touching a harmless snake like a Carpet Python at first. I;m not afraid of Taipans now. My wife is. Up this way people respect this snake, the Taipan. Round Musgrave way, the Gu Gu Taipan people wouldn't kill a Taipan. If someone else does, it sort of upsets them.

For 6 months after the bite I had a check up every week. Then, for the next 6 months I saw the doctor in Cooktown monthly. It took me a long time to regain my weight.

I know I am a lucky man. There are still plenty of Taipans around Hopevale. People know to stay away from them.