Clerical Jobs For Aborigines Wanted

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30635, 29 December 1964, Page 9

Clerical Jobs For Aborigines Wanted

(N.Z.P.A.- Reuter—Copyright) DARWIN, December 28. An appeal to the Federal Government to employ Australian Aborigines in administrative and clerical jobs as African Governments were doing with their nationals was made in Darwin today by Mr Phillip Roberts, a fullblooded Aborigine, on his return from Kenya.

Mr Roberts also asked that the Government establish cooperative farming schemes under which aborigines could get Government finance to acquire and cultivate land.

Mr Roberts and Mr David Daniles, another aborigine, were guests of the Kenya Government at the recent independence celebrations. Mr Roberts said the British left a legacy of trained Africans who were well able to run Kenya’s affairs.

“But as far as I know no aborigines have ever been trained in Government administration here and none are employed as clerks,” Mr Roberts said. "More than 300 Aborigines are being educated in schools throughout the territory and it's time some of them were trained and taken into the administration.” Mr Roberts said he had seen co-operative farms in Kenya being worked by Africans—even primitive Masai tribesmen who had just come

out of the bush. They were raising stock, growing crops and repaying the Government for land and equipment from their profits, he said. “If they can do it, we can do it,” Mr Roberts said, “and I think we should be given the opportunity.”