ANDREW LITSTER was a veteran swimming coach, fit and athletic. Then he was stabbed outside his Willagee home by teenagers and his world crumbled.

Litster had waged a private battle with depression for years and the traumatic assault in 2007 was too much: he suffered a mental breakdown and lost his job and his passion for coaching.

His body today is a shadow of its former self.

But Litster is on the comeback trail. He and long-time friend Daniel Dickerson, an artist, have produced a children’s book which they hope will bridge the gulf between Aboriginal and Whadjila culture.

Lizardmen, Birdwomen and Gondwana Bear—The Gift of Life Spirit launched July 19 at Replants in Wray Avenue, Fremantle. Part-proceeds will go to charity.

“There’s a reason I’m here and one of the hard things to try and find is that lesson,” Litster says.

“The spirit will put these huge obstacles in front of you to say, have a look and listen.

“The biggest thing was trying to find out and learn that I needed to forgive the kids that did it.”

His journey has led him to spiritual healing and meditation.

After becoming involved with Spirit Of The Earth Medicine Society, the idea for a children’s Aboriginal Dreamtime story came to him while on a five-day vision quest in Alice Springs.

• Andrew Litster and Daniel Dickerson have beaten the odds. Photo by Matthew Dwyer

Unlike Dickerson, a child of the Stolen Generation, Litster has no Aboriginal ancestry but says he’s always had a strong affinity with indigenous culture.

The book will be published as a trilogy, and explores the subject of the transformation of reptiles and birds into mammals, including people.

He says the underlying message is respect for the land.

Dickerson, a founder of the Rainbow Serpents band, says he owes much to his friend, who gave him a roof over his head for a year following his own eviction.

Now living in his van, Dickerson says he’s happy with his lot and has been offered studio space to pursue his art.

Originally hailing from Geraldton, the Yamatji man says he’s created thousands of paintings and has sold every one—he says he mostly receives about $100 for a painting and has seen some on-sold for $20,000. He doesn’t have an agent.

Dickerson grew up on the Pallottine Mission near Geraldton where he was beaten by priests and friends were abused. Life was hell before he was kicked out at 13 with no money and only a little schooling.

He travelled to Port Hedland to be near his father and found work at the port. He says his cultural ties remained strong, despite the priests’ best efforts, and later he learned art from a Yamatji elder.

Litster hopes to turn the book into a play, an animated short movie and a dance, with music and spoken word to accompany it. His hope is to travel around the country teaching the story to school kids.

by RANI GEORGE