AUSTRALIAN BLACKS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXX, Issue 21454, 30 March 1933, Page 14

AUSTRALIAN BLACKS

DANGER OF. EXTINCTION VIEWS OF ANTHROPOLOGISTS CONTACT WITH EUROPEANS [from our own correspondent] SYDNEY, March 23 A cable message from New Zealand recording the death of the last of the Morioris has' inspired a discussion in Australia as to whether the Australian aboriginal will follow the road to extinction. Many anthropologists say that unless something is done to check tho decline of the race nothing can prevent this from happening. On tho other hand, those whose duty it is to study statistics deny that the aboriginals are a dying race, but admit the danger of their becoming one. The end of tho Morioris follows closely the death of the last representative of tho primitive natives of Tasmania—the ono section of Australia which formerly possessed aborigines which differed from those of the rest of tho continent. On tho mainland itself there are now about 60,000 natives, including halfcastes. Bofore white settlement the full-blooded population was estimated at 300,000. The serious decline occurred many years ago and statisticians say that in recent years there has actually been. an increase. In recent months considerable importance has been given by anthropologists to the psychological factor in native race decline. Particularly is this so in Australia, where the nomadic race of blacks, quite unwilling or unablo to settle itself agriculturally, or as part of the white man's scheme of things, has felt itself submerged in tho wavo of civilisation and given up the fight. The blacks in Australia are in striking contrast to virile native races of other lands, 'who have shown they can thrive, in spite of contact with the whites. In Papua, foxinstance, the aboriginal population is increasing, and this applies to the whole of New Guinea, except a few isolated centres where the decline had set in before European settlement. Scientists say that laziness induced by the abolition of tribal war is having a serious effect upon the aborigines of Australia, as is the case with many other native tribes. For the most part, the natives of Australia do nothing to fend for themselves, the wanderers in the central and north-west centres of the Continent being exceptions. Onoe an aboriginal comes under the influence of the missions, or enters a Government reserve, he ceases to hunt and ceases to work. That aboriginals can work 6bould thev feel inclined is proved by the number on various cattle stations. They are regarded as excellent workmen, trustworthy and well able to absorb the knowledge essential to their daily tasks. The majority of the half-castes are lazy and are prepared to live on the small dole given to them by the Government. In some of the settlements in New South Wales the blacks have ample land, but they make no attempt to work it, and once a week they go to the near by town and collect their bread, groceries and meat. Tho wisdom of giving tho dole and so encouraging laziness has been questioned, but no Government has been courageous enough to 6top the issue of these provisions. There are many Europeans quite content to live on tho dole, so it is not surprising that so many blacks ! are content to follow in their footsteps, j