Mass Removals - Tully & Murray River to Hull River 1915

Mass removal of Natives removed from Tully and Murray River to Hull River as listed below

      

Charlie King, William Choolinjohn, Jimmy Killinjin, Charlie Splaine, Davie Splaine H/C,

Jacob, Old Man Johnnie, Monkey, Old Billy, Arthur, George H/C, Billy Pumbilo, Harry Brown,

Frank, Dandy, Sambo, Jimmy Bookal, Old Man Jimmie, Old Man Billy, Romlee, Tommy Bigera,

Jimmy Wairuna, Jimmy Bulgroo, Tommy Coochloo, Soldier, Nellie Murray, Lulu (Dulu), Daisy,

Nellie (1), Fat Nellie, Short Maggie, Yama and unnamed infant, Topsy, Annie, Jinnie,

Nellie King, Nellie (2), Louisia, Ivy, May, Lizzie, Nancy, Nellie (3), Dilly Boy, Jimmy Baldhead,

Jimmy Tuesday, Big Mick, Tommy Runaway, Bob, Tommy Maunds, Jimmy Iudibungi or Fish,

Long Paddy, Sambo Wurruncul, Tommy Murrumifer, Tommy Wycoograh, Tommy Wambinin,

Jacco, Jimmy Darcy, Wallaby, Fred Blackman, Short Paddy, Harry, Charlie, Jimmy, Toby,

Tommy Brook, Johnnie Mickie, Peter, Sambo Coolundra, Sandy, Willie Dean, Tommy Webria,

Tommy Sore Foot, Paddy No 2, Willie One Eye, Joe Houston, Tommy Boongarry, 

Tommy Chickambee, Sambo Hilliar, Job, Toby One Eye, Moody Oorabundy,

Billy Neugara, Toby Eumara, Jimmy Toomie, Albert, Charlow, Jinbine Tommy, Jimmy Pee Kin,

Tommy Beecher, Jinga-Jinga, Tommy Beuarabedge, Jimmy Chumbil, Charlie Newauly, 

Davey Billy, Charlie Churrimaw, Charlie Murisindi, Tommy Pigweed, Tommy Mundow, Billy,

Old Man Jack, Old Man Jimmy, Mick One Eye, Harry, Minnie, Violet, Polly, Rosie (1), Lizzie,

Old Woman Maggie, Ginnie, Minnie, Biddy, Maggie (1), Kitty, Ena, Rosie (2), Polly, Jennie,

Maggie (2), Maggie (3), Old Granny, Judy, Maggie (4), Polly, Annie, Cissie, Alice, Mary Ann,

Nellie (4), Nellie (5), Luja, Lulu, Rosie (3), Maggie (5), Jenny, Polly, Lulu Wairuna, Wonga, Kitty,

Maggie (6), Maggie Murisinda, Maggie (7), Sarah, Norah, Minnie, Bella, Maggie (8), Fanny, 

Nellie (6), Trilly, Maggie (9), Kitty, Winby, Nellie (7), Maggie (10), Polly Robinson, 

Old Woman Nellie 

Reason given - Loafing class; are a hindrance and annoyance to better class of aboriginals

Marriage and Culture 2

 

An extract from news.com.au (full article here .)

Location Northern Territory.

A 28-year-old man who raped and impregnated a 13-year-old girl promised to him as part of a “family arrangement” could be out of jail within a year. Justice Barr stated “It is clear that the girl’s family facilitated and approved the unlawful relationship between you and her,” he said.

Justice Barr said the arrangement was in-line with traditional norms.

“I conclude that the relationship did not breach Aboriginal customary law or offend against traditional cultural practice,” he said.

“However, I cannot take this into account in lessening the seriousness of your offending because (of) 16AA of the Crimes Act makes clear that I must do so.”

Extract from The Booandik Tribe of South Australian Aborigines

 The Booandik Tribe of South Australian Aborigines - A Sketch of Their Habits, Customs, Legends, and Language also an account of the efforts made by Mr and Mrs James Smith to Christianise and civilise them
Mrs James Smith
E Splller Government Printer S.A. 1880

INFANTS arc betrothed to one another by their parents.
Girls are betrothed by the father, with the concurrence 
of his brothers, into some family which has a daughter
to give in exchange. They term this ‘wootambau’
(exchanging). As they grow up to maturity, the youth-
ful pair are spoken of in terms of the warmest friendship and 
respect by all parties — especially by the female portion of the
tribe. Presents are expected by the mothers, either directly or
indirectly, from the lovers or their nearest relatives. This gains
a goodwill towards the intended son-in-law — although the 
mother is bound not to mention his name as long as she lives. 
A pair of ducks, a leg of a wombat, or a young emu — whatever
is eatable — is acceptable to the craving appetite. The father,
of course, is the lord of the soil; and when the food is cooked 
in the hot ashes, or broiled, he receives his allotted share. He 
throws what he cannot eat over his shoulder to his female part-
ner, who sits in the dark shade.

Once while out pleasuring towards the Woakwine, with my
family and an aged couple, Mary Ann asked me what I thought 
of her "m'rado" (land), and said with a smile of pleasure,
"There is the swamp; yonder is the lake. Here is the country
where I followed my husband when I was a 'burrich burrich'
(a girl). Thereare my good swans, 'lapps lapps' (small fish),
'gnarps' (apples), 'nroite' (honey), 'carlic paron marton'
(plenty plenty good). I am old, and am the only wife he
loved. He was the lord of Lake George (Narhter)."
Their marriage customs clearly indicate their sense that
virtue is honor. Each tribe, as I have said, is divided into two
distinct classes, the Kumite and Kroke. If a man is a Kumite, 
his wife must be a Kroke ; and if a man is a Kroke, his wife must
be a Kumite. The children belong to the mother’s class. The
young men sometimes exchange their sisters for wives; and woe
to anyone that breaks his vows - his sister is taken back by force
and given to another. Parents do not allow any familiarity be-
tween the boys and girls. If a strange boy comes on a visit with
his friends to the family, the young and bashful girl turns her 
back, hangs her head down, or covers herself in her mother’s rug. 
The youth sits down sullenly, as if he had no eyes to see, or 
understanding, now that she honored him; and partly through 
fear of the future, and partly out of respect to virtue, he is 
bound to leave her company and retire to the "natmul wurla" 
(male house). An old man said to me one day that I should
not allow my boys and girls to play together. "He was," he 
said, "an old man, and knew better than me. The whites were 
'stupid' and he would like me to take care of my daughters."
The preliminaries concluded, the time for the ceremony at 
length comes, and the council meet the parents, who give up 
their daughter. The bride is about ten or twelve years of age,
and ripe for marriage. A company, consisting of all the males
and the bride, proceed to the bridegroom’s wurla, where he is
lying on the ground, every limb and nerve in motion at the idea
of the approaching ceremony. The company approach the 
wurla and halt; all eyes are fixed on the bridegroom lying on
the ground. One of the honored men of the tribe takes his
seat beside him; the father takes the bride by the hand, and
says to the bridesmen, "You give my daughter with the
consent of all her males you see standing around." The young
men turn to the bridegroom, and say, "Here is your wife."
She then places herself beside him, and the bridesmen politely 
walk away. The whole company then return to their wurlas,
and leave the young couple to themselves. For five nights she
sleeps about two yards from her husband; the fifth night her 
father goes to her, and persuades her to give up all her bashful-
ness. The ceremony is ended, and the married couple roam
the woods in search of food. Each one lives apart.
The mother-in-law and son-in-law must not speak to each
other, or even come into each other's presence. Those persons
connected by marriage (excepting husband and wife) talk to 
each other in a low whining tone, and use words different to
those in common use. I may state that polygamy was the rule;
most of the men had two wives, but some had as many as five.
The Booandik words for marriage are "wooen" (given), and 
"manen" (taken).

Marriage and Culture

Have been reading Jacinta Price's autobiography (e.g. Chapter 7) and it appears the following published in 1934 and on the web site may still be relevant.

Kinship in Western Central Australia
Oceania Volume 4 Issue 4 June 1934
Henry Kenneth Fry
                                                                    1
"The information presented in this paper was obtained during a
visit of the Adelaide University Anthropological Expedition
to Mount Liebig, the western limit of the McDonnell Ranges, in
August, 1932. News of our coming had been sent out beforehand,
and about one hundred bush natives from the surrounding districts
came in and settled temporarily near the camp of the Expedition.
The majority of these people were members of the Ngalia tribe from
the sandhill country to the north-west, and of the Pintubi tribe from
the west and south-west. Some Jumu (Luritja) natives of the
locality and a few Aranda natives from Hermannsburg also were
represented."

Lists the following relationships :-
The following records of the actual circumstances of marriages were made.
I. Mintun-Mintun, Pintubi, Tararo Tjungarai.
   
    First wife, Maramintjini, Iparka. The mama, father, of
    Maramintjini, the nunari of Mintun-Mintun, told him to
    marry her, so he went and called her to his camp. She was
    a little girl about knee high. Mintun-Mintun's father
    called Maramintjini's father watjera.
    Second wife, Koreilja, Panaka Napurula. (A kameru
    marriage.) This girl was the daughter of Nalbilala,
    Purukulla, who told him to take her to his camp. She was
    a little girl like a small girl of four or five years of age who
    was pointed out. Mintun-Mintun called Nalbilala kameru,
    and his father called Nalbilala kandia, wife's brother.
    Nalbilala called Mintun-Mintun's father numpana, sister's
    husband.
    Third wife, Mulunga, Iparka. The sister of Maramintjini,
    by the same father. Ngunari, the girl's father, told him
    to take her. She was a little girl like the others.
    Fourth wife, Milbanga, Iparka. She was the daughter of the
    same father as his first and third wives. Milbanga called
    Mulunga kankoro. Mulunga called Milbanga malango.
    Fifth wife, Iparka. This woman was the widow of his deceased
    "elder brother," actually his father's elder brother's
    son. He stated that he looked after her and her children,
    but that she was not really a wife.

II  Nalbilala, Pintubi, Purukula Takamara.
    He had only one wife, Napaltari Purunga. When a young
    fellow, he was frightened of women and kept away from
    them. His nunari, Wallowaritji, Tararo Tungarai, told
    him to marry this woman, who was his daughter. Everyone
    told him to marry. His wife came and made a fire and a
    camp ready for him, along with his people. She was a
    young woman, he called her korei. Nalbilala's father
    called Wallowaritji watjera. Nalbilala called Wallowaritji
    nunari, and Wallowaritji called him kameru.

III Koijanu, Pintubi, Purukula Takamara.
    Only one wife, Purunga Napaltari. She was promised to him
    by his nunari, her father, when she was a baby. When
    she was about hip-high (? six years) he took her. When
    she was about breast-high (demonstrated), he began
    marital relations with her. This was before her breasts
    had come up. He used to sing to her to make her grow
    quickly. His nunari was Kateirelba, Tungarai. It was
    the custom to give kangaroo and euro to the nunari from
    the time that his daughter was promised. He still did this.
    When he was about breast-high (demonstrated), he used
    to play with the girls in the bush, only proper ones watjerawatjera.
    He would meet them by arrangement. He
    would give the girl euro or kangaroo meat.
    

Orange Aboriginal Heritage Report 2012

The Orange Aboriginal Heritage Report dated 2012 is available here . Amongst other things the report has Blanket distributions from 1830 - 1841. The report seems especially relevant today.

Report of Board for Protection of Aborigines NSW 1924

Came across this whilst browsing reports of  the Board for Protection of Aborigines NSW.

Report of Board for Protection of Aborigines NSW, for the year ended 30th June 1924

EDUCATION.

Aborigines Schools are located at various centres throughout the State where the children receive an education, based on a special syllabus, which provides for an elementary training in the three Rs and in manual work. These Schools are reported upon by Inspectors attached to the Department of Education, and generally a satisfactory tone is maintained.

Particular care is taken that upon reaching fourteen years of age each child goes either to a training Home or to suitable employment. No one is allowed to remain in idleness on a Reserve, there to get into trouble and raise another generation of illegitimate children who would also become a burden on the State. The problem is thus gradually solving itself as the younger Aborigines are being educated to something higher and have no wish to return to the level of camp life, thus ensuring that in time the necessity for Aborigines Reserves will be a thing of the past.

Black Cladding

 A great new article by Ella Noah Bancroft titled "How black cladding impacts on grassroots communities" appears in the Koori Mail dated August 28, 2024. Well worth reading.