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Racial Folly: a Twentieth-Century Aboriginal Family

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RACIAL FOLLY A TWENTIETH-CENTURY ABORIGINAL FAMILY book.indb 1 17/02/10 10:14 AM book.indb 2 17/02/10 10:14 AM RACIAL FOLLY A TWENTIETH-CENTURY ABORIGINAL FAMILY Gordon Briscoe THE AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY E P R E S S book.indb 3 17/02/10 10:14 AM Published by ANU E Press and Aboriginal History Incorporated Aboriginal History Monograph 20 This title is also available online at: http://epress.anu.edu.au/racial_folly_citation.html National Library of Australia Cataloguing-in-Publication entry Author: Briscoe, Gordon, 1938- Title: Racial folly : a memoir of a twentieth century family / Gordon Briscoe. ISBN: 9781921666209 (pbk.) 9781921666216 (pdf) Series: Aboriginal history monograph ; 20. Notes: Bibliography. Subjects: Briscoe, Gordon, 1938- Aboriginal Australian intellectuals--Australia--Biography. Intellectuals--Australia--Biography. Aboriginal Australian historians--Biography. Historians--Australia--Biography Political activists, Aboriginal Australian--Australia--Biography. Political activists--Australia--Biography. Aboriginal Australians--Politics and government. Aboriginal Australians--Northern Territory--Removal--Biography. Children, Aboriginal Australian--Institutional care--South Australia--Biography. Dewey Number: 994.007202 Aboriginal History Incorporated Aboriginal History is administered by an Editorial Board which is responsible for all unsigned material. Views and opinions expressed by the author are not necessarily shared by Board members. The Committee of Management and the Editorial Board Kaye Price (Chair), Peter Read (Editor), Robert Paton (Treasurer and Public Officer), Anne McGrath (Deputy Chair), Karen Smith (Secretary), Isabel McBryde, Niel Gunson, Luise Hercus, Harold Koch, Christine Hansen, Tikka Wilson, Geoff Gray, Jay Arthur, Shino Konishi, Dave Johnson, Ingereth Macfarlane, Brian Egloff, Lorena Kanellopoulos, Serene Fernando, Richard Baker, Peter Radoll, Samantha Faulkner, Sophie Collins. Contacting Aboriginal History All Editorial enquiries: Editor, Aboriginal History, Australian Centre for Indigenous History, Coombs Building, ANU 0200. Sales and subscriptions [email protected] Aboriginal History Inc. is a part of the Australian Centre for Indigenous History, Research School of Social Sciences, The Australian National University and gratefully acknowledges the support of the History Program, RSSS and the National Centre for Indigenous Studies, The Australian National University. WARNING: Readers are notified that this publication may contain names or images of deceased persons. ANU E Press: All correspondence should be addressed to: ANU E Press, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia Email: [email protected], http://epress.anu.edu.au Cover image: Sleeping arrangments for half-caste children. Jay Creek, Northern Territory, 1929. From Dr WD Walker Report on Aborigines N Aust (1928-1929), NAA: CRS A1 1928/10743. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Cover design and layout by ANU E Press Printed by University Printing Services, ANU Apart for any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any process whatsoever without the written permission of the publisher. This edition © 2010 ANU E Press and Aboriginal History Inc book.indb 4 17/02/10 10:14 AM Contents Illustrations . xi Foreword. xv Preface . xix 1 ..My.family.background,.1890.to.1941. 1 2 ..Evacuation,.Mulgoa.to.Semaphore,.1938.to.1945. 17 3 ..Racial.theory.and.a.religious.solution,.1920s.to.1945.. 31 4 ..Pembroke.Street.to.St.Francis.House,.1946.to.1949. 47 5 ..Educated.men.or.Christian.misfits?.1950.to.1956. 77 6 ..Life.after.St.Francis.House,.1957.to.1964. 91 7 ..Race.relations,.work.and.education,.1964.to.1968. 103 8 ..University.and.Aboriginal.politics,.1969.to.1971.. 119 9 ..Redfern.and.the.early.1970s. 151 10 ..The.Northern.Territory,.1972. 165 11 ..A.new.era.in.Aboriginal.politics,.1974.to.1981. 177 12 ..The.education.years:.1980s. 191 13 ..The.1990s.and.beyond . 203 Epilogue. 215 References. 221 v book.indb 5 17/02/10 10:14 AM vi book.indb 6 17/02/10 10:14 AM . For my brother Bill (1944 to 2003) who served his country well. vii book.indb 7 17/02/10 10:14 AM book.indb 8 17/02/10 10:14 AM . ‘I have had many dealings with adversity, but the want of parental affection has been the heaviest of my trials’ Edgar Allan Poe ix book.indb 9 17/02/10 10:14 AM book.indb 10 17/02/10 10:14 AM Illustrations All photographs in author’s possession unless otherwise indicated. Cover Illustration: Sleeping arrangments for half-caste children. Jay Creek, Northern Territory, 1929.From Dr WD Walker Report on Aborigines N Aust (1928-1929), NAA: CRS A1 1928/10743. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Figure 1: Map showing route of Overland Telegraph and railway including place names mentioned in the text. Figure 2: School children at first ‘Bungalow’, Alice Springs, 1914. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Figure 3: [original caption:] Half-caste children sleeping arrangements, Jay Creek, 1929-32. NAA: 1928/59. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Figure 4: Meal time at the first ‘Bungalow’, Alice Springs, 1929-32. NAA: 1928/59. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Figure 5: Building new dormitories at Iwaputarka (Jay Creek) 1929-32. See wiltja in foreground. NAA: 1928/59. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Figure 6: St Francis House on day of inspection for proposed purchase, 1947. NAA: A431/1. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Figure 7: Father Smith and Frank Moy inspecting St Francis House for proposed purchase, 1947. NAA: A431/2. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Figure 8: St Francis House, late 1940s: from rear left to right, Jim Foster, David Woodford (in hat), Laurie Bray, Peter Tilmouth, Malcolm Cooper, (front) Gerry Hill, Tim Campbell and Vince Copley. Figure 9: Mulgoa boys in cowshed, 1947: from left to right John Hampton milking cow while Tom Campbell and Ken Hampton look on. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Figure 10: Mulgoa, New South Wales, 1949: from left to right James Stirling, Wally McArthur, Cyril Hampton and James Foster. Courtesy of National Archives of Australia. Figure 11: Alice Springs railway station, 1952: self, my mother, Millie Glenn, Billy and Dennis at front. xi book.indb 11 17/02/10 10:14 AM Racial.Folly:.A.twentieth-century.Aboriginal.family Figure 12: Reunion of Amy Tennant, Millie Glenn and Mary Woodford at Rainbow Town, Alice Springs, 1951. These three girls were evacuated to Mulgoa at the same time as me. Figure 13: My mother holding Sam, and Sandra on lawn at Administrator’s Residence, Alice Springs, 1952. Figure 14: Christmas 1952 at St John’s Alice Springs: from back to front Jacky Campbell, Billy Briscoe (with hat), Phillip Bray in centre with Les Nayda and Harold Thomas (creator of Aboriginal flag). Figure 15: St Francis House boys camping at Goolwa, 1953: from left to right Des Price, John Spencer, Denis Wickham (obscured), Jacky Campbell and Les Nayda (front). Figure 16: St Francis House boys, 1953. Figure 17: My brothers Billy and Dennis, at St Francis House in 1957. Figure 18: Port Lincoln Soccer Representative side 1957. Self back row, second from left. Figure 19: Croatia team 1960. Charlie Perkins back 3rd left, self 4th left. Figure 20: Charles Perkins with President of Croatia North Adelaide club, John Moriarty and self, 1960. Figure 21: Our wedding, Apsley Church, United Kingdom, 1962. Figure 22: Herb and Ruth Simms at their Sydney home, 1965. Herb was the Director of the Foundation for Aboriginal Affairs in the mid 1960s. Figure 23: Norma’s parents, Beatrice and Ernest Foster visiting Australia, 1966. Figure 24: Picnic at Wattamolla, Sydney, 1967: Eileen, Charlie and Hetti Perkins, Vincent Copley, me, John Moriarty and my son Aaron in front. Figure 25: My mother at Melanka Hostel, Alice Springs, about 1970. Figure 26: My Mardu family, circa 1970: my mother’s two brothers Percy and Intji are on the far left, and Uncle Cydika Warri. Figure 27: Charlie Perkins and me at apartheid demonstration at Australia v South African Rugby match Sydney Cricket Ground, 1971. Figure 28: St Francis House reunion, 1967: Father Smith second row, second from left. xii book.indb 12 17/02/10 10:14 AM Illustrations Figure 29: Djabangardi. My Australia Party campaign photograph 1972. Authorised by PJ Graham, Mitchell Street, Darwin. Figure 30: Federal election, 1972: George Bray and family and my campaign manager Len Smith in shorts. Figure 31: Briscoe and Perkins family on holidays at Malua Bay, New South Wales, 1978: back row, from left to right Adam, Eileen, Aaron, Hettie, Norma, John, front row, Charlie, Rachel (my goddaughter), Lisa and me. Figure 32: Farnham House, my son Aaron, Gary Foley and Kelly (Farnham House resident), 1983. Figure 33: Self and Fred Hollows at the time of his Australian of the Year award, 1990. Figure 34: My sons Aaron and John, mid 1990s. Figure 35: My son Aaron and his partner Meredeth Taylor, 1993. Figure 36: My daughter Lisa and self at her acceptance as ACT Barrister, 1996. Figure 37: My PhD Conferral, Canberra, 1997: from left to right Sam (Jupurulla) brother, self, Michael Johnson, Norma, Roz and John Moriarty, Gabi Hollows, Mike Lynskey and John Balazs. Figure 38: My grandson Mitchell Taylor-Briscoe and me on a cricket break, Canberra, 2001. Figure 39: My brother Bill and Gerry Hill, Canberra, 2001. Figure 40: My cousin Mary Ross (nee Swan) and Aaron, 2000. Figure 41: My sister Jennifer Summerfield at Umuwa Pitjantjajara Homelands where she is a health worker and traditional artist, 2004. Figure 42: Launch of my book Counting, Health and Identity: A history of Aboriginal health and demography in Western Australia and Queensland 1900- 1940 at the Sydney Writers Festival, 2004: from left to right Julia Moriarty, Rosa (my goddaughter), Norma, Anna and Ruth Hollows and Kate Balazs.
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