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Home , Aboriginal Tent Embassy, Central Land Council, Jack Pizzey, Northern Land Council, Pearl Gibbs

THE STRUGGLE FOR ABORIGINAL RIGHTS A documentary history

Bain Attwood and Andrew Markus

ALLEN & UNWIN CONTENTS

Illustrations xv Acknowledgnents xvii Preface . xx Abbreuiations xxii

Introduction 1

Part 1 The nineteenth century 30

1. Thomas Bruny, editor and writer, Flinders Island Weekly Chronicle, 17 November 1837 2. Walter George Arthur to Mr G.W. Walker, 30 December 1845 3. Petition to Her Majesty Queen Victoria, 17 February 1846 4. Mary Ann Arthur to Colonial Secretary, Van Diemen's Land, 10 June 1846 5. Walter George Arthur to Colonial Secretary, Van Diemen's Land, 15 July 1846 6. William Thomas, Guardian of Aborigines, to the Commissioner of Lands and Survey, Victoria, 4 March 1859 7. William Thomas, Guardian of Aborigines, to Robert Brough Smyth, Secretary, Victorian Central Board for the Protection of the Aborigines, 5 October 1860 8. Illustrated Post, 25 June 1863. Deputation Of Aborigines 9. Evidence of Thomas Bamfield (also known as Tommy Michie and Punch), 30 September 1881, Board appointed to inquire into Aboriginal Station 10. Petition, 5 September 1881, Board appointed to inquire into Coranderrk Aboriginal Station vi Struggle for A boriginal Rights

11. The Leader (Melbourne), Supplement, 15 July 1882. Deputation Of Blackfellows At Parliament House 12. Coranderrk Aborigines, letter to the editor, Argis, 29 August 1882 13. Argus, 25 March 1886. Mr Berry And The Aborigines 14. Herald (Melbourne), 21 September 1886. The Protection Bill and the Coranderrk Blacks 15. Maloga Petition, 5 July 1881 16. Maloga Petition, 20 July 1887 17. William Cooper to J.M. Chanter, MLA, 11 November 1887 18. Morning Herald, 12 December 1890. Deputations. The Maloga Mission 19. Residents of Poonindie to Mr Hamilton, Native Protector, South , 8 January 1887 20. Thomas Adams, Point Pearce Mission, to Mr Hamilton, Protector of Aborgines, South Australia, [1888] 21. Poonindie Petition, 2 February 1894 22. William Adams, Robert Wanganeen, and Henry Angic to the Commissioner of Public Works, South Australia, 19 February 1894 23. Tom Adams, Point Pearce Mission, to Mr G.W. Hawkes, 2 April 1895 24. Advertiser, 12 April 1907. Point Madeay Natives. Want More Food and Less Prayer

Part 2 1920s-1950s 58

25. Elizabeth McKenzie-Hatton, Secretary, Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association, letter to the editor, Voice of the North, 12 June 1925 26. Madeay Argus, 9 October 1925. Gathering Of Aborigines. Conference At Kempsey 27. Fred Maynard, President, L. Lacey, Secretary, Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association, to J.T. Lang, Premier of , 28 May 1927 28. Fred Maynard, President, Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association, to J.T. Lang, Premier of New South Wales, 3 October 1927 29. Sydney Morning Herald, 15 November 1927. Aborigines. Want Racial Equality. Appeal To Churchmen. Letter To The King 30. A.E. McKenzie-Hatton, Secretary, Fred Maynard, President, Australian Aboriginal Progressive Association, to the Royal Commission on the Constitution, 22 February 1928 Contents vii

31. CinesoundReview, no. 100, 29 September 1933. Australian Royally Pleads for His People. Burraga, chief of Aboriginal Thirroul tribe, to petition the King for blacks' representation in Federal Parliament 32. King Burraga to Professor A.P. Elkin, President, Association for the Protection of Native Races, 16 January 1936 33. Evidence of William Ferguson, Secretary, Aborigines Progressive Association, 30 November 1937, Select Committee on the Administration of Aborigines Protection Board, New South Wales 34. Percy Mosely, Burnt Bridge, to Mr JJ. Moloney, Australian Society of Patriots, 1 July 1937 35. William Ferguson, 'Give Us Justice!', Daily Telegraph (Sydney), 15 October 1937 36. Jack Patten, radio interview with P.R. Stephensen, January 1938 37. J.T. Patten and W. Ferguson, A borigines Claim Citizen Rights! (1938) 38. Australian Abo Call, no. 1, April 1938. Our Historic Day Of Mourning & Protest. Aborigines Conference. Held At , Sydney, 26th January 1938. Report Of Proceedings 39. Australian Abo Call, no. 1, April 1938. Our Ten Points. Deputation to the Prime Minister 40. Pearl Gibbs, Woman Today, April 1938. An Aboriginal Woman Asks for Justice 41. Pearl Gibbs, Secretary, Aborigines Progressive Association, to William Morley, Secretary, Association for the Protection of Native Races, 23 July 1938 42. A ustralian A bo Call, no. 5, August 1938. The Colour Bar At Collarenebri 43. Australian Abo Call, no. 6, September 1938. Land Lease Scandal. Is AP. Board Entitled To Lease Abo. Reserves? 44. Pearl Gibbs, radio broadcast, 2GB Sydney & 2WL Wollongong, 8 June 1941 45. Albert Hippi and others to J. Mullan, Minister for Justice, , 1 January 1923 46. Northern Standard, 24 March 1936. The Larrakeyah Tribe. Concern Of "Old Men" For Welfare. Deputation To Visit Col. Weddell 47. Fanny Thorpe to William Ferguson, Secretary, Aborigines Progressive Association, 14 April 1938 48. Australian Abo Call, no. 3, June 1938. A Letter From Qive Martin, Stradbroke Island 49. Australian Abo Call, no. 6, September 1938. Aborigines' Death Pact. Father And Son viii Struggle for A boriginal R ights

50. Advertiser (Adelaide), 13 December 1909. The Aborigines. Their Claims On The State. Point McLeay Mission 51. Register (Adelaide), 29 November 1911. Our Black Brothers. A Clever Aborigine. Letter From Mat Kropinjere 52. Evidence of Aboriginal witnesses, 18 Jury 1913, South Australian Royal Commission on the Aborigines 53. Register (Adelaide), 21 December 1923. "Give Us Our Children". The Aborigines' Plea. Opposition To New Act 54. H. Taylor, Point Pearce Mission, to Constance Ternent Cooke, 29 May 1933 55. Petition of Aborigines to the Government of South Australia, 1935 56. News (Adelaide), 2 November 1936. David Unaipon's Plea For Natives. Lack Of Understanding And Sympathy Alleged. Control Board Of Men Outside Government Service Urged. Problems Of Aboriginal Race 57. Age, 18 January 1938. Day Of Mourning. Aborigines Not In Sympathy 58. Requests submitted by Aborigines, Point Pearce, to the Advisory Council on Aborigines, South Australia, 26 August 1938 59. John Kickett to Mr Griffiths, 29 August 1918 60. William Harris, letter to the editor, West Australian, 25 September 1925 61. William Harris, letter to the editor, Sunday Tones, 14 November 1926 62. Norman Harris to Jim Bassett, 19 April 1927 63. West Australian, 10 March 1928. Black Man's Burden. A Novel Deputation. Chief Protector Criticised 64. Norman Harris to Helen Baillie, 15 February 1934 65. Statements of Aborigines recorded by Mary Bennett. Western Australian Royal Commission to inquire into allegations of the mistreatment of Aborigines, 1934 66. Petition of 'half-caste' women, Broome, January 1935, to the President and Members of the Western Australian Royal Commission to inquire into allegations of the mistreatment of Aborigines 67. A.TH. Jolley, President, H. Peter V. Hodge, Secretary, Native Rights Defence Committee, to the Secretary-General, United Nations Organization, 13 June 1946 68. West Australian, 21 June 1946. Natives' Strike. Alleged Counselling. Charges Against White Man 69. Tom Sampey, Native Co-operative, Port Hedland, Report to the Committee for Defence of Native Rights, 10 February 1947 70. Circular from Peter Coffin, Elsie Lee, Ernie Mitchell, Donald McLeod, Directorate of Pindan Pty Ltd, 12 August 1957 71. Shadrach L. James, Help My People!', Herald (Melbourne), 24 March 1930 Contents ix

72. William Cooper, letter to the editor, Age, 16 March 1933 73. William Cooper, petition to the King, Herald (Melbourne), 15 September 1933 74. William Cooper to Revd E. R. B. Gribble, 17 December 1933 75. Anna Morgan, Under the Black Flag', Labor Call, 20 September 1934 76. Notes of a deputation representing Aborigines to the Minister for the Interior, 23 January 1935 77. William Cooper, Secretary, AAL, to B. Stevens, Premier, New South Wales, 15 November 1936 78. William Cooper, Secretary, AAL, to T. Paterson, Minister for the Interior, 16 June 1937 79. Herald (Melbourne), 7 August 1937. Aborigines Petition the King, by Clive Tumbull 80. William Cooper, Secretary, AAL, to J A. Lyons, Prime Minister, 23 May 1938 81. William Cooper, Secretary, AAL, to the Chief Secretary or Minister for Native Affairs, Western Australia, 17 July 1938 82. William Cooper, Secretary, AAL, to the Chairman, Board for the Protection of Aborigines, New South Wales, 28 November 1938 83. Telegram (from Jack Patten), 3 February 1939, Barmah, Victoria 84. William Cooper, Secretary, AAL, to B. Stevens, Premier, New South Wales, 20 February 1939 85. "Half Caste Aborigine" [Margaret Tucker], 'Conditions at Cummeroogunga', Workers' Voice, 1 March 1939 86. Uplift (publication of Aborigines' Uplift Society), November 1940, report from Sun (Melbourne), November 1940. "White People Must Think Black". Aboriginal Spokesman's Eloquent Plea For His People 87. Daily News, 28 March 1946. Native JP Attacks White Rule 88. Herald (Melbourne), 4 October 1946. Native Protest On Australian Bikini. Rocket Test Opposed 89. William Onus, President, AAL, to Dr Donald Thomson, 7 January 1947 90. Doug Nicholls, Secretary, AAL, to J.B. Chifley, Prime Minister and Leader of the , KG. Menzies, the Leader of the Australian Liberal Party, and A.W. Fadden, the Leader of the Australian Country Party, 1 July 1949 91. A rgus, 22 January 1951. Oldest Australians Mourn The Jubilee 92. Argus, 22 February 1951. *Leave Us A Tiny Corner'. Native Plea 93. Doug Nicholls, Vice-President, Council for Aboriginal Rights, "Natives In Victoria Are Suffering, Too', Argus, 16 January 1957 x Struggle for A boriginal R ights

94. Tribune, 1 May 1957. Tears Over Aborigine Film. Petition Launched On Aborigines

Part 3 1950s-1970s 170

95. Smoke Signals, May 1958 (publication of Victorian Aborigines Advancement League). Federal Council For Aboriginal Advancement 96. Herald (Melbourne), 23 December 1958. Namatjira To Serve Gaol Term 97. Smoke Signals, October 1959. The AA.L. and Integration 98. Gladys O'Shane, President, Aborigines and Advancement League, Cairns Branch, to Stan Davey, Secretary, FCAA, 11 May 1960 99. Press Statement, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders Advancement League, Cairns Branch, 14 May 1961 100. Joe McGinness, Secretary, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders Advancement League, Cairns, to Stan Davey, Secretary, FCAA, 29 June 1961 101. FCAA, Police Bashings Mareeba (Qld.) Aborigines Assaulted. Special Bulletin issued by Stan Davey, Secretary, 8 May 1962 102. FCAA, Petition leaflet, 1962 103. Council for Aboriginal Rights, Report by Kath Walker on her National Tour launching the petition of FCAA and her speech in Sydney on 6 October 1962 104. They Have Made Our Rights Wrong, pamphlet authorised by Joe McGinness, Secretary, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islander League, Caims, 6 November 1962 105. Joe McGinness, President, Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders Advancement League, Cairns, to , Premier, Queensland, and Jack Pizzey, Minister for Police and Native Affairs, Queensland, 21 February 1963 106. Narrijin and others to H.E. Giese, Director of Aboriginal Welfare, , March" 1963 107. Joe McGinness, Address to 'Save Lake Tyers' meeting (Melbourne), 22 May 1963 108. Doug Nicholls, letter to the editor, Age, 27 May 1963 109. Age, 27 June 1963. Aborigine's Cable Seeks UN. Inquiry 110. FCAA, press release, 12 August 1963 111. petition to the House of Representatives, August 1963 112. Evidence of Milirrpum, 1 October 1963, Select Committee into the Grievances of the Yirrkala Contents xi

113. Queensland Council for the Advancement of Aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders, The Existing Aboriginals Preservation Act, Amendments Which Should Be Made and Why, 1964 114. Tribune, 8 April 1964. Shameful Story Of Mapoon 115. Australian, 14 March 1966. Aborigines Ask For Land Rights 116. Evidence of Herbert Groves, President, Aborigines Progressive Association, 5 April 1966, New South Wales Joint Committee of the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly upon Aborigines Welfare 117. Referendum on Aborigines (Background Notes), prepared by the National Directorate, Vote Yes Campaign (FCAATSI), 31 March 1967 118. Age, 11 April 1967. No Vote Fear On Rights Issue 119. Charles Perkins to A.G. Kingsmill, Chairman, New South Wales Aborigines Welfare Board, 18 January 1965 120. Sun, 17 February 1965. Students May Set Up Pickets 121. Australian, 22 February 1965. Race Tour Bus Driver Walks Out 122. Star (Lismore), 23 February 1965. Students Arrive In Lismore. To Make Survey Today 123. Churmga (publication of the Aborigines Progressive Association), December 1965 124. Northern Territory Council for Aboriginal Rights, Program for Improved Living Standards for Northern Territory Aborigines, leaflet, 1966 125. Dexter Daniels, President, Northern Territory Council for Aboriginal Rights, press release, Aborigines and Northern Territory Cattle Stations, 25 October 1966 126. Petition to Lord Casey, Governor General, 19 April 1967 127. Aboriginal Land Rights Campaign 1968, pamphlet issued by FCAATSI and the Abschol Department of the National Union of Australian University Students 128. Milirrpum and Others v Nabalco Pty Ltd and Commonwealth of Australia, Supreme Court of the Northern Territory. Amended statement of claim, 16 March 1970 129. Yolngu Statement in the Gupapunyngu Language, presented in to William McMahon, Prime Minister, 6 May 1971 130. The Gurindji Blues, written by Ted Egan and sung by Egan and , introduction by Vincent Lingiari, RCA Records, 1971 131. Churinga, February 1968. New National Group Urged For Aborigines 132. Kath Walker, 'Black-White Can Work', Origin, 18 September 1969 133. Charles Perkins, letter to the editor, Australian, 8 April 1968 xii Struggle for A boriginal R ights

134. Neville Bonner, President, OPAL, letter to the editor.CoKraer Mail, 25 September 1969 135. Victorian Aborigines Advancement League, Statement on Black Power, 1969 136. Dulcie Flower, Harriet Ellis, Faith Bandler, Ken Brindle and Pastor Frank Roberts, "Why we believe that Aborigines and Islanders should have allies in their fight for rights and advancement', 1 March 1970 137. Kath Walker, 'Oration' (poem), presented to FCAATSI for use at Parliament House, Canberra, 27 March 1970 138. National Tribal Council, Policy Manifesto, adopted 13 September 1970 139. Black Panthers of Australia, Platform and Programme, 1970 140. Australian, 5 December 1971. Simon Townsend Talks To The Leaders Of The Black Panthers 141. Age, 28 January 1972. Natives Open 'Embassy' Of Their Own 142. Aboriginal Embassy Land Rights Policy, '5 Point Policy' 143. Transcript of Monday Conference, ABC Television, 20 March 1972 144. Herald (Melbourne), 20 July 1972.120 Fight At Black 'Embassy'. Police Rip Out Tents 145. Age, 24 July 1972. Tent Embassy Sparks Brawl 146. Joe McGinness, President, FCAATSI, letter to the editor, Nation Review, 12-18 August 1972 147. West Australian, 12 August 1972. Aboriginal Leaders Want Federal Control 148. Canberra News, 26 November 1972. Violence Coming: Perkins 149. Age, 17 January 1974. Blacks To Tell China 150. Senator Neville Bonner, Parliamentary Debates, 12 March 1974 151. Hobart Mercury, 1 May 1976. Truganini To Be Disturbed No More 152. Hobart Mercury, 11 August 1982. Anger Voiced Over Fate Of Skeletons

Part 4 1970s-1998 273

153. Advertiser (Adelaide), 17 January 1974. PS Man Hits At Ministers 154. Sun (Melbourne), 11 June 1975. Blacks Clash With Police 155. Gary Foley, Publicity Officer, Aboriginal Medical Service, The history of the Aboriginal Medical Service— a study in bureaucratic obstruction' 156. The Queensland Aborigines Act and Regulations 1971. Written by the Black Resource Centre Collective, 1976. Main contributor Lionel Lacey (Fogarty). Other contributors Cheryl Buchanan and Vincent Brady 157. Courier Mail, 12 June 1976. Black Man Feels The Lash In 3-Hour Rights Protest Contents xiii

158. Coe v. Commonwealth of Australia (the first defendant) and the Government of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (the second defendant). High Court of Australia, 1978 159. Age, 21 April 1980. Blacks Unite: Mining Doubt 160. Australian, 30 August 1980. Ban-Breakers Drill Noonkanbah 161. National Aboriginal Conference Submission to the Senate Standing Committee on Constitutional and Legal Affairs, on the Makarrata, 1982 162. Eddie Koiki Mabo, Land Rights in the Torres Strait', talk delivered at a seminar, Townsville, 28-30 August 1981 163. Eddie Mabo and [others] v. the State of Queensland and the Commonwealth of Australia. High Court of Australia, 1982. 164. A Summary of Concerns of the Aboriginal People of Australia Distributed by NAC Chairman, Mr Roy Nichols, at the World Assembly of First Nations, Regina, Canada, 1982. Compiled by NAC Research Unit 165. Age, 8 October 1983. Tension Over Young Black's Death Erupts Into Violence 166. Age, 12 October 1984. Aborigines Losing Patience With Labor NAC Chief 167. Age, 11 September 1986. On The Road For Black Justice. 168. Lois ODonoghue, An Aboriginal andIslanderConsultativeOrganisation (1986) 169. Neville Bonner, To My Fellow Countrymen', Age, 8 May 1987 170. Age, 14 May 1987. Mansell Wants Libya To Help Put Case To UN 171. Age, 27 May 1987. Aboriginal Advances Threatened: Perkins 172. , Aboriginal Sovereignty: Justice, the Law and Land. A draft written in consultation with Aboriginal Members of the Sovereign Aboriginal Coalition at on 19-21 June 1987 173. Galarrwuy Yunupingu, "What The Aboriginal People Want', Age, 26 August 1987 174. Sun (Melbourne), 27 January 1988. Black Power On The March 175. Barunga Statement, presented by Galarrwuy Yunupingu, Chairperson of the Northern , and Wenten Rubuntja, Chairperson of the , to R.J. Hawke, Prime Minister, at the Barunga Festival, 12 June 1988 176. Age, 6 July 1989. Black Leaders To Seek UN Action Over Jail Deaths 177. ATSIC, What Is A TSIC (1997) 178. Kevin Gilbert, Transcript of a speech at the , Canberra, Day of Protest and Mourning for the 25th Anniversary of the 1967 Referendum, 27 May 1992 179. 'Intellectual Prisoners', APG Papers, July 1992 xiv Struggle for Aboriginal Rights

180. Towards Aboriginal Sovereignty', APG Papers, July 1992 181. Sydney Morning Herald, 29 January 1992. Aborigines Quit House As Four Arrested 182. Age, 14 January 1993. Tasmanians To Discuss Claim 183. Sydney Morning Herald, 4 June 1993. NSW Faces Mabo-Style Claim. Aborigines Seeking Native Title Over One-Third Of State 184. Pat Dodson, Chairperson, Council for Aboriginal Conciliation, Welcome Speech to Conference on the Position of Indigenous People in National Constitutions, 4 June 1993 185. Noel Pearson, "Law Must Dig Deeper To Find Land Rights', Australian, 8 June 1993 186. Lois O"Donoghue, ATSIC Chairperson, Opening statement at media conference, 19 October 1993 187. Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation, The Key Issues of Reconciliation, 1994 188. Mandawuy Yunupingu, 'Give Back Our Laws', Herald Sun, 25 January 1994 189. Australian, 6 October 1994. Native Title Isolates Urban Blacks: Activist 190. Sydney Morning Herald, 26 January 1995. Mansell Working For A New National Day 191. Koori Mail, 5 April 1995. ATSIC Lays Its Cards On The Table Over Social Justice Deal 192. Gary Foley, Tragedy For Another Aboriginal Generation In Waiting', Age, 20 July 1995 193. Patrick Dodson, "Reconciliation Misunderstood', Australian, 13 September 1996 194. Sydney Morning Herald, 6 Jury 1996. One Man's Gulf War 195. Age, 20 February 1997. No ATSIC Funds For Aboriginal Mine Fight 196. Sydney Morning Herald, 29 May 1997. A Call To The Nation. Delegates' Closing Address Reconciliation Summit 197. Sydney Morning Herald, 2 August 1997. Now The World Watches 198. Mick Dodson, "We All Bear The Cost If Apology Is Not Paid', Age, 18 December 1997 199. Australian, 1-2 November 1997. Racist Scum: Pearson Blasts PM 200. Age, 24 January 1998. A Black View Of Howard's Way

Sources: documents and illustrations 357 Index 363