DISAPPEARING RACE.

Bruce Herald, Volume LV, Issue 67, 1 September 1919, Page 3

DISAPPEARING RACE.

DOOMED TO EXTINCTION. • Th'o Australian aborigines are' dying out. They 'have 'been, dying •out for more than 100 years—ever since they came in. contact- with the white man. Queensland; has prepared a .scheme for the. preserva- . tiott of the remnant, and l it'^isi'anticipated. that Parliament; will give ' effect- to it shortly. . There is an erroneous impression that Australia- has 'done little, if anything, for the .preservation' of the native race —the ■original inhabitants of the country. We) hear more l sto'ries :of- ■djccd's Which go to 1 prove an. attempt to exterminate the Macks than we do of the •magnificent' attempts which have been m&dte to preserve) them from' extinction 1 . Despite what has 'bee'n -doh'e in the past-, or any schemes which, may be launched in the future, the, Australian aboriginal is doomed to l extinction. 'The native race, may fee given a more prolonged period I 'of existence, 'but the tdm'eis not far off when the touch of eternal sleep will close the eyes l of the last iblack anan—gust' as' it.' oyes of Trugannini, the last- survivor of race, in l May, 1876. This, woman survived 1 the last man by eijven: yrfjaTS, Lannay /dying in Fc'b*uary, ISG9. THE BLACK . WAR.

Ji was not that no. attempt was made tof; preserve: the race, -Everybody familiar with) Amstraliari history rem em - 1 bers:the famous 1 ' <! blaek war" of' 1830,' which' cost, the Tasmania™'Adniinistra-: tion £'70,006; and ended) in. fiasco,. I Colonel Arthur set- out wit/i .• 4000 armed! men to round) up the whole of thetribes like a. lot of sheep, with the in,, tbntion' oif .eajvturin^^theinv aii'd deporting thp wjiole race to ah* island where they out.their existence andi lea ve - the settlers in peace. The troops succeeded! in catching two old) blackfellowa who were l too feeble to get out of the way. •: " v,./ The Macks were still .burning! with a. determination: to shed their last ;drop of blood' rather than submit to the white .race .' when a truce was called, and A friend of ,th,e autl the- first ProtCctdr of the iinaili to whomi a- toowu-1 ment in white stone shou'lcl be erected, •in the capital for pennis- ' sioa to go out among them. He -went ..

i<. > ! 1 unarmed, hadl o'ne short pailoj*, and j then, led th'em' all, in like a lot of shy J school- childa-en prepared to do anybody's 1 biditl'in'g, 'GEOIWS HMD SETTLEMENT. ... 1:'• • . \ •'••• '«. •• ■. ;V" ; i'v.i ■ . ■ .:l 'Long before aita tfrem.pt was,madte -to preserve t.he,* Tasmaniaru native race work was being done in a siimlaV directionrin Sydiu'eyv' v...--The'site ok. which the'great military hospital at. George's Head' now stands waa thc.-flrst granit of land! made to the aboriginals.. This was in lSlo. It was only a small settlement at 6inen.. with; .their ;Avive§ and "families; under: the; famous, chief Bun*garee;' with clothes, agricultural-implements,- and' seeds. They billed! \ the soil and hunted the wifillaby. on vthe .rugged l peninsula on which'. M'dsihAtt ; -iipw' staiyds. '■!. ! Bungavee! ami; .his tribe, .despite all that was done--for them, passed into the dreamless,dust. Somewhere in the vicinity of the old settlement the 'bones of the ancient race of men are encased by Mottrer Eni'th. BIjA'OETOWN FABM. years "bef ore this first: land was granted! ait attempt was made to inStruct the 'blacks in< useful agricultural. work. Blaektown, beyond 1 Parramatta., stall retains -the name 'that wa's given to it.' in 17 &6, wh'cm Rev. 'Samuel Mars den established!-a farm and set; the natives to work. 'Uiwter proper-direction- they workers and' excelleni agriculturists. In Robinson's 'Mndtersi Island settlement they not only toad a paddock of turnips, but they grew acres of strawberries. The natives of Blacktown are no more. The name of the place is all that survives to remind us. of attempts to preserve the race. Then; again in 1816 a school for aboriginal children, was established at Parraimatta. The presence of children there in sucli numbers was due to one of thoset- unfortunate outbreaks 'between the white audi the black races 1 . A real battle was fought between: a big tribe and! a detachment of ttie 46th Regiment. Many, blackfellows were killed, and others, with, their lubras and children, were captured; and brought into the settlement, where they were given all the accomplishments of civilisation. The whole, tribe gradually died; away. / DOOM OF ft ACE. .

The native races were never of a virile- character. -Their, multiplication j might not have 'been much - greater than it was when Governor Phillip found! J them hadl they 'been left alone until today. . It has always'been a case of the survival, of the fittest, They have never believed in- maintaining a greater population than there wasi food) for. •When food has failed then cannibalism. has been Tcsorted' to by some of the tribes, and then they have, always sacrificed] their females—youn'g girls chiefly. , We anight have preserved the race had one province been set apart- for them entirely aud competent teachers' sent among them'to teach them all that was necessary fox their goodl To-day it is too late to experiment. We can merely gather .them together, let them- enjoy the life they like, added , to one of more, usefulness, and await ! the day when the last'of the race will | bo gathered to his fathers. When Governor Phillip landed in Australia he estimated' that- therci weie 1,000,000 blacks in the country. His calculation showed that there were about 3000 on! the coast between Botaiw Bay and Broken Bay. In 1911 a census was taken- throughout Australia, and 19,939 Jul'l-bloodecl aboriginals' were counted. till there were- numerous tribes in t'.ie north and centre of Australia which had never 'been reached. They are' still, living in a primitive state. Authorities differ as .to the exact number of fullv blooded blacks there are in the country, but- the nearest estimate is put down- at 100,0»0, of which Queensland holds a fair number. LIGHT THAT 'FAILED.

Many efforts 'liave -'been; made- in Queensland' to bring the races together, and' -to Help them: to lead) .useful lives. There is the Bel in tier Ker Mission, at Cairns, founded by Rev. J. B. Gabble, who established! the Warengesda Mission at- Darlington Point, on the Miirrumbid'gee, in this State. Then tliero are the numerous establishments aroundl the 1 * G-ulf of Carpentaria. Where is the 1 effect of the work done bu Rev. Benjamin Hurst's mission at Port- Phillip ? 'He wrote as. far back as 1842: "Judging from present- appearances, it .is evident that ibyi the time the missionary shall 'have acquired the language so aa to ,( be able to preach the Gtospel, lie .will have no one to preach to." Many perished under the hand of t-lre ruthless murderer, but the coming of the white! man. told the blackfellow that it was the end of his reign,.and the race has resigned- itself to extinction by natural causes. The blackfcllowVwork has ended. ....