ABORIGINES FADE OUT.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5242, 22 February 1928, Page 1

ABORIGINES FADE OUT.

HALF-CASTE INCREASE.

OVER 14,000' IN AUSTRALIA.

Those Australian aborigines, who arc left in close touch with civilisation seemed destined to merge into the population by interbreeding through varying shades of colour, approximating eventually to white.

This is shown by the steady increase of about 1000 a year in the number of half castes revealed in the figures given by the Commonwealth Statistician.

Although there are only about 1000 full-blooded aborigines in New South 'Wales there' arc some '5OOO or 60'00 half-castes, which include quadroons, octoroons, and other grades of colouring. While the numbers of the fullbloods are decreasing every year those of the half-breeds are increasing.

The same story is told wherever the blacks are in close touch with civilisation. .

Behind the interesting sociological facts, revealed in these figures lies the tragedy of the half-caste. The product in most cases of the lower order of whites and black parents. he has no part in the white community. In touch with whites, his breeding i®> such that the consciousness of his inferiority is keener upon him than upon any of his blacker brethren.

With the men of the black tribes Jnto which, or of which,, he happens to be born,’ also he is unpopular. The reason for this, however, is curious. The full bloods are jealous of the favour in which the women of the tribe hold any member with a strain of white blood. They prefer them for husbands. It is the wish of the black gin’s lieart to have as pale a coloured Lothario as possible.

The result of this is seen in the inter-marriage of the half-castes with the black women, and the production of children whose numbers go to swell the increasing army of the mixed breeds.

Altogether there are between 14,000 and 15,000 half-castes in) Australia. Of this number about one-third are in New South Wales,..

By both protectors and missionaries, ino distinction is made in their treatment . Strictly speaking, the protector’s duty is to look after the aborgines and half-castes ; a good many of the other graduating breeds fall to their care as well. LIGHTER CASTES GO.

Following the. Aborigines’ Protection (Amendment) Act, 1918, which provide that the definition of the word “ aborigine ’’ should include only full-blood and half-castes, and which gave the Board power to deal with any person having ;a lesser admixture of aboriginal blood in their veins,steps were taken by the Board s inspectors to arrange for such Quada'oons and octoroons as were able, without inflicting hardship, to earn their own living independently of the Government, to leave the reserves. At the same time the Board directed that each case musjt be treated on its merits, and that nothing savouring of harshness could be permitted.

The elimination of these people of lighter castes presented in many instances a 'difficult problem seeing that they had been reared among aborigines all their lives, and all their connections and interests were with aborigines. The gradual process of elimination has been going on since. While the general intelligence and character of thd mixed breeds is low, there are eases in Which, under proper training, they have proved theii skill as artisans.

At Yarrabah mission station in Queensland the engine-driver of the sawmill is a lialf-breed, and so is the mechanic. The lattelr, who is married to a, black woman, has some clever pieces of work, performed under difficult circumstances, to his credit. Even while in close touch with civilisation it is remarkable how the primitive instincts of their forebears will show out in the half-castes. One boy, who had shown such promise that he had almost come to be regarded as a white, was found one night in bed with all his clothes on’, a reversion to the habits of the fullblooded aborigines.

The old tribal instincts are a factor which has to be overcome in schemes of ireform which are planned for the natives. The proposals to place them in large reserves over the northern portion of Australia, means that many of them will be forced to leave their old tribal boundaries in the so>uth- It is either this or they must perish. MUST “WALK ABOUT.”

According to the Rev. J. S. Needham, chairman, of the Australian Board of Missions, provision will have to be made for those natives removed from distant parts to g lO for a periodical “walk about” to their old areas.

The placing of the blacks, on the reserves! under Federal control is considered by the board to be the only means of ultimately preserving this interesting race..

In the meantime steps taken by the board are doing much, to lessen 1 the evils brought about by the contact of the blacks with unscrupulous whites. One of those works at present in hand is the building of adequate for more than sixty half castes at Alice Springs, the housing and treatment of which had been a. scandal. In New South Wales the tragedy of native girls of 12 and 14' becoming mothers had been obviated by the Aborigines Protection Board placing the ghls in service after they leave school, and until they reach the age of 18, when they are sent back to their tribes.