Reports on Aboriginal People on Western Australian stations 1899-1902
| Please be aware that the reports include the names of deceased people and descriptions which may be culturally sensitive |
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The Chief Protector of Aborigines, Perth. MT. FISHER. - Owned by Mr. Fisher; managed by Mr. J. Fisher. Three men, 30 to 40; seven women, 21 to 40; two half-caste boys, 11 and 13; one man and woman shepherding at Balla Balla. Scale of rations; 12lbs. flour, 2lbs. sugar, 30lbs. meat ¼lb. tea 2 sticks tobacco, man and woman, per week, One old man died last August. No births. The natives on this station are apparently well fed and clothed. I have, etc., G. S.OLIVEY, Travelling Inspector. Boodarrie, 18th March, 1901. |
The Chief Protector of Aborigines, Perth. SIR, WALLAL TELEGRAPH STATION (90-Mile Beach). - Mr. Prideaux officer in charge. On arrival at this station I could not help noticing the number of natives, principally women and children, having the run of the place. Messrs. Prideaux and C. D. Price appear to be keeping a good many natives and getting only a very limited amount of work from them. On the list of natives on relief. furnished by you, there are 12 names. I carefully examined these natives and am giving you full particulars of each, as follows: - (1.) Geordie Berrie, male (60); has an able-bodied woman of 40, able to get living for both. (2.) Berrilidgee, male (60); able to earn his own living. (3.) Chil Kuringa, male; also able to earn his own living. (4.) Winbady, alias Dickey, male (70); this native I did not see; he is said to be blind; his woman has two young children; he is very old and infirm. (5.) Gnibagorla, alias Bamboora, male (65); blind. (6.) Jangin, female (60); blind. (7.) Cooboroo, female (30); blind in one eye; young and strong and able to get her own living. (8.) Napileriza, female; has been dead for some time. (9.) Wangoon, female (55); has a grown son working here, and is herself able to get her own living. (10.) Nabil Yarria, alias Mary, female (60); infirm. (11.) Yungerabiddy, alias Rose, female (60); infirm. (12.) Guangil Gerry, alias Mary, female (65); nearly blind. (13.) Boorajordoo, female (60); infirm. (14.) Winyera, alias Jinnie, female (60); infirm. (15.) Yeula, aliasMary, female (70); nearly blind; very infirm. (16.) Wirri Wirri, female (25); cripple - paralysed. Of the above, those italicised have been struck off the list, leaving 10 only now relief. Mr. Prideaux informed me he had been in the habit of charging for 12 each month up to 2nd April, when, owing to scarcity of rations, he had to keep only six. These natives have been getting 2lbs. of flour per day, and from what I saw myself and heard from Mr. Hester, I think the relief has been properly administered, but it would be well if there were only one centre of relief, viz., La Grange Bay. I believe a good many of these natives come from North of Wallal, so that should it be necessary to place any more on relief, I would suggest that they be sent to La Grange Bay. I did not mention this suggestion to Mr. Prideaux, not having then seen the Bay. I consider no relief should ever have been granted along this coast, except under very exceptional circumstances (droughts, etc.), but now that it has been in force so long, I fail to see how it can be discontinued altogether ; there can be no doubt that at a camp like Wallal, relieving the old natives simply means helping the young and able-bodied to live without attempting to work or look for their own food. There were about 50 to 60 natives in the camp at the time of my visit l there are generally near 200. I believe the majority were away in the bush. I saw 13 children, 12 months to 13 years ; two half-castes, one girl, two years, and one boy, three years (the former a miserable looking specimen). I took some photographs of these natives, but have not yet developed them. Mr. Prideaux drew my attention to be medicine that had been supplied from Broome some time back by Dr. Vines. For the most part this stuff appeared to be useless. On visiting Perth I hope to be able to suggest some better means of supplying medicine to those outlying districts. The above applies to La Grange Bay also. Mr. Prodeaux has been supplying blankets to both able-bodied and decrepit natives, giving one to each family, with an extra one in case of a large family. I have, etc, G.S. OLIVEY, Travelling Inspector. Broome, 5th May, 1901. |
The Chief Protector of Aborigines, Perth. LA GRANGE BAY TELEGRAPH STATION. - Mr. Tuckett officer in charge. At this station things are carried on very differently. No natives are allowed to camp alongside the house, at at Wallal, except those employed by Mr. Tuckett or the linesman. At a glance, I could see they are kept in order. Two boys do most of the cooking, in the absence of Mrs. Tuckett. They have evidently been well trained. Every day the old pensioners come up for their flour or rice, each one getting 2lbs. flour or rice and ½lb. sugar. I only took exception to one woman here, who, I considered, was quite able to get her own living. The following is a full and detailed list of these natives: - (1.) Matchinoo, male (50), decrepit and unable to get about. (2.) Chinmarran, alias Billie (70), decrepit and unable to get about. (3.) Lingarry, female (65), infirm. (4.) Rocherman, female (70), blind and infirm. (5.) Chumbuli, female (65), blind in one eye, unable to get about. (6.) 1. Chumbuli, female (65), blind in one eye, unable to get about. (7.) 2. Kooran, female (50), blind in one eye and infirm. (8.) Drigah, female (40), blind in one eye and infirm. (9.) Lawn, female (45), cripple. (10) Mulya, female (70), blind, very infirm. (11) Weeal, female (50), cripple. (12) Charrat, male (40), cripple, having had one thigh broken some considerable time back, which was never set; he is, therefore, unable to walk. (13.) Weelyarah, female, cleared out, and has been struck off list by Mr. Tuckett. (14.) Bamboorah, male, blind. (15.) 2. Rocherman, female (55), blind and infirm. (16.) Ettica, female (45), blind in one eye and infirm. (17.) 2. Biradoo, female (50), decrepit. (18.) Binmarry, female (50), blind and infirm. (19.) Kitty, female (50), very often sick. (20.) Mulyar, female (45), cut off; able to get her own living. (21.) Lindin, female (65); blind in one eye; infirm. (22.) Mulyenoora, female (45), decrepit. (23.) Kooran, cut off by Mr. Tuckett; absent without leave. (24.) 1. Biradoo, female (45), infirm. (25.) Maoonga, female (50), blind in one eye. (26.) Guemajarry, alias Harry, male (65), very shaky, senile decay. (27.) Moogera, female (65), blind and infirm. (28.) Bellelle, female (25), very lame, unable to get about much, apparently scrofulous. I have no hesitation in stating that these natives get the full benefit of the allowance, and that the relief is well administered, but as at Wallal, I consider it is a pity they were ever placed on the list at all. Mr. Tuckett employs three men (18 to 60) and five women (14 to 35). I only saw three children up to two years old. Three half-castes: one girl 12 or 13, one girl eight; one boy (Jap.) 11 or 12. One boy at the house is suffering from asthma (13), and one boy of 12 is at the ship-building yard. The linesman employs two men, 30 and 50; two women, 22 and 25; two boys, 10 and seven. i think there must be more children about, but hope to get full details from P.C. Zum Felde later on. in any but very bad seasons the natives in this district can get an ample supply of native food ; they also carry water and wood for the pearling boats that call in at the creeks during the season. I visited Whistler's Creek from La Grange, but there were only two loggers in and the blacks all cleared out when they sighted us in the distance. I am told a scandalous state of affairs exists as a rule when the pearling boats visit thse creeks ; the natives, men and woman, flocking around, when the Asiatics, principally Manillamen and Malays, secure the youngest gins they can, in many cases mere children, for immoral purposes. I have asked P.C. Zum Felde to report to me fully on this and other matters connected with the question. I fully appreciate the difficulty attached to proving cases of this kind, consequently I would strongly urge the necessity of stationing a constable at the Bay to patrol between there, Wallal, and the different creeks in the district, as I feel confident if nothing is done to stop this evil the natives must suffer more and more, and extermination will be only a question of a few years. Mr. Tuckett is of the same opinion as myself, and considers it absolutely essential that a good man be stationed in the neighbourhood and as soon as possible. There is a ship-building yard in the creek, only a mile or so from the telegraph station ; all Asiatics employed. Eveything was quiet when I visited this place, but I believe shortly after there was a row, liquor having found its way there. From what I can learn, liquor appears to be sold by the whites on the pearling schooners to their men on the luggers ; surely this is sly grog selling and could be put a stop to. The young half-caste Jap. boy I brought in with me, and had him indentured, having only a borrowed boy with me at present. I could hear of no disease at the time of my visit, but believe it is very bad at times during the pearling season. I have, etc., G. S. OLIVEY, Travelling Inspector. Broome, 5th April, 1901. |
The Chief Protector of Aborigines, Perth. ENGEDENE PLAINS STATION. - Owned and managed by Mr. Marshall. Seven men and seven women are employed on this station. There are six children, one year to 11 years, including two half-castes (girls), one year and 10 years. One birth 12 months ago; one death, a girl of eight or nine, from snake-bite, last August. The natives I saw were looking well and hearty. I have, etc., G.S. OLIVEY. Travelling Inspector. Broome, 6th May, 1901. |
The Chief Protector of Aborigines, Perth. ROEBUCK PLAINS STATION. - Messrs. Streeter & Co.; managed by Mr A. E. Banks. I saw very few natives here; they were nearly all away for a holiday. Those I did see were well fed and treated. Twnety-two men and boys, 11 to 60; 24 women and girls, 12 to 50; 14 children, 5 months to 10 years; one half-caste (Malay), 18 months . There have been other half-castes, but Mr. Banks told me they were in Broome. Scale of rations: 12lbs. rice, 12lbs. meat, 2 lbs. sugar, 2 sticks tobacco per week, man and woman. I have, etc., G. S. OLIVEY, Travelling Inspector. Broome, 6th May, 1901. |