Annual Report of the Commissioner of Native Affairs for the Year Ended 30Th June 1949
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1951 WESTERN AUSTRALIA. ANNUAL REPORT of the Commissioner of Native Affairs for the YEAR ENDED 30th JUNE, 1949 2 8 AUG 1963 PERTH : By Authority: WILLIAM H. WYATT, Government Printer. 1951 43302/1/51—350. Digitised by AIATSIS Library 2008 - www.aiatsis.gov.au/library CONTENTS ADMINISTRATION— Staff Administrative Problems Inspection of Natives Appreciation INSTITUTIONS— Departmental Missions FINANCIAL— Financial Natives' Medical Fund Trust Accounts Lotteries Commission Donations Estates Maintenance Christmas Cheer and Gifts .... VITAL STATISTICS— Population Deaths Marriages GENERAL— Health Relief Education Employment Leprosy Precaution Regulations Reserves Citizenship Rights Exemptions JUSTICE— Courts of Native Affairs Warrants Offences by Natives Offences against Natives SOCIAL SERVICES— Maternity Allowances Child Endowment Old Age Pensions Widows' Pensions Invalid Pensions Unemployment Benefits APPENDICES. (1) Natives' Medical Fund (2) Statement of Receipts and Payments—Departmental (3) Statement of Receipts and Payments—Child Endowment (4) Statement of Receipts and Payments—Moola Bulla (5) Statement of Receipts and Payments—Munja (6) Statement of Receipts and Payments—Udialla (7) Population Statistics (8) Child Endowment Report (9) Citizenship Report (10) Missions and Mission Workers (11) Causes of Deaths Digitised by AIATSIS Library 2008 - www.aiatsis.gov.au/library Annual Report of the Commissioner of Native Affairs. The Hon. Minister for Native Affairs. I have the honour to submit my Annual Report for the year ended 30th June, 1949, as provided by Section 73 (6) of the Native Administration Act, 1905-1947 (as reprinted), together with a duly audited Statement of Receipts and Payments for the year ended 30th June, 1949. ADMINISTRATION. one month later. It provided for the division Staff: of the State into north and south regions, In his report covering a survey of native the 26th parallel being the dividing line affairs which was carried out during the separating the two. The northern region which is to be in the charge of a senior periods August to December, 1947, and in administrative officer stationed at Broome, April, 1948, Mr. F. E. A. Bateman, Resident consists of four districts, viz., East Kimberley, Magistrate, made particular reference to the West Kimberley, Pilbara and Gascoyne, the position of the Administrative Head of the three former to be in the charge of district Department of Native Affairs, pointing out officers of native affairs, with the Gascoyne, that it would be advantageous for this officer because of the relatively smaller native to possess some anthropological training, and, population it contains, classified as a sub- since he was responsible for the administra district in the charge of a travelling in tion of a large department, sound adminis spector. trative ability. The position which was vacant at the time was then widely advertised The southern region, which for normal throughout the Commonwealth, and I was administrative purposes is under the control invited by Doctor Elkin, Professor of An of the Deputy Commissioner stationed at thropology, Sydney University, to submit an Perth, has been divided into the following application for consideration by the Western native affairs districts and sub-districts:— Australian Government and the Public Ser Murchison, Central, Eastern Goldflelds and vice Commission. Subsequently, in July, Great Southern. The Murchison and Eastern 1948, at the request of the Public Ser Goldflelds, being sub-districts of the Central vice Commissioner, I travelled by air from district, are under the direct control of a Port Moresby to Perth for the purpose of district officer stationed in Perth, whilst the discussing the position with him and the Great Southern district, with its large hybrid then Minister for Native Affairs, and shortly population, is in the charge of a district after my return to Papua was advised of my officer stationed at Narrogin. appointment as Commissioner of Native Affairs for this State. Returning by air The idea of having regional and district almost immediately with my family, I took headquarters throughout the State was re charge of the department on August 12, 1948. ferred to by Mr. H. D. Moseley, Royal Com missioner on Aborigines, after his investiga Mr. C. L. McBeath, the Deputy Commis tions in 1934, and was again recommended sioner, who had been acting as Commissioner by Mr. F. E. A. Bateman in 1948. from the date of the retirement of the former Commissioner, Mr. F. I. Bray, viz., The system now inaugurated closely follows 13th April, 1947, reverted to his substantive that of the Papua-New Guinea administra position, and a few months later, in Feb tion, and in many respects that of the British ruary, 1949, proceeded on vacation and long Colonial Service in Africa and elsewhere. It service leave. provides for closer contact with missions and In the month following my assumption of other native institutions, employers of native duty I commenced a tour of the State, in labour and the natives themselves. It makes which I covered most districts from the possible a degree of co-ordination and Great Southern and South-West to the standardisation of departmental effort and Kimberleys, visiting most of the Government procedure that had not hitherto been pos and mission institutions, and a large number sible, largely because of inadequate field staff of pastoral properties and other places where organisation. At the time of my assumption natives were employed. of office there were four inspectors carrying on the field work of the department outside As a result of this tour and a careful study of the metropolitan area. The North-West of the Bateman Report and recommenda inspector, who was a constable seconded from tions, I quickly became convinced of the the Police Department for the purpose, had urgent necessity for the thorough adminis charge of an area extending approximately trative overhaul of the department. One of from the Tropic of Capricorn as far as the my first submissions to the Minister and the Jigalong Mission, thence north-westward to Public Service Commissioner was a strong Roebourne in the south up to the boundary recommendation involving decentralisation with the Northern Territory in the north of control. This plan was submitted on the east. A glance at the map will convince 3rd November, 1948, and approved by Cabinet anyone that it was not humanly possible Digitised by AIATSIS Library 2008 - www.aiatsis.gov.au/library 6 even with good roads and no weather diffi their eventual assimilation into the white culties to maintain adequate and satisfactory community of the State. In the face of the supervision over such a vast extent of terri obvious implications of such a serious situa tory. It has been established that if it were tion the apathy and indifference of the public possible for him to visit one station or institu in general, and of responsible local and other tion per day every day of the year he would authorities in particular, strike the newcomer still be in arrears with his inspections at most forcibly, especially since the problem the end of the year. has been brought to their notice so frequently by expert investigators, a wide-awake Press, The second inspector had a much easier and as far as has been permissible, by the task in charge of the Gascoyne district, which Department of Native Affairs in this State. extended from the boundary of the North It seems incredible that the experiences with west district in the north to the 26th parallel native peoples in other countries have appar in the south. The Murchison district, which ently been so entirely lost upon most of the extended from the 26th parallel down to with people of Western Australia. Obviously the in approximately one hundred miles of the familiarity which has bred so much contempt metropolitan area in the south was also easy has become congenital, and is therefore of access and control by comparison with noticed only in otherwise unavoidable cir the remaining district which included the cumstances. South-West, Great Southern, Eastern Wheat- belt and Eastern Goldfields districts. As may Generally speaking, interest in the native be expected, there were vast numbers of is manifested only from the economic point stations and even native institutions which of view. He is welcomed at harvest, muster had seldom, if ever, been visited by a repre ing, shearing, and similar agricultural and sentative of this department. pastoral times of need, or when he or she has wages or child endowment money to At the end of the period to be covered spend in the towns, but is expected to get by this report several qualified and ex back to the reserve or camp as soon as pos perienced native affairs officers had been sible after the job is completed or the money appointed in charge of the newly constituted spent, and stay out of sight, and presumably districts and subdistricts and steps were out of mind, until again required. Little, if being taken to fill vacancies created by any, thought is ever given to the terrible further subdivision. effect this attitude is having upon the minds and outlook of the natives themselves to Provision has also been made within the wards the white community generally. approved field staff establishment for the appointment of young men of this State of There is evidence in the south of a grow suitable educational qualifications and physi ing feeling of resentment and bitterness be cal standard as patrol officers and cadet tween the white and hybrid populations that patrol officers. The intention is that these is bordering upon class hatred—it cannot be young men will serve a period of from one considered as racial since the hybrids are to two years in the field under the direct descendants of Caucasian stock just as we control of the experienced district officers, are, and now, in addition, possess a pre and that if their period of probation is ter ponderance of white blood in their veins.