MORE ABORIGINES

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1932, Page 6

MORE ABORIGINES

LATEST OFFICIAL FIGURES

V - v r r a • 10,000 STILL “WILD.” SYDNEY, June 9. ■_ The latest official statistics reveal . that in the last decade the number of aborigines in Australia, including halfcastes, lias not declined, as was gfi"en ' ally supposed. About 500 people assist in the compilation of the figures, and l although it is some time since a complete census of the Blacks was taken, the estimates-ate claimed to he fairly 'accurate. j Because of the nomadic habits of the tyurious’}tribes, difficulties are expen- ’ diced in collecting; reliable statistics, j The aborigines in Western Australia ! belonging to the wilder tribes living outside the influences of civilisation, are sot down as 10,000. Last year it J was estimated that about 9000 fullblooded Blacks and 300 half-castes j were in regular employment. That represented a. drop ol about 2500 on the figures for the previous year, hut the authorities are now satisfied that the general depression was responsible, and not a falling off in the number of (Natives. At the end of the last statistical veal* it was estimated that thoio were 60,000 full-blooded aborigines in the Commonwealth, and__thiiU ..ahoiit--35,000 of these were of the nomadic type. The vast majority wore in” Northern Australia anti Western Aus- | tralia, and only a few were scattered ; I over the other States } According to the late'-t records, thr-.e-afe only 49 full-blooded aborigines in and not many more in New 1 South, Wales. However, in both States... there are many half-castes in the camps set apart lor the Blacks. File, number of half-castes in the camps, where they enjoy Government protection aiid Government rations, has. increased greatly during the last 18 months, and this may be attributed to the difficult conditions that prevail “outside.” Actually the number c-f full-blooded aborigines has remained fairly stable during the last decade. The Australian Black is not famed for his .industry, hut as a result ol special efforts on the part of the .Government many of them have been induced to take up regular employment. The ratio in constant.yjpirk showed a steady increase iintjiMfhe depression had its o fleet on Airitralia, hut in recent months there has Ir'en a heavy-de-cline and now it is estimated that--not more than 15 per cent of the ahori-J' gines drew regular pay. The remainder, except those who still run wild, t are a heavy drain noon the resources , of th,. Commonwealth an,! the States.