Normal Phantom
An old tribal man who was born in the Pricklebush at the edge of Desperance. Norm is the patriarch of the Phantom family. He is a knowledgeable and stubborn man who the residents of Desperance regularly accuse of murder. Everyone in the region knows Norm as the best fisherman. People come from far and wide so that Norm can preserve the fish they’ve caught, making them look alive forever.
Angel Day
Normal Phantom’s wife. Normal describes her as a “hornet’s nest,” just like the house they live in. Angel has an amazing ability to transform trash, and she uses this ability to build a house for the family. Angel eventually abandons the family to run off with Mozzie Fishman.
Mozzie Fishman
Mozzie Fishman is an Aboriginal man who leads a convoy of zealots. The convoy travels the country in beat-up cars, performing ceremonies in keeping with Aboriginal law and spirituality. Mozzie eventually leads his men to destroy the Gurfurrit mine.
Will Phantom
One of Norm and Angel’s sons. Will sabotages the mine and the police search for him. His father disowns him when he goes to live on the Eastside. Will marries Joseph Midnight’s daughter, Hope, and together they have a child, Bala.
Elias Smith
A fisherman who loses his memory when he gets caught in a terrible storm at sea. When Elias walks out of the water and appears on the shores of Desperance, the residents believe he is their guardian angel and they turn him into the town watchman. Eventually, they blame Elias for strange occurrences in town and force him to leave.
Kevin Phantom
Norm and Angel’s seventh child. Kevin was a smart young boy, but once he finishes his schooling he is unsure of what to do with his life. He takes a job at the Gurfurrit mine but soon is injured by an explosion that leaves him mentally and physically destabilized. Kevin has frequent psychotic episodes and consumes a lot of alcohol. Eventually, a group of white boys brutally attack Kevin, leaving him nearly dead.
Joseph Midnight
The leader of the Eastside section of Desperance’s Aboriginal population. The Westside mob looks down on them and says they are corrupt and without morals. Joseph Midnight cuts a deal with the mining company and people say he is a witch doctor.
Hope
Joseph Midnight’s daughter. She marries Will and together they have a child, Bala.
Bala
The young son of Will Phantom and Hope.
Stan Bruiser
The mayor of Desperance. He has been mayor for 10 years and some say he rigs the elections. He is racist and sexist. He got rich as an early investor in mining stocks.
Libby Valance
The new town clerk. He is not a local of Desperance but rather a professional educated in local government. He is Christian and urges the residents of Desperance to take a more measured approach toward Aboriginal residents.
Captain Nicoli Finn
The residents of Desperance regard Nicoli Finn as crazy. He wears an old Australian army uniform that smells bad because he never washes it. He claims to work on army missions and he watches guard over the beach every morning.
Uncle Micky
Described as a walking encyclopedia, Uncle Micky maintains a collection of items left over from the mining days in Desperance.
A.D. Smith
Known as Lonely. He is a white Desperance man married to an Aboriginal woman, Glenny. Together they have 12 kids. Before dying he has a dream that inspires Desperance residents to erect a net of prayers and devotion to save the town from cyclones during the wet season.
Sallyanne Smith
The town scribe. She watches over the Book of Books, which contains many town records and secrets.
Lloydie Smith
The barman at Barramundi bar. Lloydie fathers a child, Aaron Ho Kum, with an Aboriginal woman, but he never recognizes the child as his own. Lloydie falls in love with a mermaid who is locked in the wooden planks of the bar. When the cyclone comes, he ties himself to the planks and dies.
Inso and Donny
The two oldest Phantom brothers, Inso and Donny work for the Gurfurrit mine.
Janice
A Phantom daughter who the narrator describes as “always pregnant.”
Patsy
A Phantom daughter who the narrator describes as “always flogged.”
Girlie
The youngest Phantom sister. She is always minding her appearance, like her mother. She has four children with her cousin, who the narrator describes as a womanizer. Girlie has sexual relations with Constable Truthful because if she doesn’t the policeman sticks around and bothers the whole family.
Noelie
Cousin to the Phantoms and father of Girlie’s children.
Pirate
Norm Phantom’s disgusting, huge white cockatoo bird that tells fortunes and always listens to Norm’s stories.
Abilene
A merciless, murderous wild pig rumored to hunt down local men fishing on the riverbank.
Uncle
Part of Joseph Midnight’s crew. Someone killed Uncle in his Toyota Hilux and spread his remains all over the place. Norm never liked Uncle, and Joseph spreads rumors blaming Norm Phantom for the murder.
Old Cyclone
Long dead, Old Cyclone was Joseph Midnight’s father and the mastermind of the centuries-long war between the Eastside and Westside mobs. Old Cyclone believes in magic and is known for making lies come to life.
Tristum and Junior Fishman
The sons of Mozzie Fishman and Angel Day. They are petrol sniffers who live in old car shells. The residents of Desperance accuse them of killing Gordie, the town guard. They arrest the boys, who eventually commit suicide.
Aaron Ho Kum
The son of an Aboriginal woman and the white barman, Lloydie Smith. He is a petrol sniffer who lives in old car shells with the Fishman boys. Aaron meets the same fate as the Fishman boys.
Conte
An Italian tenor who works for the Gurfurrit mine. Will is shocked to find him singing in the rain on the island where he is looking for Hope and Bala.
Chuck and Cookie
Mine workers who capture Will. They eventually die in the explosions that destroy the mine.
Graham Spilling
A higher up at the mining company Gurfurrit.
