PRIEST'S MANY WIVES

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVII, Issue 17, 21 January 1944, Page 4

PRIEST'S MANY WIVES

SAVING GIRLS FROM JAPS To save aboriginal girls from being sold to Japanese, Dr. Gsell, Roman Catholic Bishop of the Darwin diocese, has, in the course of 30 years or so, acquired 150 wives, states a report in the Melbourne "Herald." As a young priest he established the first Catholic missions in the Northern Territory. He hit on the idea of bespeaking his "brides" when a young black girl sought his protection from an alliance with an elderly relative according to the marriage rites of her tribe. Because of the fierceness of the tribe, Dr. Gsell at first handed her back to them, but she broke away again and asked for sanctuary. The young priest persuaded the armed warriors to delay their departure with their captive, and collected nicknacks with which he bought the terrified girl from the tribe. J According to their law, she thus became his wife and property. From! then on he bartered for all girl babies of the tribe who were to be given by the elders to Japanese pearling crews. He encouraged his proteges to marry young men of their tribe, and thus the physical and moral standards of that particular tribe have shown considerable improvement.