MISSIONARY’S PROJECT

Hokitika Guardian, 1 December 1923, Page 1

MISSIONARY’S PROJECT

ABORIGINAL BUFFER- STATE. SYDNEY. November 22. The problem of populating and developing Northern Australia lias ber't attacked by theorists from many angles. Some have, with strong support, sttg-ge-ted a chartered company with rights extending over a century or some other lengthy period; others have proposed tree grants of land to British or Australian settlers with a specified minimum of capital giving them reasonable prospects of developing tlu- areas; otliers; again, have suggested encouraging the settlement- of continental groups from Europe, such as. on a small scale, proved successful in the New Italy experiment in the north o’ New South Wales. Other inteiesting projects might he quoted but it- has been left to the Rev. ,1. S. Needham, chairman of the. Australian Board of Missions, of which the Arc-hbishops and Bishops of Australia, and many prominent laymen form the membership to put forward the most remarkable project of all. ills solution of the problem, and incidentally his. answer to tii few who favour permitting immigiation from the East, is the creation of a great northern buffer State peopled by Australia’s own aboriginals. He doi lares that left to themselves and thei) o'.v-i conditions they inctease in a greater ratio than do the whites in Queensland, and that have both the right and the latent qualities to form a power, fid race in the north.

in developing the theory in a speech at an Anglican missionary exhibition in Brisbane. Air Needham said that it was commonly believed that the Australian aborigines were a dying race. “It will be a perpetual shame upon Australia,” he declared in omphalic tones “if they are allowed to die mil. because we can prevent that happening.” He pointed out that if tlie aborigine? were placed on reserves at a distance from the temptations of the white -ace. were trained to various forms ol avocation under the supervision of missionaries, and were given a religion in place of their own. they would ini reuse and multiply exceedingly. In support of this, lu- quoted the Anglican .Mission Station, at Yan-nhali, where during the lust ten years the rutin of increase cf the aboriginals and ha!irastes had been far greater than that, of the white population of Queensland. •'God help Australia if the black man does die.” he exclaimed in impassioned t fpies. Air Needham proceeded to explain that in his opinion the attractions of the towns precluded tin- possibility of the Northern half of Australia ever being effectively occupied l,y white Australians. If they drew a litre from Cooktuwn lo Carnarvon, in Western Aiistialia. they would cut off 1 ractically half of the continent which e.t the present time did not have a white population of (iOOO. The only way in v liii li we could defend’ that part of Australia against the yellow heathen hordes mu l retain our purity of race, was to place our blacks on large reserves in that area under such conditions that tiro would increase and tints populate it. The 70.000 Australian blacks still remaining could be placed in the Northern part of Australia and would eventually create a bullet" State against any yellow invader. That should be done even if it cost £IOO.OOO a year. The missions would help if the Government would pave the way. lu this way we

vmili! „ave the blacks and the bind; would cave Australia.