WEST AUSTRALIAN BLACKS

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXXIII, Issue 24, 15 June 1905, Page 29

WEST AUSTRALIAN BLACKS

CATHOLIC MISSIONS In the course o! an article in the ' Austral Light ' on the! West Australian natives and their brutal treatment by low white settlers and police the writer says : Amidst all this cruelty and degradation there are forces at work which won the approval and admiration of the Commissioner. Speaking of New Norcia. Dr. Roth says : ' This, the oldest aboriginal institution in the States, is in a most flouri-shing condition, continues to carry on very excellent work, and is well worthy of the su\p'port extended to it by the department.' This mission was founded by the late Dr. Salvado in 1854, and is now in charge of the Right Rev. Dom. Fulgentius Torres. There are 200 aborigines and half-castes, and about 39 lay Brothers. The boys are taught by a Brother ; the girls attend the convent school, and are under the Sisters. The children start work when about 14, but receive no wages (except pocket money) until 17 or 18. Then, according to their value, .they receive pay, some getting £1 per month, some £2, and others £3, with board in the monastery, £1 8s being the maximum weekly wage, and on this they marry. Better off than most young couples, their houses are built and furnished for them, and a rental charged of one shilling per annum. The third generation of the original inmates are now at New Norcia. But The Most Striking Instance of whofle-souleW charity, like that of St. Vincent de Paul in its earnestness and intensity, is that of Father Nicholas 1 , the parish priest at Broome. It is so interesting that I trust I will be pardoned for making some extracts from it :— How long have you been working as a missionary amongst the aborigines ?— Since the beginning of 1895, when I came out with a party of other Trappist Fathers on their way to fou,nd the Aboriginal Mission- at Beagle Bay. My General Superior gave me a formal promise to Let me lue an<d die in Australia on behalf of the natives. From the date of landing I commenced work all alone at Broome without a penny In my pocket ; a tent was my church ; a bough-shed my room. What was the nature of your work at this period ? — Being dependent upon public charity, I was able, after a little time, to open an orphan school, in order to gather in the native full-blooded children of both sexes, as well as some half-caste «irls, whom, to my sorrow., I found amongst the Asiatics The Abbot of my congregation at Beagle Bay then commenced to give assistance in the way of precisions. With this help 1 succeeded in supporting 'during these three , years 37 children and adults, and in paying a small salary for a schoolmistress. Further Steps. Did you ta 1 c any further steps yourself to look after the education of the children ''—With the help of subscriptions from the inhabitants of Broome, I built a cliurch here, and a residence for myself ; the latter served as a school for the remaining children of my blacks. Dul you do anything A or the welfare of the adult black population '—Yes About the same time I bought seven or eig-lit town allotments in close psroximrty to the church. Each allotment cost over £20. I also erected certain huts on these allotments for the Christian married couples. Were these allotments and improvements paid for out of your own prnate pocket 7 — Yes. Are they still your property ? — No. I made them over to various of these native couples, and impressed upon the \vi\es the necessity for always retaining them, <-o they might always have a permanent home here. They have now and again oaid me back a little towards the cost of purchase lam quite satisfied with what they ha\ c given me. But whm ihe time comes for you to be called to rest, and these\ blacks are no longer under your influence, is it not lil-olv that some speculator or unprincipled nerso'n will cotntoive to get these allotments out of the hands of their present owners, especially as these lands are increasing in value 9—l9 — I have thought of this matter since, and propose trying to make some arrangement by which these allotments may be held in trust for them. At the present time, how many have you under your especial care ''—Nine old and infirm women, two old men (one of whom is beginning to be mentally incapable), fno little girls (one of whom is blind), two'small boys two sick women, one m.an whose leg the doctor has lately annpiutate'd, two otihers very sick with incurable disease, one young man sick with consumption, one with pleurisy, one with disease of the leg. This total of 26 people I feed three times daily, and supply with

medicine. The foo3 consists of rice, meat, bread, and tea,, with vegetables, such as pumpkins, tomatoes, and water-melons, very frequently. * Often some goat's milk is given to those who require it. . Who pays for all this ?— I do. I have given all I have.. I have no more. And now, for the first time after ten years' work amongst these people, I am in debt to the amount of about £100. No Government Assistance. Do you mean to tell me that the Go\ernmcnt has given you no pecuniary assistance ? — Not a penny, so far. But the liiue has now airivied at lasll when, unless the Government come soon to my assistance, I can no longer continue this expenditure, whicl\. though 1 have to admit it with a wounded heart, will mean that 1 shall! ha\el to abandon all such sick natives to their fate. When JMr. Olivey travelled round here on behalf of the Aborigines Department, the Resident Magistrate spoke to him very forcibly on the necessity for giving some assistance to these blacks. Mr. Olivey promised to make the necessary recommendation to the proper quarters ; 1 received only one box of medicine. Does any religious body give you pecuniary assistance in this good and noble work ?"— No. You are, then, dependent only upon the charity of the Broome public '—Yes. Where do you keep all the^e sirk people that you have just mentioned '—With the exception of three of the worst cases, which I have here at tiie back of my premises in a tent and a hut, they are all at the Point Where is tins Point 7 — A headland, within the town boundary, where I have ten acres ; a very healthy locality and exposed to the sea breeze. Is there anything paid for this '—Yes, it is rented at> £3 per year. Who pays this £3 '—I do. It is my blacks' camp. Are- there many old and infirm blacks in the neighborhood of «Broome ?— Yes ; I have often found them di ing oi himeer, in the absence oi a little care and kindness. Considering the many instances 1 have come across in Broome, how many must there be in other centres occupied by aborigines ! I would suggest that all such cases, instead of being abandoned to their fate li 1 c dogs, should be collected into certain areas and looked after by someone friondlv to the natives But, for this, the assistance of the Government is essential. Suggestions. Have you any suggestions to make with regard to the young and healthy adults ''—Let them work for their food, or hunt for it ; there is plenty of game and fish about If they were not la/v, the Go-, eminent could grant them a piece of land which they might cultivate. And what at out the children ?— The^e mie;ht to be sent to mission schools (where there aie Sisters or matrons.), while the half-castes should be sent to lief or-

matories. The half-caste girls, in my opinion, are in general of a very vicio,us temperament. How many half-caste children are there at present in Broome ?— About 30, of both sexes. How many blacks are there at present in the neighborhood of Broome ? — More than 300, of whom about 120 are in employment, but there are pro,bably not more than 70 under contract. Influence of Catholic Missions. What influence has your work had on these natives ? — They have become, comparathely wpeaking, law-abid-ing and, good Christians. One of my great difficulties is the temptation offered to them in the way of drink, both by Europeans and Asiatics. I have bantised altogether 131 nathes (45 men, 16 boys, 45 women, and 25 girks). Of the 33 Christtians who have died, all the expenses in connection with J.he sickness, death, and interment have been borne by me. My work has borne good fruit in that the non-Christian natives in the bush nnariably come to me for help and assistance in the way of medical and other comforts, and I frequently visit their camps for this purpose. I regret to state that I know of 44 non-Christian infants who have been killed by their mothers at birth, and one child even of four years of age who was killed and eaten by its mother. Now the latter is a Christian. I always let the blacks Vnow when I visit their camps that I am fond of their children, and offer them so much rice and flour for any infant they do not want.