ABORIGINALS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 September 1933, Page 6

ABORIGINALS

CAUSE SOME ALARM FOR SAFETY OF MISSIONARIES SYDNEY, Sept,2o. ' Alter u week’s indecision concerning the cli.sp.iteh of a punitive expedition against aborigines in ArnhcMi Land, North-east Australia, the Federal Government was compelled, by strong public protests to abandon that plan, but a disquieting message from the mission station on Groote Eylandt, in the “danger centre,” lias since led to the despatch from Darwin of a party ot three poi'ee- and four black-tiLckers. Thus lias the public conscience been salved in a manner compatible with the performance, of the duty of governing. The missions which led the outcry against Lite original expedition and deck: ml that- the missionaries in the field needed no succour have been curiously silent since word came from Groote .Eylandt that fears were held that Caledon Ray natives, least civilised of any in Australia, might attack the mission there.

Groote Eylandt is off the main coast, in the Gulf of Carpentaria. At present there are six whites at the mission and more that -0 hall'-oastes, in addition to Constable Hall, who was a member of the poi'ee party when Constable MeG'oil was killed at Woodall Island early last month and who was sent to Groote Eylandt following that tragedy. The mission is maintained by the Church Missionary Society. There are on the station eight large buildings, including a church, schoolroom, residences and dormitories, as well as a sawmill.

The mission reservation is surrounded by the territory of the Caledon Bay natives. Thick scrub borders the station. It was from this outpost of Australian, civilisation that the message raine at the end of last week that the Caledon Ray natives had recently been showing signs of treachery and restlessness and that there was a likelihood of their .attacking,the station;, .

NOT A PUNITIVE EXPEDITION

The party which has left Darwin ha > been called a ‘•succouring party.” It will be? in no way a punitive expedition, its sole iunction being to protect the missionaries and half-castes until all danger has passed. The p.rty will establish a patrol to be on day aim night guard duty and will have speci-ally-trained Alsatians as watch dogs. Ike party will remain at Groote Eylandt throughout;the wet season, which lasts until March or April, as it ;s considered that the greatest danger of attack exists during that time of the year

Aborigines on the mainland always trek to the seashore during the wet senson, because the torrential rains flood the country, dispersing the . game and birdp and making in impossible to bunt animals in the swampy ground. For most of the wet season they live oir short rations of .fish and shellfish, and therefore there .'won,ld be a great temptation to . them, through hunger and tile craving for variety of food, to raid the mission for its supplies of flour meat, sugar and tobacco.

The party is making the speediest journey possible from Darwin to Groote Kylandt. It has gone by train to Mataranka. from where is will go by car to the Roper River Mission station'. The Groote Eylaudt auxiliary ketch Holly will he waiting at Roper River, and the party will embark there and be at Groote Eylnndt two days later providing wind and tides do not delay the journey.

“RIDICULOUS MESSAGE”

The Minister of the Interior, Mr Perkins, in a statement regarding aborigines in the north, described ,as “larradiddles” the statements cabled from Brisbane to London. “So far as the statement is concerned that some person had said that the only good aboriginal is a dead aboriginal,” said Mr Perl vins ) “I doubt if two men in tho north could lie found to make such a statement. The police in the Northern Territory are a fine and humane body of men, of whom Australia may be proud. They showed their humanity toward the ,aborigines on the occasion when Constable McC'oll was speared and killed

“Tt is clear that the police could have protected themselves by firing at the aborigines, hut that instead they fired over the heads of the blacks, who thus were able to kill 'Constable McColi and wound other members of the party. Tho statement cabled to London that a flying-boat and a destroyer might have been sent to Groote Kylandt is so much nonsense.”

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